At the Rijksmuseum Meermanno, you are literally walking through a legacy. Both the stately building on the Prinsessegracht in The Hague and the impressive collection were bequeathed to the State of the Netherlands by Willem Baron van Westreenen van Tiellandt over 175 years ago. He collected centuries-old, richly decorated manuscripts and the earliest printed books. Thanks to the baron’s bequest, this treasure trove of cultural history remains accessible to new generations of enthusiasts to this day.
Do you share this love of books and wish to leave a lasting legacy? By including the Rijksmuseum Meermanno in your will, you can contribute in a very personal way to the preservation and future of this unique museum.
Willem Hendrik Jacob van Westreenen van Tiellandt knew from a young age what he wanted to be. At the age of fourteen, he wrote in a letter to his second cousin Johan Meerman in broken French “I dream of becoming a ‘bookworm’”.
Books that endure
Books are a mirror of our society. They are repositories of knowledge and culture, and windows onto other perspectives and worlds of imagination. Books are also very personal objects. After all, no two people read the same book in the same way. They are objects worth collecting. Stored on the bookshelf, with personal notes in the margins, cherished for years. To reflect on from time to time, to leaf through or reread. Perhaps there is a book that has touched your life – whether as a child or more recently – and that has always stayed with you. How special would it be to pass on that love of books to future generations?
Pass on your love of books
Leaving a bequest to the museum is a special and meaningful way to support it. By including the museum in your will, you contribute to the preservation of its unique collection and to the future of the book. Your bequest ensures that the love of books lives on.
There are various ways to include the museum in your will, for example by naming the museum as a (joint) beneficiary or by making a bequest. You draw up a will with a solicitor of your choice.
Bequest
A bequest is a provision in your will whereby you leave a fixed sum or a specifically defined portion of your estate to a person or institution, such as the Rijksmuseum Meermanno.
Inheritance
Another way to make a donation to the museum is to name the Rijksmuseum Meermanno as a beneficiary in your will. This means that, alongside family, friends and other loved ones, you can also name the museum as a beneficiary. All these (co-)heirs will then be granted all the rights and obligations associated with inheritance. If you have several heirs, you can specify the percentage of the estate that each (co-)heir will receive.
You decide for yourself whether you wish to support the museum broadly or focus on a specific area, such as exhibitions, acquisitions or education. We would be happy to discuss with you how we can best fulfil your wishes.
In safe hands
As a Public Benefit Organisation (ANBI), the Rijksmuseum Meermanno is exempt from inheritance tax. This means your bequest will benefit the museum in full.
Get in touch
Thinking about your will is a very personal matter, and one that requires careful consideration. We can well imagine that you may have questions about leaving a legacy to the Rijksmuseum Meermanno, or that you might like to explore the options with us at your leisure. We warmly invite you to a no-obligation and confidential discussion at the museum. Of course, we would also be happy to visit you at home if you prefer.
To arrange a no-obligation discussion, please contact Lisa Schmidt, Development and Fundraising Coordinator. She can be reached at lisa.schmidt@rijksmuseummeermanno.nl.
Official details for inclusion in your will
Rijksmuseum Meermanno
Prinsessegracht 30
2514 AP The Hague
Chamber of Commerce 41158851
RSIN 803276242
IBAN NL62 INGB 0000611459
Have you already included the museum in your will? Please let us know. We would be delighted to thank you personally.
