About the organisation

The Stichting Koninklijke Defensiemusea (Royal Defence Museums Foundation) is the overarching organisation of the three Defence museums: the Mariniersmuseum (Netherlands Marine Corps Museum) in Rotterdam, the Nationaal Militair Museum (National Military Museum) in Soesterberg and the Marinemuseum (Navy Museum) in Den Helder.

Our mission

The Royal Defence Museums are the custodians of the military heritage of the Dutch armed forces. We bring the history and significance of this heritage to life for everyone. We manage a unique collection of objects and stories that illuminate the military past, present and future of the Netherlands. We bring the rich military history of the Netherlands closer and pass on this valuable heritage to future generations.

Our vision

With our collection and museums, we inspire and connect as many people as possible with the stories of the Dutch armed forces. So that everyone recognises the significance of the armed forces in our history and we contribute to a better understanding of the world and the challenges of today. We tell the military story of the Netherlands through unique objects, personal stories of service personnel and events that resonate.

Which is why the Defence museums are presenting a window on the past, present and future developments of the armed forces, in a way that is not non-committal.

We want to touch the hearts and minds of the members of the public by:

  • making emotions of service personnel such as camaraderie, courage, dedication and fear palpable;
  • showing that making choices is a necessity;
  • showing that the mere threat of the use of arms can be instrumental in keeping the peace;
  • enabling visitors to feel, smell, taste and hear what it means to work for peace and security;
  • shedding light on the mutual impact of the armed forces on society from multiple angles.

We are endeavouring to deliver a ‘transformative experience’, which means that visiting one of the Defence museums may change the way members of the public think about the armed forces.