Vestingmuseum Oudeschans

Vestingmuseum Oudeschans is a local museum in the village of Oudeschans in the Netherlands. The museum shows the history of the 16th-century fortification of Oudeschans and has a collection of archaeological findings.The museum opened on 12 September 1987. The building was renovated in 2009. The museum lost its structural municipal subsidy in 2010. The museum staff consists of volunteers only. With 1,195 visitors in 2015, it is one of the lesser-visited museums in Groningen.LocationThe museum is located at the Molenweg in the village Oudeschans in the municipality Bellingwedde in the east of the province Groningen near the Dutch–German border.The Bellingwolderschans (Sconce of Bellingwolde) was a fortification created in 1593 by William Louis, Count of Nassau-Dillenburg during the Eighty Years' War. It was renamed Oudeschans (Old Sconce) after the construction of the nearby Nieuweschans (New Sconce) in 1628. Oudeschans was used for military purposes until 1814. In the 1980s, the fortification was partially reconstructed. In 1991, the fortification became a state protected village area (beschermd dorpsgezicht).HistoryThe museum was opened on 12 September 1987.