History of the museum

At the beginning of the 1960's, Bert Dewilde realized that the age-old flax industry had founded the welfare of the Leie region. It was high time that something was done to save the evidences of this important piece of social and economic history. With this idea in mind, Bert Dewilde contacted the city council and in 1964 a Non-Profit-Organisation was founded. The organisation had the following purpose: "saving and collecting everything linked to the historic evolution of the flax industry".

The Non-Profit-Organisation started a small flax exhibition in the left Broel-towers . This remaining exhibition mainly consisted of old flax tools, pictures and books, and was primarily intended for educational establishments. However, this colllection was soon too big for this location of only 50 m². In 1966, it was decided to put up the small Flax Museum in some houses of the beguinage. With large machines being added to the collection, it was necessary to look for a larger location. This was not obvious, but finally, in 1971, a typical South-West-Flemish farm, called Beeuwsaert, located at Hoog-Kortrijk, would be the new home for the expanding collection of the Flax Museum. However, it took until 1978 before the restoration of the farm was started and in 1981 the farm was equipped as a museum and the house as a tavern.

The opening of the adjacent Flax and Linen Museum attracted a new interest to our museum. Some important moments:

• In 1990 the museum was awarded the Great European Prize for Coach Tourism at Mitcar in Paris.
• Also a lot of personalities, both from home and abroad found their way to our museum: including late King Boudewijn, Queen Paola, Princess Astrid and Prince Laurenz, George and Barbara Bush, Margaret Tatcher, Mikhail Gorbatsjov, etc.
• In 1999, an important label recognition was granted by the Ministry of the Flemish Community.
• In 2000, the museum was transferred to the city.