Museum of the National Bank of Belgium

Central bank museum in Brussels, Belgium

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50°50′59″N 4°21′26″E / 50.84972°N 4.35722°E / 50.84972; 4.35722

Official website

The Museum of the National Bank of Belgium (French: Musée de la Banque nationale de Belgique; Dutch: Museum van de Nationale Bank van België) is a museum in central Brussels, Belgium, belonging to the National Bank of Belgium (NBB).^[1] Opened in 1982, it is one of the oldest central bank museums in Europe.^[2]

Building

The museum's current building was constructed between 1872 and 1874 to serve as a bank for the Union du Crédit de Bruxelles bank. It was designed by the local architect Désiré De Keyser. In 1969, Union du Crédit de Bruxelles was acquired by the United California Bank. In 1979, the National Bank of Belgium purchased the building and several others nearby. The building was restored between 2004 and 2009. Before its restoration, the building had been severely damaged by dry rot and alterations. The museum has occupied the building since 2018.^[3]^[4]

Collection

The museum is divided into three exhibits: the history of money, the history of the National Bank of Belgium, and the interactions between people and money and the design of money.^[5] It has a collection of old Belgian coins and explains the emergence of currency through the centuries.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ "Museum of the National Bank of Belgium". TripAdvisor. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
^ "Press release: National Bank of Belgium reopens museum". National Bank of Belgium. 15 January 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
^ "Museum of the National Bank of Belgium". Heritage Days. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
^ "The National Bank of Belgium's museum, a historical building" (PDF). National Bank of Belgium. August 2020.
^ "A tour inside the museum". NBB Museum. Retrieved 16 March 2022.