Exhibition 'Interrupted Time – Exhibition Marking 25 Years Since the New Year’s Eve Fire' in Volendams Museum
From 18 October 2025, the Volendam Museum presents the exhibition “Interrupted Time”. The exhibition marks 25 years since the New Year’s Eve fire at Café ’t Hemeltje in Volendam in 2001. Those affected by the fire and the families of the victims wanted to commemorate this period and preserve its stories through this heritage project, which consists of a temporary exhibition and a permanent multimedia installation in the museum.
A generation marked by tragedy
The exhibition focuses on the young people of Volendam who were between the ages of 14 and 25 in 2001. Their experiences show how profoundly the fire affected their lives and the Volendam community, but also how resilience and solidarity can contribute to recovery and hope.
The personal stories of seven individuals represent the many different perspectives and experiences of those affected. Through their stories, visitors discover the impact of the fire not only on individuals, but also on families, emergency workers and the wider community. At the same time, the exhibition invites visitors to reflect on their own experiences: how do we cope with loss or life-changing events?
Collaboration and initiative
The exhibition was initiated by a group of people directly affected by the fire who, 25 years later, wanted to take the initiative themselves to preserve their stories and pass them on to future generations. The project was developed in collaboration with NNV (Nazorg Volendam) and the working group ‘Nieuwjaarsbrand, 25 jaar en verder’ (‘New Year’s Eve Fire: 25 Years and Beyond’).
The objectives are:
To commemorate the victims.
To provide recognition and support to those affected.
To preserve this heritage for future generations.
To encourage education and reflection among visitors, both from the local community and from abroad.
Design and content
The title “Interrupted Time” refers to the way life unfolds like a sheet of fabric: sometimes smooth, sometimes folded. Each fold represents a moment when time seemed to stand still – through love, loss, an event or a moment of insight. Afterwards, nothing is ever quite the same.
The name Interrupted Time was conceived by Harm Hasenaar, the exhibition’s designer:
“I use a sheet of fabric as a metaphor for life. Life unfolds like a sheet of time – sometimes smooth, sometimes folded. Each fold marks a moment when ‘time is interrupted’. This may be through love, an event, a loss or a moment of insight. Afterwards, nothing is ever quite the same as before.”
The stories of those affected are literally presented on folded walls installed throughout the museum. After each ‘fold’, a different event or aspect of the story is presented through words and images.
The exhibition takes the form of a timeline displayed on these folded walls, symbolising the unpredictable course of life. The walls present images and personal stories centred around seven themes:
Growing up in Volendam.
The fire – a brief moment in time.
Through the eyes of the media.
Solidarity: emergency response and local initiatives.
Remembrance and reflection.
Many ways of coping.
Resilience.
Media corner
The exhibition continues into a dedicated media corner. During the temporary exhibition, visitors can watch a screening of the documentary “Interrupted Time”. The documentary follows the central narrative of the exhibition while providing greater depth through the experiences of its main participants.
The media corner also offers visitors the opportunity to explore more extensive personal stories. A reading area contains books written by people affected by the fire.
Permanent installation (after January 2027)
In time, the media corner will be expanded into a comprehensive heritage project in which stories relating to the New Year’s Eve fire will be collected, preserved and made accessible.
An interactive media library will bring together documentaries, podcasts, reports, photographs, books and magazines. In this way, the stories surrounding the New Year’s Eve fire in Volendam will have a permanent place within the historical collection of the Volendam Museum.
Sustainability and the future
The exhibition has been designed with sustainability in mind. The exhibition walls can be reused and may eventually be given a permanent location in the museum or even at the original site of the fire, at ’t Hemeltje on the Dijk.
The permanent reference and media area will remain accessible at the Volendam Museum, ensuring that these stories and memories are preserved – not only for the families of the victims and those directly affected, but also for future generations and visitors from outside Volendam.
“With this exhibition, we want to preserve these stories ourselves and pass them on. It is our own initiative, allowing us to do justice to the memories, emotions and resilience that connect us as a community.”
— Working group ‘Nieuwjaarsbrand, 25 jaar en verder’ (‘New Year’s Eve Fire: 25 Years and Beyond’)
Due to considerable public interest, the exhibition has been extended until 3 January 2027.
