Purpose

For the preservation & management of the Telecommunications Heritage – in the broadest sense – arising from the PTT & KPN. Here young and old can see, feel, experience and try out! Yes, there are several attributes you can use. The collection provides an extensive picture of how Telecommunications – telephony originated and how it has developed further to the current techniques of mobile and fixed line telephones and 15 still working telephone exchanges.
The collection originated from the Association of Former Employees KPN Region Rijnmond / Rotterdam (VOMKPNRR) and has been housed in the Foundation Friends of the Houweling Telecom Museum since 01-04-2019.

The motivation for conservation was created by a group of retired employees – men and women! – to offer weekly opportunities to meet their interest in telecommunications technology, to maintain the collection and to show other interested parties around. This also makes it possible to maintain social contacts with former colleagues. The museum is located in a telephone exchange that is still in service in te North of Rotterdam, in fact a large part of the technical museum objects are part of the building. KPN is in full swing, which means that there is no 100% certainty that we can stay in the building. When we have to leave the building, hopefully in the distant future, that will probably mean the end of this unique museum. That is also the immediate reason that the museum is now stepping out; gain some publicity in order to be able to find support from the government and municipality or sympathizers in the event of a sale of the building.

The museum is also co-founder of the Telecom Erfgoed Nederland (sTEN) foundation, which aims, among other things, to rescue collections of museums in difficulty.

Former KPN colleague or just interested?

Are you also a former colleague or are you interested in helping us preserve our unique museum, or are you from a district other than Rotterdam – please feel free to contact:

We’ll catch up while enjoying