At least 17 museums think they will have to close as government cuts take effect this year, according to the sector’s association Museumvereniging.

The association does not name names but according to NRC most of the museums are small collections such as the National Carriage Museum in Leek.
The most surprising is Paleis Het Loo in Apeldoorn, says the paper, which believes it will have to save €1m. The former royal family home attracts 300,000 visitors a year and is one of the country’s largest museums.
The research, in which 221 association members took part, shows that two-thirds will have to make cuts; a quarter of them of 15%. Most of them will do so by sacking paid staff and using volunteers, but new exhibitions and educational programmes will also be cut.
According to association director Siebe Weide, closing museums will lead to the loss of valuable collections.