Torture Museum, Amsterdam

The Torture Museum, Amsterdam is a museum in Amsterdam, located near the Bloemenmarkt overlooking the Singel. It exhibits historical instruments of torture.

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Main entrance of Torture Museum, Amsterdam

The Daily Telegraph noted the museum as "one of the world's most unusual museums."[1] The museum is very popular among tourists.[2][3][4]

The Torture Museum Amsterdam is not to be confused with a similar museum showcasing instruments of torture in Amsterdam, the Museum of Medieval Torture Instruments.[5] The two museums are not connected.

Museum layout
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External sign for the Torture Museum, Amsterdam

The museum consists of narrow and dimly lit rooms. Each room features one or two torture devices. Each device is accompanied with an enlarged image from an old book or article featuring that device in use and a description of that device and how and why it was used. All of the articles are translated into English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.[6]

Articles on display
Flute of Shame displayed at the Torture Museum in Amsterdam.

The museum features a variety of devices, from well-known objects such as the guillotine, the rack and the stocks, to lesser-known objects like thumb screws and the flute of shame. Other objects housed in the museum include the iron maiden, skull crusher, Judas cradle, Catherine wheels, and Scold's bridle. Some of the devices are genuine and antique, but many are modern reconstructions.[7]

Significance

The museum, whilst small, has a large influence. The museum regularly appears in lists of 'top weird museums'[1][8] and is regularly visited and cited in regard to the museum's extensive range of torture devices.[9][10] Several books use the Torture Museum as a source.[11]

References
  1. "The world's most unusual museum". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2015-06-11. Retrieved 2012-08-29.
  2. Amsterdam. Script. 2012. p. 39. ISBN 9788866146018. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
  3. 'torture museum NYTimes' NYTimes. Retrieved 2012-08-29.
  4. "Amsterdam museums". Retrieved 29 May 2013.
  5. http://www.torturemuseumamsterdam.com Archived 2014-07-14 at the Wayback Machine
  6. "Torture museum Amsterdam Mydestination review". YouTube. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
  7. "Torture Museum Amsterdam". Retrieved 29 May 2013.
  8. 'World’s Creepiest Attractions' Check My City. Retrieved 2012-08-29.
  9. 'Amsterdam Torture Museum'. Retrieved 2012-08-29.
  10. 'Top 10 Medieval Torture Devices'. Retrieved 2012-08-29.
  11. Torture. University of Pennsylvania Press. 1996. ISBN 9780812215991.

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