Reconstruction

When Arthur Merghelynck purchased his great-grandfather's house on 15 April 1892, he did so with the specific intention of establishing a museum dedicated to the refined lifestyle of the nobility at the end of the 18th century. It was to be a Gesamtkunstwerk, which meant that it not only had to be restored but also decorated. Using numerous family heirlooms, but mainly objects he bought here and there, he furnished the museum as the perfect, and therefore imaginary, 18th-century mansion. The Grands Magasins du Louvre, the Bon Marché de Paris and the Grands Magasins du Printemps in Paris had a good customer in Arthur Merghelynck in 1892-93: he bought carpets, furniture and fabrics there. Merghelynck deliberately placed the furniture and works of art in such a way that the house looked lived in. In addition to “works of art”, he also displayed very simple objects such as bidets, kitchen utensils and a dog collar. This made him ahead of his time. He proudly pointed out that he had created his period rooms long before the Musée Camavalet in Paris partially adopted a similar layout in 1898.

In 1894, the beautiful album Hotel Merghelynck à Ypres was published in a limited edition of just 75 copies, featuring thirty illustrations by Ypres photographer Hector Heylbroeck. In 1900, the proud owner published a Monographie de l'Hotel-Musée Merghelynck. Genealogist and amateur historian Merghelynck did his research thoroughly, tracing the history of the house and its residents back to 1300.

As part of a well-thought-out marketing strategy, he sent copies of his guide to various journalists and historical societies (including Kar! Baedeker in Leipzig, publisher of highly popular travel guides). Various domestic and foreign magazines publish rave reviews and visitors flock to the site. A preserved visitor register (covering the period 1911-1915) lists numerous tourists from Belgium, as well as visitors from Saint Petersburg, Munich, Lyon, Copenhagen and even New York. In 1913, a record number of 1,500 visitors was recorded. When the violence of war reached Ypres in 1914, caretaker Gustave Verhaeghe decided to transfer some of the pieces to Langemark.

These precious objects will never be found again. On 1 March 1915, “interprête” Louis Lefebvre from Paris was the last person to sign the visitors' book. A day later, a grenade landed in the middle of the courtyard. ‘The Merghelynck Museum has seen its collection of antique pottery reduced to crumbs,’ wrote Father Delaere in his diary. Work began on evacuating what remained of the collection: first to Poperinge, then to Le Havre and finally to Le Touquet. The furniture and works of art were eventually exhibited in a “Salle flamande” in the Petit Palais in Paris. Meanwhile, the entire museum in Ypres was literally razed to the ground.

After the war, the collection, packed in crates, was first taken to the Palace of Justice in Brussels. In early 1920, it was transferred to the Palace of Academies and in 1923 it moved to the cellars of the Royal Museums of Art and History. Between 1925 and 1936, the collection was exhibited at the Hotel Hoffman, after which it was once again stored in the basement of the Jubelparkmuseum. It was not until 1931 that the reconstruction of the shell began under the direction of Jean-Noël Cloquet. This was completed in July 1933. In 1936, Cloquet was replaced by Paul Saintenoy. However, the state froze all further funding. In 1937, the non-profit organisation Les Amis de l'Hótel-Musée Merghelynck was founded with three objectives: the complete restoration of the museum, the conservation and enrichment of the building and the collection, and the promotion of Ypres as a tourist centre.

The Second World War breaks out and all work is immediately halted. In 1950, Charles Van Renynghe becomes the Voxvrie curator of the museum. He is responsible for reconstructing the interior. In 1951, the furniture and art objects returned to Ypres. The curator was faced with an almost impossible task: many pieces had been lost, others were irreparably damaged. An identical reconstruction was impossible. Van Renynghe spent years searching antique shops at home and abroad to fill the gaps in the collection. Finally, on 10 June 1956, the museum reopened its doors after 41 years of forced closure. In his opening speech, Victor Tourneur gave an overview of the reconstruction: 'The interior design (...) is not an exact copy of what Arthur Merghelynck had done. The original design was excessive and the founder had neglected the aesthetic aspect somewhat. The reconstruction carried out by Mr Ch. van Renynghe shows superior taste. It gives visitors an accurate idea of the role played by French art at the end of the 18th century in Flanders, and more specifically in Ypres. That is what Arthur Merghelynck wanted to show future generations." (Tablettes généalogiques, historiques, héraldiques des Flandres, VII, 1957, pp. 326-328).

After more than 28 years of service, Charles Van Renynghe was succeeded by Mrs Heursel-Angloo. During her tenure, the museum was classified as a protected monument in 1983. In 1994, the museum came under the management of the city of Ypres through a long-term lease. On 16 March, the deed was solemnly signed in the museum's large dining room. What visitors see today is the 20th-century reconstruction of a 19th-century reconstruction of an 18th-century mansion: the reconstruction of a house as a museum and a museum as a house.