Utrecht mayor Jan van Zanen opens unique exhibition: ‘a.s.r. doet het, al 300 jaar’

The exhibition can be admired on various floors in the building on Archimedeslaan and gives a unique overview from 1720, the establishment of .V. Maatschappij van Assurantie, Discontering en Beleening der Stad Rotterdam Anno 1720, until now.

A choice was made from over more than 2000 objects. There are beautiful posters and calendars, which used to serve as advertising. They were full of symbolism so that even those who could not read understood the message. In image, text and film, the visitor not only gets an overview of a.s.r., but of the development of society from 1720 to the present.

Jos Baeten: 'Only a company that cherishes its history has a future. That certainly applies to a.s.r. Hard work has been done on this exhibition and not without result. The exhibition gives a rich representation of the history of a.s.r., with a few milestones that I was allowed to be part of, such as the necessary mergers and acquisitions and ultimately our independence in 2016 when we went to the fair. With our history in mind and the lessons we have learned from it, we are moving into the future. A history worth seeing and experiencing.'

Sigrid Vegter, curator of the Art and Historical Property Foundation of a.s.r.: 'Everyone who vistis the exhibition will be surprised by its variety. Many culturally interesting topics, such as images of our beautiful buildings from the past, to which many well-known architects have contributed, or the beautiful insurance symbol from the end of the 19th century. The exhibition 'a.s.r. doet het, al 300 jaar' provides an overview of a unique development in the insurance world.'

Based on previously told stories, the objects take you through the history of a.s.r.