Marie is the daughter of emigrants Eduard Vermeulen and Esther Beuselinck. Her father Eduard travelled to Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1929. Three years later, he returned to Belgium to marry. The young couple then went back to Uruguay together. In 1938, the family (there were now four children) travelled on to Argentina, where Eduard ended up growing flax.
Marie is back living in Belgium. By donating objects to the museum, she is preserving the history of her parents and family for the future. It has also made her think about how her parents experienced their migration. Marie herself returned to Belgium from Latin America and faced the same difficulties as any other migrant. A new world, new customs and a completely different way of life. She would not recommend it to anyone, leaving your homeland.
Marie worked with us on the temporary exhibition called A little bit Belgian about Belgians who migrated to Latin America.
Maries contribution to the museum
Marie donated us nearly 100 objects including letters, postcards, photographs, administrative papers of her parents, a travel trunk and a christening gown. Also in our collection is the interview we conducted with her about her parents' migration from Belgium to Argentina.
