One of the first things any new resident to southern Netherlands needs to do is to go check in with the Xpat center at Eindhoven to get the resident card. I didn’t know much about the city, or how it came to be, but I did know it’s the largest in the south, and has the main southern Netherlands international airport serving low-cost airlines like Ryan Air and Transasia Airways. Turns out there’s a reason while Eindhoven is the main southern hub, and it mainly has to do with one company – Philips. So Philips all started here, in Eindhoven, with a simple lab for making light bulbs that turned into a gigantic global company that is one of the largest electronics manufacturers in the world.
How did Philips start? How did it become so successful? Why in Endhoven? If you’re curious about the Philips story, then not too far away from the train station is the Philips Museum where you’ll get to learn about the history and ideology behind this success story. Even if you’re not a big fan of their products, or think that corporate stories are boring, this museum is anything but. It’s a very well done museum telling the story of the evolution of corporate life and technology all the way from the end of the 19th century up to the present day, while covering the personal stories of the Philips family and touching on sensitive stories like the Jewish Philips employees during the Nazi rule.
Much to see, much to learn, will take atleast an hour, but 2-3 hours are more likely. There are occasional tours, but I think most are in Dutch or German, but most exhibits and interactive displays have English so you won’t lose out on much without it.
This is the museum from the outside..
A simulation of the original Philips lightbulb lab…
And plenty of hightechy design exhibitions…
With a glimpse into the past Philips products. I actually remember some of these from my grandma’s place…
And a great little area with past poster ads for Philip products…
Location:
One of the highlights of a visit to Eindhoven. A great way to learn about the history of Electronics and Dutch innovation. Be sure to visit if you’re in the area.