Commission Van der Lijn

Until 2015, the museum was part of the administrative service of the municipality of Noordoostpolder. The museum collections are owned by the municipality. On January 1, 2015, the Foundation Cultural Company Noordoostpolder was established. Museum Schokland is part of this and is thus being privatized. In this separation, it was decided not to transfer the museum collections to the museum.

The collections remain the property of the municipality. The museum has the collections on long-term loan through a contract. The preservation and management have been outsourced to the museum by the municipality. However, the ownership of the museum documentation, photo archives, and audiovisual files has been transferred to the museum.

Commission Van der Lijn-Boelens-Hellinga

In 1963, amateur geologist P. van der Lijn bequeathed his collection to the municipality of Noordoostpolder. Mr. Van der Lijn is considered one of the founders of Dutch amateur geology. A few years later, amateur geologist B. Boelens bequeathed his collection of limestone fossils. A condition was set that the collections remain preserved in the territory of Noordoostpolder. Museum Schokland was then a national museum and therefore, in their opinion, was not eligible for donation. To manage the collections, a municipal committee was established. The rock collection of the museum was then managed and expanded by Mr. W. Tj. Hellinga. Because the three collections are interconnected, it was decided to allow this collection to be managed by the committee as well.

Until 2015, the activities mainly consisted of the management and advisory function regarding the geological collections.

After the privatization of the museum, the field of work was somewhat expanded. The committee now has the management and advisory function regarding all museum collections that the museum has on loan from the municipality.

Objectives/field of work of the committee

• Management and advisory function on behalf of the municipality of Noordoostpolder regarding the museum collections in Museum Schokland.
• Increasing the knowledge of (amateur) geology in the Netherlands in general and of glacial erratics in particular.
• Maintaining and expanding a scientific library and the collections of topographical and geological maps in Museum Schokland.
• Awarding the "Van der Lijn distinction" to an amateur geologist who has made exceptional contributions to geology in the Netherlands. 
• Awarding the “P. van der Lijn encouragement prize” to a promising amateur geologist.
• The distinctions will be awarded annually, if possible.

The curator of the museum accounts to the committee for the preservation and management of the museum collections. For registration, management, and digitization of the collection and museum documentation, three fixed volunteers and one museum employee will be working for the committee and the museum in 2026. They will be supervised by the curator.

Members Commission Van der Lijn 2026

• Jelle Reumer, chairman
• Cees Laban, treasurer
• Henk Diependaal, secretary
• Percy van Keulen              
• René Fraaije

Advisor nominations distinction

• Anne Schulp

Advice and support

• Henk Kloosterman

Van der Lijn distinction

The P. van der Lijn distinction is awarded by the mayor of the municipality of Noordoostpolder.