Huis Doorn

Huis Doorn is a historic manor house and museum in the village of Doorn, in the Dutch province of Utrecht, best known as the residence of German Emperor Wilhelm II during his exile after 1918. The estate combines a preserved house interior with surrounding parkland and museum displays.

Walking through the principal rooms gives a sense of the imperial household as it remained at the end of Wilhelm II’s life, including private apartments, study and household furnishings. The surrounding park and gardens form part of the museum visit and include pathways, formal garden layouts and older tree stands. Museum rooms and outbuildings display vehicles, uniforms and objects connected to the emperor’s residency and the estate’s history.

The manor’s building complex evolved over several centuries as a Dutch country house; its historical significance in the 20th century derives from hosting Wilhelm II after his abdication in 1918. After the emperor’s death in 1941 the house and much of its contents were preserved and later opened to the public as a museum.

Huis Doorn stands in the village of Doorn in Utrecht province, within the central Netherlands; it is readily reached by road from nearby towns and is a short drive from larger urban centers in the Utrecht area.

• Wilhelm II: The manor served as the residence of Kaiser Wilhelm II in exile from 1920 until his death in 1941 and is preserved as a museum showing his personal belongings and rooms.

What to See #

• Wilhelm II's apartments: The house contains the preserved private rooms and study of the exiled German emperor, laid out as at his death and open to visitors as period rooms.
• Park and grounds: A landscaped estate with formal gardens and wooded parkland surrounding the manor house, used historically for promenades and preserved as part of the museum grounds.
• Outbuildings and collections: Outbuildings on the property include display rooms with historic vehicles and household items associated with the imperial household in exile.