Managing Director Marco Grob Honored
Marco Grob (1969) awarded the Maartenspenning by the City of Utrecht.
During his farewell as director of the Centraal Museum, outgoing director Marco Grob was honoured for his many years of dedication to the city of Utrecht. Mayor Sharon Dijksma surprised him with the Maartenspenning, a civic medal of honour, as a special token of appreciation.
After seventeen years of dedicated service to the three Utrecht museums, Marco will bid farewell to associates, current and former staff, and volunteers on 1 and 2 April. He is moving to the Kröller-Müller Museum, where he will take up the position of Managing Director on 1 May 2026 and form the museum’s executive team together with Benno Tempel.
Maarten's Medal
The Maartenspenning is a bronze medal of honour awarded on behalf of the city of Utrecht. Saint Martin, the city’s patron saint, is central to Theo van de Vathorst’s design. The obverse depicts Saint Martin on horseback, seen from behind, as his attention is focused on the reverse of the medal. There, he cuts his cloak into a shape that references Utrecht’s coat of arms. Above the words ‘medal of honour’ is a representative of the municipal authorities presenting the medal to him. In this depiction, Saint Martin is not the giver but the recipient, making him the symbol of the person honoured with this medal.
The Maartenspenning is awarded to volunteers and board members who have made an exceptional, long-standing contribution to Utrecht, particularly in the cultural sphere.