Dear reader,
Welcome to our quarterly newsletter! Read about recent news and developments of the International Heritage Cooperation programme of the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed | RCE).
Do you have any questions or suggestions? Please let us know.
Happy readings! |
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| | | Exhibition in the former prison at Constitution Hill (image © Constitution Hill Foundation) |
| | On February 6 the two
icons of justice joint forces during a webinar that addressed their shared
challenges, under the aegis of the RCE. From this webinar we learned how and to
what extend both countries can serve each other’s needs.
Johannesburg’s
Constitution Hill is a former fort that held political prisoners during South
Africa’s Apartheid regime. Today however it is the place that houses the
country’s Constitutional Court. Thus, a place of oppression and pain has been
transformed to a place of reconciliation. Recently the site has been listed,
jointly with related structures as a UNESCO World Heritage property.
The Peace Palace in
The Hague houses UN’s International Court of Justice. The monumental building
was constructed in 1913 with the funds provided by Andrew Carnegie. It’s
establishment was an attempt to counterweigh the ongoing arms race at the time.
In 2014 the Peace Palace has been awarded with a European Heritage Label.
The webinar, that was
attended by an audience of some 30 experts, defined three themes for future
cooperation. From here the two countries will decide how to proceed on a
possible joint consultancy on one or both of the sites. |
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| | | Caption: cover of the publication Depok Lama |
| | Depok Lama in the
city of Depok, Indonesia, features a fascinating history. It is home to a
community of descendants of enslaved people, that were given freedom by VOC
official Cornelis Chastelein in 1714. Chastelein educated his enslaved workers
and designated them as heirs to his land, laying the foundation of Depok Lama.
Revitalizing this
area was the focus of a workshop in 2022. This workshop was conducted by
following the Historic Urban Landscape Quick Scan Method, that was created by
universitas Indonesia (UI), IPB Bogor, Universitas Trisakti, Heritage hands-on
and the RCE. Instead of making a mere technical report of all the ideas and
proposals that were developed in the workshop, another path was chosen. Why not
make a book so it will inspire and reach other people even more? And at the
same time give the participants - students and young professionals – a nice addition to their Curriculum
Vitae?
Thanks to UI
publishing this was made possible. The bilingual Indonesian- English book with
the title ‘Depok Menyingkap Potensi Aset Bersejarah Depok Lama - Unlocking
Depok’s Unique Urban District’ is available online. | | |
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| | | Diver at the wreck of the K XI (image © Diving Western Australia’s Shipwrecks) |
| | The wreck of the
Dutch submarine HNLMS K XI was discovered off the coast of Fremantle in Western
Australia. This Royal Navy submarine once patrolled the waters of the colonial
Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), and in 1942 it rescued thirteen survivors from an
Australian ship that had been sunk by Japanese warships.
Due to being obsolete,
K XI was sunk in 1946 to a location off the coast of Fremantle, near Rottnest
Island. However, no one knew the exact location. On 1 January 2025, a diving
team of the Wrecksploration foundation rediscovered the submarine. The Western
Australian Museum confirmed the wreck as K XI by comparing archive data with
the 3D model created by Wrecksploration. The Cultural Heritage Agency of the
Netherlands (RCE) has decided to finance the documentation and photogrammetry
of the wreck. | |
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| | | Video still from the documentary (image © Omroep Max) |
| | In 1771, the ship Vrouw Maria sank, carrying works of art by, among
others, Paulus Potter and Gerard Dou - masters who were part of the top Dutch
painters in the seventeenth century. Maritime archaeologist Martijn Manders of
the RCE is the first Dutchman to go on a diving expedition to the shipwreck of
the Vrouw Maria to investigate what is left of the cargo. He also delves into
the historical journey of the works of art that were bought by Tsarina
Catherine the Great at the largest art auction of her time.
Join us for a dive to the seabed and watch the documentary ‘De duik naar
de gezonken meesters’ via NPO Start. | |
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| | | | Participants of the symposium ‘Restitution and Beyond’ (image: Diede Bos, RCE) |
| | In January and February three international visitor
programs took place. All of them were funded by the Colonial Collections
Consortium, a partnership of five organizations which includes the RCE. The
programmes offered a platform for in-depth discussions and collaboration on
colonial collections and restitution.
The Winter
School, organized by Pressing Matter on January 13-14, gathered twelve
early-career professionals from museums, cultural institutions and universities
outside of Europe. Participants visited the Wereldmuseum Leiden and several other
locations. They were given access to various collections from partners and
participated in an intensive program of lectures, research and discussions on
restitution. The program concluded with participants presenting their findings
on Dutch colonial collections.
From January 27 to 31, a delegation from the Caribbean
part of the Kingdom focused on gaps in the collections on the Caribbean islands
and the potential for loans and restitution of objects held in the Netherlands.
One participant reflected on the program: "In just four days, we visited
numerous heritage institutions, each with its own history, stories and
significance. The conversations we had were not only enlightening; they were
transformative. A rediscovery of our shared histories and how our knowledge can
strengthen and inspire each other."
The final program, held from February 3 to 7, focused
on speakers of the symposium ‘Restitution and Beyond’ on February 5. To make
the most of their time in the Netherlands, participants visited various
Consortium Partners and other relevant institutions. This visitor program also
focused on restitution, but now, in contrast to the Caribbean program, with an
emphasis on different countries of origin. Participants described their visit as
insightful, interesting and enlightening. |
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| | | Colleagues from the Flemish Agency for Immovable Heritage visit the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (image © Ben de Vries RCE) |
| | In February, a five-person delegation from Flanders Heritage Agency based in Brussels, visited
the RCE in Amersfoort. The aim was to spend a day exchanging ideas on current
policy themes within the heritage field. For example, topics such as policy
development and its financing were discussed. The afternoon was reserved for
complex issues such as energy transition and sustainability. Furthermore, the
subject of repurposing and adapting religious heritage was reviewed.
Towards the end of
the day, we discussed the shortage of skilled workers and the pressure on
craftsmanship and quality. Finally, we talked about world heritage and noted
that the spatial domain is increasingly being recognized internationally. This
is important because in this way international cooperation can contribute to
the current social challenges in ecological, social and economic terms. In
short, exchanging experiences and joining forces is useful and there is still a
lot to learn from each other! |
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| | | The International Heritage Cooperation programme of the Cultural Heritage Agency of
the Netherlands follows from the International Cultural Policy
Framework 2021-2024 of the Dutch government. Other organisations executing the
national International Heritage Cooperation programme are DutchCulture, the
National Archives of the Netherlands, KIEN and the Embassies of the Netherlands
in the partner countries. For more information on their activities, see their
respective websites.
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