EUROPEAN CULTURAL HERITAGE REVIEW

SUMMER 2011

THE WINDS OF CHANGE

BIG STONES AND SMALL KIDS
THE ART OF REJUVENATION
CASTLES, WATER TOWERS
AND BIG MACHINES
WITH PLÁCIDO DOMINGO,
ANDROULLA VASSILIOU
VINCENT VAN GOGH
AND MANY MORE

ISSN: 1871-417X

DUTCH SPECIAL
 The Experience of a Lifetime
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Nostra Member Organisations are welcome to join
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Eastern Europe and the Heritage in Peril scheme
of Europa Nostra. The tours are organised through
the connections of Europa Nostra members or by
affiliated specialists across Europe. Much care is
taken to include exceptional private homes and
other buildings and landscapes generally closed to
the public, and to visit award winning projects.
Travel in style and experience Europe´s cultural
heritage up close and personal!

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Tel: +31 70 302 40 54
bz@europanostra.org

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 3

Welcome
The Netherlands is a unique country; built, as the locals say, on mud and water. The history of this enterprising
people has always fascinated me. Amsterdam’s 17th century canal ring area for instance, which recently has
been enlisted by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, combines the technical prowess of the Dutch in draining
the swamp land it was built on and their architectural finesse showing off the wealth and power of the country’s
Golden Age. Yet there is so much more to discover across the Dutch lowlands. I am therefore delighted as
President of Europa Nostra, to introduce you to this special Dutch issue of our Heritage in Motion magazine. I
wish you an enjoyable voyage of discovery to historic sites and through heritage stories from across the country.

I was born in Spain in the 1940s and am very aware of the fragility of our European
civilisation as a whole. Although I grew up in a world of love and music, I have always
realised that this cannot be taken for granted. “I don’t think of all the misery but of the
beauty that still remains”, wrote Anne Frank in her diary. These are truly inspiring words.
They call for a positive balance between remembering and looking forward. We must
never deny or forget the past; rather we must try to find the good and the beautiful in the
world around us, try to learn lessons and be led by inspiring examples from those before
us. I feel that this forms the heart of Europa Nostra: the conviction that cultural heritage
belongs to everybody.

In this special issue of our magazine on the Netherlands, we present to you many different
people and organisations. We show you the new approaches and models the Dutch have
developed to help protect heritage sites, from century old country estates to more recent
architecture of the Modern Movement. We talk to individuals who have made a difference.
We invite you to travel in time from prehistoric monuments to futuristic applications. We
showcase how old factories, water towers, country churches and even a cruise ship have
found new life. We introduce you to the Netherlands through the eyes of a president, a food-lover and a painter.
Last but not least, in this European Year of Volunteering, our magazine especially celebrates the love, passion
and dedication of millions of volunteers who commit their time, energy and often substantial resources to
preserving the beauty and the soul of Europe.

I feel strongly connected to the cultural heritage of my youth and the history of my family and country, but I
have also been fortunate enough to encounter other cultures and to visit breathtaking historic sites all over the
globe. Many of these magical places have become forever part of my life and my heart. Because that is where and
how we make the real connection with heritage: in our heart. I have certainly reserved a very special place in my
heart for the heritage and people of the Netherlands. I hope this magazine will inspire you to do the same.

Plácido Domingo, President of Europa Nostra - The Voice of Cultural Heritage in Europe

Published by EUROPA NOSTRA
The Voice of Cultural Heritage
in Europe
European Cultural Heritage
Review (June 2011)
ISSN:1871-417X
President
Plácido Domingo
Executive President
Denis de Kergorlay
Secretary-General
Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović
Editor in Chief
Wolter Braamhorst
Concept
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Han van Jool MYRA, Istanbul, Turkiye the kind support of INTERNATIONAL SECRETARIAT
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CONTENTS
06 Of Monuments and Music

TREASURE
Gustav and Marie Leonardt on the history
of the Bartolotti House

10 On Thin Ice

OPINION
The History of Hans Brinker

14 All Aboard!

FEATURE
The long journey of the steam-ship Rotterdam

HERITAGE
18 Big Stones and Small Kids

LIVING
Popularising Prehistory

22 Places of Rememberance

FEATURE
Lessons from
Kamp Westerbork

HERITAGE

DANGER
26 The Downfall of
the Water Castles

IN
CITY DREAMS

28 The Art of Rejuvenation

The resurrection of a former pumping station and
derelict water tower

32 Mounds, Motorways and

HERITAGE

DANGER

Grave Robbers
IN

Ancient Burial Sites Under

Threat
 36 An American in Amsterdam

SHORT
STORY
Excerpts from personal observations by an American
president and his wife

HERITAGE

DANGER
IN
48 A Matter of Priority
Cultural Heritage often Victim of War and Conflict

OPINIONS
60 The Winds of Change
The Beauty of the European Landscape is a
non-renewable Asset

COUNTRY
DREAMS
68 Country Living
A visit to a family estate

86 An Island on Dry Land

TREASURE
UNESCO World Heritage: Schokland Island

A Taste for Heritage Of Gouda
Cheese, Speculaas and Bitterballen / 40
Resurrection The Rescue of Two
Remarkable Industrial Heritage Sites / 44
Heritage of a Disaster
The Therapeutic Value of Modern
Architecture and Industrial
Monuments / 54
Losing Faith Country Churches in
Danger / 58
Panorama Amsterdam /64
Letters by Van Gogh / 72
Amsterdam Then and Now / 76
European Year of Volunteering
People Who Make a Difference / 90
Bond Heemschut A Founding Member
Ready for the Next Hundred Years / 94
Monumental Changes Monument
Care Should be a Pleasure/ 96
New Energy The Resurrection of
theWestergasfabriek / 100
“Heritage is not a Luxury, it
is a Necessity” An Interview with
Androulla Vassiliou / 102
Family Spirit The Ins and Outs of an
Old Family Business / 106
Saving Heritage with Pretty
Earth / 110
Success Story 25 Years of Dutch
Heritage Days / 112
The Castle and the Water / 114
Narratives 3.0 Designer Gilian
Schrofer Turns Virtual Places into
Interactive Spaces / 118
Postcard from Brussels / 120
06

Of Monuments
TREASURE

and Music...
Gustav and Marie
Leonardt on the history of
the Bartolotti House

“When we moved in here in the early 1970s, I grew

fascinated by this extraordinary building and its
former occupants,” explains the world-renowned
harpsichord player, organist and conductor Gustav
Leonardt in a stately room in the Bartolotti house on
the Amsterdam canals.

“This house is so beautiful; we derive

such joy from its stillness and its
architectural details, especially here in
this part of the house which is from the
middle of the 18th century. Even though
we both became very successful during
this period (Leonardt’s wife is famous
baroque violinist Marie Leonhardt-
Amsler ed.), I have spent an incredible
amount of time researching the archives
and even wrote a book about this
house.”(‘The house Bartolotti and its
Inhabitants’, Amsterdam 1979, ed.)

The harpsichord has been
Leonardt’s instrument of love and
passion since his early youth. His
worldwide fame grew from his
decision to play classical pieces
on the instruments the music was
originally composed for. Until
then, the works of Bach and
Mozart were played on modern
instruments. His original back to
basics ideas were not very popular
at the beginning of his career, but
in the 1970s his approach had
gained international recognition.
His elegant and friendly wife
Marie joins us. An espresso or a
port is offered. The tranquillity of
the house is in sharp contrast to
the busy and rapidly changing city
outside. The hands of time move
slowly here; it is not difficult to
07
Herengracht in de Keyser or even his son, as
the 17th century,
this page left: some claim. I am convinced that
front of builders just copied from one
the house, up:
back of the house,
another all the time.”
below: floor plan.
The Bartolotti house, together
imagine oneself back in the period with the Dolphin and The
the house was built, in the early House with the Heads, is one
17th century. “We have grown so of last surviving examples of a
attached to this house,”she says. predecessor of a so-called double
“It still makes us happy to live canal house. The balustrades
here. I could not imagine living and pilasters on either side
somewhere else. We have seven make the house look taller. The
floors and walking up and down façade is richly decorated with
the stairs every day keeps us scrolls and vases and adorned
young.” with two mottoes: ´Ingenio et
Assiduo Labore’ (ability and
“It is the combination of all incessant work) and ‘Religione and
the elements that makes it so Probitate’ (religion and integrity).
remarkable,” she adds. “It all The monument is built in the
belongs together; the white of the Amsterdam Baroque Renaissance
stucco and the wood panels: it fits style. The ridge of the roof runs
together, it is all right.” Gustav parallel with a bend in the canal.
Leonardt nods in agreement. “The The façade has two curves.
front of the building is not that
good actually: its quality is not When the Bartolotti house was
high enough to have been designed built in the early 17th century,
by the famous architect Hendrick Amsterdam’s canal zone was just
08 A 186 pages inventory dating from 1664 contains
room by room descriptions of the possessions
TREASURE

of the Bartolotti family. It gives an fascinating

insight in an affluent 17th century Dutch
household.

A small selection...
145 paintings
647 napkins
145 table cloths
248 bed covers
One birdcage
Many books amongst which all the works of Jacob
Cats
and a two volume atlas by Hondius
A collection of maps
14 pair perfumed gloves
30 small room heaters
Two harpsichords, one large one on a walnut foot,
and a smaller one
Six or seven bigger and smaller violins
An East Indian trunk
A collection of Turkish carpets
1 long oak table
10 red velvet chairs
1 marble cooler
Wall covering made of gold leather
A collection of tapestries
East Indian cabinets
Several ornate beds, one with gilded knobs
A silver treasure trove which contained items like
18 silver salt shakers
10 silver glass holders
62 silver spoons
14 silver bowls, partially gilded

starting to be developed on a
large scale. Guillermo Bartolotti’s
original name was Willem van den
Heuvel, but he took the name of
a related Bolognese businessman
because of a complicated
inheritance.
“Guillermo and his extended
family lead interesting lives
as part of Amsterdam’s rich
business community,” Leonardt
tells with passion. “They worked
day and night, trading in grain,
weapons or silk. The family was
powerful. Kings and princes
borrowed money from them.
They entertained international
guests. But they could also be
quite uncivilised; they drank
heavily, got into fights, and were
sometimes even unscrupulous.”
“At the same time they had an
eye for beautiful things. They
sponsored a publication of lute
music, they owned about a
hundred and twenty-five paintings
and an important silver collection,
which they could melt if they fell
upon hard times. They also played
music and we know they owned
a harpsichord. Would it not be
wonderful if that instrument were
still around? This house was really
a centre of Amsterdam’s social
life.”
The Bartolotti house changed
hands many times throughout
the centuries until it was bought
by the Vereniging Hendrick
de Keyser (Association for the
preservation of historic houses
in The Netherlands ed.) in 1924.
This private organisation - named
after the famed Amsterdam
architect - aimed to buy and
save as many houses as possible
from being destroyed. They still
own the building today and the
Leonardts rent it from them. It is
hard to imagine now, but until the
1970s, Amsterdam’s canal zone
was not a popular place to live in
and plans were made to get rid of it
completely.
“When we moved to Amsterdam
in the 1950s, it was a very
different city. Most houses on the
canal were not well kept at all.
The people had moved out,”
Marie Leonardt explains.
“The older generation had no
interest in living in the city,”
Leonardt adds. “When cars
got better, people could move
further away. Anyone who could
afford it moved out. That was
still very much the situation
when we moved to Amsterdam.
From the 1970s onwards, that
situation began to change for the
better.”
09
“I wrote a second book, Left, garden
view
Amsterdam’s Unfinished Past, to
help people to distinguish the Above, ceiling
paintings
good from the bad - the 17th century
façades from the 16th century for
instance - and so on. There are a
lot of people who moved into the
old city but did not know much
of its past. This brings me to the
following: I am extremely upset -
and you can quote me on that – that
the governmental attitude today
is to keep the monuments as they
are now. In my opinion there is
nothing wrong with reconstructing
or restoring something back to its
original splendour.” Leonardt is
very clear in his opinions on music,
as well as in his opinions on the
conservation of monuments; back
to the original form. “See what
happened to the Pinto house (see
also article ‘Amsterdam Then and
Now’ ed.). If the local people had
not gotten involved, it would have
disappeared forever. The Hendrick
de Keyser association has similarly
saved many buildings in the
inner-city of Amsterdam. They
moved in next door, by the way.
Their offices are today located at
the front of this building. Before,
when something needed to be
repaired, we had to call them; now
we just knock on our neighbour’s
door. It is very convenient.”
They both smile.
10
OPINION
On Thin Ice:
The History of
Hans Brinker
Hans Brinker; or, the Silver Skates:
A Story of Life in Holland (1865)
was written by the American Mary
Mapes Dodge. The title of the
book refers to the silver skates
that were to be awarded to the
winner of an ice-skating race. The
main character of the novel is
Statue Harlingen
Hans Brinker, but the book also
by Roel 1943,
Spaarndam tells a side story of an unnamed
statue by Arch Dutch boy who saves his country
Mary Mapes by putting his finger in a leaking
Dodge. dike. The image of a little boy
against the elements immediately
triggered the public’s imagination
and the book was an instant
bestseller. Mapes Dodge wrote
many other successful children’s
books and also was the first editor
of the St. Nicolas Magazine, which
referred to the popular Dutch
holiday of St. Nicolas, in which
the legendary saint gives presents
to sweet children. Frances
Hodgson Burnett’s novel Little
Lord Fauntleroy first appeared in
 11

Statue
Madurodam by
Pieter

Donald Duck©
Disney (thanks
Thom Roep),
Cartoon by IVO
12
OPINION
Illustration from
the original
book by Dodge
Stahl
the St. Nicholas as a serial, as did
Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer Abroad
and Rudyard Kipling Jungle Book
stories.
The effects of the popular fictional
story of the boy with the finger in
the dike are still very noticeable
today with tourists coming
from all over the world to the
Netherlands to find the exact
spot where the boy, often
mistakenly called Hans Brinker,
performed his brave act. Although
the story was unknown in the
Netherlands, the Dutch were quick
to adapt. Statues of the fictional
dike-plugging boy have been
erected on several Dutch locations
to cater to this touristic myth.
The tale has generated numerous
versions and adaptations, from
poems to films, from children
books to political cartoons and
comic books. One comic was
created by the legendary Disney
artist Carl Barks (1901-2000),
who wrote ‘The Hero of the Dike’
(1964) which stars Donald Duck.
A very rare cover page for the
story even shows the Beatles in
the background. Also Disney’s
Pluto saves the day in an animated
cartoon, which was later made into
a comic.
It is an interesting and maybe even
inspiring idea that what could
be described as fake heritage can
have such a profound influence on
tourism and heritage economy. It
also raises uncomfortable notions
about the need for authenticity
and historical accuracy. All over
Europe, examples can be found
of fake heritage, unsubstantiated
rumours and far-fetched legends
that fuel the tourist industry and
local economy. Justifiable? Maybe.
Funny? Definitely!
 WWW.EXPONATEC.COM
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CONSERVATION AND HERITAGE

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14

All Aboard !
FEATURE

The long journey of the steam-ship

Rotterdam
The ss Rotterdam is the largest passenger liner ever built in the
Netherlands. She was constructed in the 1950s and made more than
1.000 voyages, many around the world. All those years
she sailed with her original steam engines and fabulous
interior, like a timeless well-preserved globetrotting Dame.

Klaas Krijnen knows everything

there is to know about the steam-
ship Rotterdam, the once pride
and joy of the Holland-America
Line. “The luxury ship not only
transported emigrants after World
War II to a new life in the Americas
but also more than a million cruise
passengers.”

Now permanently moored in

Katendrecht - a neighbourhood in
the south of Rotterdam which is
being revitalised - the Rotterdam
has become a pillar in the revival
of the southern part of the city
of the same name. We see young
people doing internships. Several
businesses have set up their offices
here. Organisations like the one
Krijnen works for as a volunteer
have permanent exhibitions
displaying the story of the ship
and related naval history. Some
rooms have been reconstructed;
the captain quarters for instance.
It is a floating conglomerate
Pictures before restoration:Klaas Krijnen

of museums, shops, meeting
rooms, restaurants, bars, a fully
operational theatre and a luxury
hotel with 255 rooms.
Krijnen first encountered the ship
in 1993 when he was taken a cruise
with his family from Lisbon to
New York. “It was old fashioned
but as it was built by the best
designers and artists from the
era, it was still beautiful. I am not
from a shipping family, it is not my
job – I work in law – but the ship
fascinated me and has become part
of my life ever since. I kept a close
eye on it from then on. Most ships
from that classic period have been
scrapped. Recently the Sagafjord
from Norway and the Kungsholm
from Sweden are underway to
the scrapyard. The reason why
the Rotterdam survived for such
a long time was its unique design.
It could very easily be converted
from a passenger ship into a
cruise ship. It was designed as
both right from the start. So when
planes took over, the Rotterdam
kept going without major
modifications.”
In the late 1990s things started
to go wrong with her new owners
Premier Cruises. In 2000 a
skeleton crew sailed the ship to the
Bahamas, expecting their almost
bankrupt boss to pay their salaries.
He did not and they just dropped
everything and left. Literally,
got up and left, leaving the dirty
dishes and the laundry.
“In 2004 I took leave without pay
and went to the Bahamas with
other enthusiastic volunteers, to
document and to assess.” Krijnen
15
Engine rooms of
the Rotterdam,
partially sealed
off.
Intern at
Rotterdam
camped out for a week on this
deserted, ghostly ship. It must
have been quite an experience.
The volunteers started on a
long road of initiatives and
disappointments. They set up
a foundation with the aim to
save the ship and to raise public
awareness. This was a piece of
unique heritage that needed to be
preserved. After a few failed plans,
housing cooperation Woonbron
took up the challenge. It saw
great opportunities in revitalising
the Katendrecht area, creating
new jobs and making the area
attractive for young people and
creative industries.
Which brings us to asbestos. “In a
strange way, its biggest curse also
was its biggest blessing. If the ship
had been clean, scrapping would
have profitable,” Krijnen smiles.
We are walking through large
corridors filled with machinery.
Calling the engine rooms of the
16
FEATURE
Rotterdam impressive would be an
understatement. It is not difficult
to imagine the heat, the endless
pounding of the turbines and the
smell of oil which lingers even
today. We walk through a long
tunnel made of Plexiglas. “Part of
the engine rooms are permanently
sealed off’,” Krijnen explains. “It
was too costly to get all the asbestos
out.” The machines look frozen in
time and untouchable; close but
somehow removed in time and
space; an oily rag still hanging from
the valves, a forgotten chart still
pinned to the wall. “They could
not take the ship to India or an
African country to have it scrapped
there with asbestos in it. That was
morally unacceptable. It had to
be done according to the rules and
regulations. That gave a chance
to preserve the ship. The original
plan was, what I call, ‘the vacuum-
cleaner version’. The asbestos
would be secured and only some
areas of the ship would be restored.”
In the end that was not a viable
option. Almost all of it had to be
professionally removed. It made
the project much more expensive
and time consuming. When the
restoration of the Rotterdam

Interior
Rotterdam.
seemed to get financially out of
hand - its budget astronomically
growing to at least 125 million
Euros, some even putting the
teller at 200 - the project started
to get national attention. The case
was seen as a clear case where the
government had failed to keep an
eye on what was happening locally.
“Now I don’t want to get into that
financial and political discussion,
I do not know all the ins and
outs. From an enthusiasts’ point
of view, the important thing is
that Woonbron took the chance
and we now have a beautifully
restored ship that will hopefully
be Rotterdam’s pride and joy for a
long time to come. Originally just
a small portion of the ship would
be restored. Now almost all is
restored! She opened to the public
in February 2010.”
“Luckily we had documented
everything, from the smallest
detail - like the kind of screws that
needed to be used - to ballroom
size pieces of art. Some of the
art was still in its original place
and others we have retrieved like
detectives. The most interesting
ones like the wall coverings in
the entertainment area have
been reconstructed. Incredible
tapestries have been newly
woven on the basis of the original
drawings that we manage to get a
hold of. We really try to get every
possible detail correct, but you
cannot win them all, of course.
We are still working to do more.
We are now reconstructing the
living quarters of the crew and we
still have swimming pool in the
17
heart of the ship that desperately
needs restoring. We need to find
a sponsor for that. So if anybody
wants to be part of this incredible
adventure, they are very
welcome...”
Walking around the ship one can
but wonder about the enormous
size of the project. It is hard to
imagine it is not some kind of a
listed monument. “Apparently
it is not possible. I also think
everybody is afraid that when
something this large becomes
a listed monument, it will eat
subsidies like a huge whale leaving
nothing for smaller historical
ships and boats. So the whole
project has to be viable from a
commercial point of view in the
long run.”
The giant ocean liner lies bathing
in the sun reflecting its long
history. As Krijnen stands on the
deck of the ship, talking to tourists,
it is clear that he is proud of what
has been accomplished here. If
and when the project will become
commercially viable, only time
will tell. But so far, so good.
18
Big Stones and
LIVING HERITAGE
Small Kids
Popularising Prehistory
Borger Megalith “It’s no holds barred. There is no
by Corradox
limit to what we would do to engage
the public. 20 to 25% of our visitors
are children. We do whatever we
can to get them interested and
we managed to do so successfully
over the last few years.” Hein
Klompmaker, the enthusiastic
and driven director of the
Hunebedcentrum (Megalith Centre
ed.) in Borger in the province of
Drenthe, explains how it works.
“Do you know that Drenthe was
the first in Europe to pass a law to
protect cultural heritage, back in
1734? So we have a long and strong
tradition in this area to live up to.”
Huge boulders marking
prehistoric graves in the forests
and farmlands in the north of
the Netherlands are not the most
obvious tourist magnet. But
Klompmaker, his team and a
hundred volunteers are extremely
successful in luring 100.000
people to the museum on a yearly
basis. So successful indeed that
in 2010 they won an European
Union Prize for Cultural Heritage/
Europa Nostra Award especially
for their outreach programmes.
“We get 20% structural support,
the other 80% we have to make
with tickets, coffee & cakes and
with special projects. We are a
so-called ‘site museum’. We do
not just have modern exhibition
spaces (housed in buildings
designed by famous Dutch
architects Aldo and Hannie van
Eijck ed.) but also the 5,000 year
old largest passage grave in the
Netherlands on our premises, one
of the 52 in this province. Our
open approach is quite unique.”
Hein Klompmaker knows that his
style does not make him friends
everywhere. He shrugs. “The
proof of the pudding is in the
eating. Nobody wants to run
an irrelevant museum without
visitors. Awards recognise our
credibility. Last year we also
received the Dutch Museum Prize.”
He smiles.
“We ask different questions to
access this ancient history. The
TRB Culture, as it is officially
known, - or Funnel-Beaker culture
in English - is mysterious and

historically and emotionally very
remote. From 3400 until 2950
B.C. this culture flourished in
northern Europe. Funnel-Beaker
is a very specific kind of pottery
that they used. They had a strong
idea of an afterlife and buried their
people in these big megalithic
structures made of stones, which
were brought to these parts in the
last Ice Age. We do not know much
of the daily aspects of their lives.
We cannot excavate the graves
because we would destroy them
if we did. By approaching this
subject from a more fictional point
of view and combining different
disciplines like biology, geology
and sociology we can create
crossroads with archaeology. It is
a holistic approach. In our centre
you should feel goosebumps
when you are confronted with the
world of the megalith builders.
We use music, sound, visual
effects and even smell to enhance
the experience. The absence of
evidence does not mean it was not
there. We created a fictional young
boy Oek and wondered what his
life would have been like. What did
he eat? What would he have done
all day? Where did he walk? I’ll
give you an example: we know for
a fact that there were bee colonies
in this area. We can assume that
19
Oek would have known honey. We
can then imagine that Oek likes
honey a lot and make a story that
opens our eyes to the natural
world he lived in. Around Oek we
have not only created educational
materials for schools, but we
made a feature film, a musical and
of course related DVDs and CDs,
websites, a comic book; the list
goes on. I strongly believe in this
total approach.”
20
LIVING HERITAGE
Right small
photo Hunebed,
Exloo by
Gouwenaar
“As a direct result of our European
award we took part in the Best in
Heritage event in Dubrovnik* to
meet up with colleagues from
across Europe. We are now
establishing a European network
and are working on two European
projects. We have recruited young
students to help us with I-pad
applications and social media.
We are always on the lookout for
partners that are not obvious, like
a special project we are developing
with the local police. A sort of
archaeological detective approach.
It is a lot of fun.”
It is busy on this Saturday
afternoon in the centre and
outside where they have
reconstructed a full size Funnel-
Beaker farmhouse. Close by - in
the forest - children are climbing
and playing on the largest dolmen
of the Netherlands dating back
almost 5000 years; something
that is of course strictly forbidden.
But nobody is telling the kids
to get off immediately. They
understand the power of dreams
here. They know what they can
accomplish.
*The Best in Heritage, Dubrovnik, 10th
Anniversary Edition from 22nd - 24th
September 2011
Organised in partnership with EUROPA
NOSTRA.
The world’s only annual survey of awarded
museum, heritage and conservation projects.
www.thebestinheritage.com
Large Sculptures and Small Kids 21
One of the three Dutch winners of the 2011 European Union Prize for Cultural
Heritage/Europa Nostra Awards also puts a focus on reaching children. The
ArtZuid project involves children of all backgrounds. The latest edition which
opened on May 26th – in the presence of HM Queen Beatrix - offers even more
possibilities.

The ArtZuid Foundation in Amsterdam was established in 2008 to draw

attention to the almost one-hundred year old urban design of the architect
H.P. Berlage in the Southern part of Amsterdam. The Foundation took the
opportunity to restore the original function of the neighbourhood’s spacious
avenues by initiating a biannual international sculpture route ArtZuid.
ArtZuid allows visitors to enjoy a combination of sculptures of top artists,
while rediscovering this area of interesting urban design and the distinctive
architectural style of the Amsterdam School.

The European jury praised the ArtZuid project: “By uniting visual arts with
architectural space, the project has renewed the daily living environment for the
inhabitants. It highlights the importance of our 20th century built heritage and
the decisive role, which inhabitants can play in its conservation.”
22
FEATURE

Places of
Remembrance
Lessons from Kamp Westerbork
All around Europe we can find solemn places that remind us
of what no longer is, but was: landscapes and monuments
that feel almost guilty. The whispers of lost voices echo in
an empty square and silent screams still roam the corridors
that are now deserted.
These sites loom across the dark
“Our many Jewish friends and 23
acquaintances are being taken away
shadows of time. How we want to in droves… transporting them in
cattle cars to Westerbork, the big
get rid of them, to destroy them camp in Drenthe to which they’re
or make them disappear, to take sending all the Jews. Miep told us
about someone who’d managed to
them down brick by brick. All escape from there. It must be terrible
over the world painful sites are in Westerbork.”
disappearing at an alarming The Diary of Anne Frank
rate. Remnants of communist
repression, dictatorial regimes
or recent ethnic conflicts are
actively being levelled to erase
uncomfortable pasts. But where
can we go when the site is gone?
How can we show our children
and our children’s children what
happened and should not happen
again? Memories need a real and
tangible place that enable us to
retrace footsteps or share pain,
they need a place that in time may
turn into a place of reconciliation
or even redemption.

A good example of this

complicated and long winding
road to recognition and acceptance that the Moluccans should no
is Kamp Westerbork in the north longer be kept isolated but should
of the Netherlands. More than a instead be integrated into Dutch
100,000 Jews, Anne Frank among society, it was decided that the
them, and also homosexuals, camp should be closed.
dissidents, Sinti and Roma, stayed
in this camp during World War II “In 1971 the last buildings on this
on their way to the concentration site were dismantled or sold,”
camps of Auschwitz and Bergen- explains Dirk Mulder, a friendly
Belsen. man with long and wild curly
Left road
hair and round spectacles. He interest in the camp might be to Kamp
Immediately after the war, the has been managing the Kamp a threat for the development Westerbork;
Westerbork
camp was used to incarcerate Westerbork organisation with of Westerbork as a touristic monument by
prisoners of war and traitors. In passion and dedication for the destination - hoped that within Blacknight;
Westerbork rails
a quick reversal of fortune, some last 25 years. “There had been a few years nobody would care
by Ziko
former prisoners worked as guards. discussion about doing something about this. He was very wrong. At
Soon thereafter in 1948 the camp with the site before, but for a long the moment the ceremony took
was used as temporary housing time most of the survivors felt it place, bulldozers were still busy
for Dutch soldiers returning was too soon. These things need tearing down the last remaining
from Indonesia. Throughout the time. But in 1971 a monument structures.”
1950s and the 1960s the camp was unveiled to commemorate
was used to house Moluccans what happened here during World At the time, few apparently
from Indonesia. Nearly 3,000 War II. It hadn’t occurred to the realised the historical and
people were living here, using the organisers to invite survivors to emotional value of the buildings
buildings that still carried signs the official ceremony. . . Later they of Kamp Westerbork. The area
like ´Nur für Männer´ (‘Only held their own ceremony. The was hardly recognisable as an
for men’ in German ed.) When mayor of Westerbork at the time - historical landmark. But the
politicians came to the conclusion who considered that the renewed times were changing. Maybe
24
FEATURE
Kamp Westerbork
1944, right:
Commandant
House
the generation that had suffered
through the war did not want to
remember, but their children and
their children’s children wanted
to know what had happened.
Westerbork could help them
to make that history tangible.
It would still take a long time
before something happened for
real, but the idea started to get
momentum. When the museum &
commemoration centre officially
opened in 1983, 10,000 people
visited; soon it rose to 50,000
people and now 140,000 people
per year visit the camp and the
on-site museum. Every year more
people come. Mulder also sees
the downside of success. “We
have to think about that seriously.
We have to strike a balance
between creating a place for silent
contemplation and managing
mass appeal and access. 1.3
million people come every year
to Auschwitz. They need hotels,
transport, toilets, fast food and all
that. The aims and practicalities
are no longer balanced.”
But Westerbork has one advantage.
The site also houses a large array
of telescopes that scan the skies
continuously. Silence is necessary,
as the delicate signals must not be
disturbed. In a large area around
The International Coalition
of Sites of Conscience is a
worldwide network of “Sites
of Conscience” – historic
sites specifically dedicated to
remembering past struggles
for justice and addressing
their contemporary legacies.
www.sitesofconscience.org
the camp, motorised vehicles
and loud sounds are forbidden.
The site is an oasis in the already
quiet countryside of the Drenthe
province. Over the years the area
has been partially reconstructed
and old roads and paths have been
laid out anew. Several works of
art were erected. The 102,000
stones is a symbol for the murdered
deportees. Mulder is trying to
re-create an environment that is as
authentic as is possible. “We are
still trying to get our hands on the
old barracks of Kamp Westerbork
that were sold in 1971. Some of
them were used in the mining
industry in the south of the country
and some were sold as cattle sheds
to local farmers. A few years back
we found one, but unfortunately it
was lost in fire. The only building
that was not demolished and is
still on the site is the house of the
Nazi camp commander.” Again the
emotional impact of this kind of
heritage is clear.
“A few years ago we discussed
making it a part of what we do
 25

Cultural Emergency Response (CER) was launched in

2003 by the Prince Claus Fund in the Netherlands and
provides globally ‘first aid’ for cultural heritages that
have been damaged or destroyed by man-made or natural
disasters.

The Prince Claus Fund’s guiding principle is that culture

is a basic human need, and is therefore essential for the
psychological survival of people in emergency situations.
It regards cultural emergency relief as being an integral
part of humanitarian emergency relief. By providing
financial support within six months of the disaster, CER
aims to stabilise the situation, prevent further damage
and implement basic repairs.

www.princeclausfund.org

here. It was too soon then for the
survivors. Now although it is
possible, it is not easy. It is very
painful that the only remaining
on-site building is a symbol of
Nazi terror.” In the end they chose
for an innovative and respectful
approach. They plan to build
a glass dome over the wooden
structure, protecting and securing
it. The whole project will cost
about 1.6 million Euros.
Mulder takes a moment to
recapture his thoughts. His eyes
betray his deep commitment.
It cannot always be easy for a
director of a museum to deal with
such a laden subject matter on a
daily basis for such a long time.
He rolls his cigarette, lights it and
eyes his cold coffee, but decides
against drinking it.
“It is painful and difficult for
some visitors to be confronted
with an exhibition on the
Nazi collaborators who were
imprisoned here or with a story
from the Moluccan period. But I
Above
Westerbork
Telescope by
Raymond;
The 102.000
Stones photo by
Bert Kaufmann
think we have to tell those stories,
even if they are uncomfortable.
We need to be frontrunners, not
followers,” he says after a while.
Little research has been carried
out about the use and importance
of places of remembrance. Kamp
Westerbork is therefore one of
the organisations behind the
installation of the Westerbork
chair for multidisciplinary
research into historical sites.
Mulder also applies the lessons of
Westerbork to a wider, European
context. “We are actively involved
in Srebrenica in Bosnia and
Herzegovina, exactly for that
reason. We know how important it
is to have physical remains telling
the story.” Almost 8,000 Muslim
men and boys were taken away
and murdered in 1995 during the
Yugoslav Wars. The International
Criminal Tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia (ICTY), located in The
Hague, ruled that the massacre
of the enclave’s male inhabitants
constituted a crime of genocide.
The Dutch soldiers stationed in
Srebrenica at the time could not,
or did not stop it. But the political
context is not so much important
to Mulder. He thinks about the site
as a place of remembrance.
“Maybe most people in the region
do not realise it, but the camp is
going to be a place of remembrance,
that much is certain. The walls of
the former Dutch headquarters are
covered with graffiti; the windows
are smashed. We have sent a
photographer to record everything
that is there. We are helping to
preserve the wall as it is.
Many people want to tear it down,
but we know they will regret it later.
When it is gone it is gone forever.”
26
The Downfall of
HERITAGE IN DANGER

the Water Castles

1 2 3

The French coined the phrase ‘Château d’Eau’ - water castle. In some The water towers are one of
cases that name is very appropriate. In the 19th century, when tap the most threatened heritage
buildings in the Netherlands and
water became more readily available to the general public, water
elsewhere in Europe. It would be
needed to be pumped high to allow enough pressure. All over necessary to start a European-wide
Europe, local governments began building water towers, often using discussion on the future of water
towers. Although the solutions
innovative designs. How the population hated them! They protested
will have to be local, it is important
against the building of many of these ‘water head’ monsters looming to address the rapid disappearance
over the cities. and destruction of the towers
at an international level. Many
But now a century or so later, and adapted without an inventive organisations, from local pressure
water towers are familiar and and innovative approach. The big groups to advocacy organisations
much loved heritage sites, water head of iron for instance, for industrial heritage, are seeking
landmarks that define areas and cannot easily be converted into a to raise awareness: the British
cities. Only 25% or less of all the house, a restaurant or an office. Water Tower Appreciation Society,
water towers are still in use today. Sometimes the local government the German Deutsch Internationale
Power engines have taken their does not allow major modifications Wasserturm Gesellshaft and the
place. So what to do with the to a listed building, but without Dutch Nederlandse Watertoren
thousands of these single-purpose such changes, the towers have no Stichting to name but a few.
buildings across Europe? future. In the next article we can There are adamant enthusiasts
read about an inspiring example and volunteers from Ireland
Although most of the buildings of re-use of a water tower in the to Romania, from Denmark to
are now considered beautiful Dutch city of Dordrecht. This Greece. They all need (y)our
or at least eccentric landmarks, building has there become a support.
water towers cannot be changed central part of a city renewal plan.
 27

1. Bergedorf, Germany by Uwe Barghaan; 2. Borovany, Czech Republic by Karelj;

3. Île d’Yeu, France by Stéphane Batigne; 4. Kimberley, UK by Martin Cordon;
5. Kuokkala, Finland by Antti Leppänenr; 6. Maleizen in Belgium by Wouter Hagens

4 5 6

7. Naaldwijk, Sangster by Quistnix; 8. Srem, Poland by Klapi;

9. Tallinn, Estonia by Flying Saucer; 10. Tilburg, The Netherlands
by Bart van der Pligt

7 8 9 10
28
CITY DREAMS

1 2 3

The Art of
Rejuvenation
The resurrection of a former pumping
station and a derelict water tower

It is clear that she has an almost

obsessive eye for detail as she
adjusts a frame on the wall, puts
a side table where it belongs and draws
the curtains from the hotel window to
obscure a flat-screen TV.
“I think it’s hilarious,” artist and
29
businesswoman Dorine de Vos
confides. She stands energetic,
creatively dressed and with a big
mob of grey hair crowning her
head. “The hotel guests call the
reception and ask why there is no
TV. Staying in this hotel should
be a bit unexpected. It is part of
the experience.” We walk around
the ‘water tower-changed-hotel’
Villa Augustus on the outskirts
of the old city of Dordrecht. It is
a large area and besides a hotel,
there is a restaurant, several
greenhouses and a market shop.
One of the main features of this
re-used industrial area is the
lavish vegetable garden. The
main buildings are a water tower
(1883) and a pumping station
(1942). “We try to grow most of
our own vegetables. The garden
was really the main reason we
took up this challenge.” We refers
4
to Daan van der Have, Hans Loos
and Dorine de Vos – a triumvirate
of dedicated entrepreneurs that
each bring their own expertise and
talent into the equation. Dorine is
concentrating on the art direction,
Daan on the administration and
contractual side and Hans on the
logistics and the construction
work. But all of them appear to
get involved in everything. This
unique cooperation started in
Rotterdam where they previously Left Dorine de in the south of Rotterdam. In the no heating – for a whole year.
Vos; above Hotel
worked together and started 1990s the Jugendstil building was We planned, we discussed, we
New York
several grand cafés, always on in a sad state. “I knew the building thought out every detail and every
historical locations. One of their from when I was a child. I brought eventuality. By staying in the
most famous creations is Hotel friends to the boat. You would building, we got better ideas and
New York. take a little ferry from Rotterdam felt connected. This was key to our
to the south where the passenger success: experienced preparation.
Hotel New York ships were moored to say goodbye. Because if you know exactly what
“It is about the right people, the It is a real Dutch landmark. The you have to do, when and how, the
right time and the right place.” location was stunning. We saw an period between borrowing the
Dorine explains how they got opportunity. There was support money and opening the shop is as
involved in the re-use of the former from the city government. We short as possible.”
head office of the Holland-America do not just start something out
Line (the shipping organisation of the blue. We prepare, prepare, To an outsider it looked like quite
that transported many people prepare. We stayed in the building a gamble. The hotel & restaurant
7 8 9 10
across the Atlantic to America ed.) – in big sweaters because we had could only be reached by a dirt
30
CITY DREAMS
“I don’t see myself as an artist,
“I doodle and draw, write things
York, we each did our own thing
road. For the first three years
there was no close bridge to
the city, the quickest route was
by their own water taxi. The
surrounding area was completely
deserted.
Hotel New York was an instant
success. It quickly became the
focus point of the whole renewal
of this part of the city. De Vos’
creative illustrations gave the
restaurant and hotel a unique and
instantly recognisable brand.
Villa Augustus
more as an illustrator,” she says.
on the wall.” But Dorine de Vos’
drawing style is very specific and
can be seen again all over their
newest project Villa Augustus. Her
art direction combines new and
old with contrasts in colour and
style. “After we sold Hotel New
again as we had done before. We
saw one another occasionally on
a personal basis, but that was it.
But then this project came along. I
hesitated for a long time. I think
we all did. It is quite a commitment.
Building things up is wonderful,
but keeping it up is like running a
marathon. But in the end we did it
again. The possibility of a kitchen
garden was what convinced us in
the end, I guess. Our master chef
Michael van der Struis joined the
team from the beginning. Again
we stayed for over a year on site,
planning ahead and thinking our
ideas through in every detail. We
wanted to create something special.
31
We created little surprises that you
encounter when you walk around
the gardens and the hotel. We have
a wall made out of all the material
we found in the ground, we built
a secret hotel room in an enclosed
garden and we had artists like
Ton Martens design new works
of art for us. You will see our logo
everywhere, on the cups and
saucers, on top of the building, on
the door mats and on our menus.
And we stay involved.” And indeed,
Daan and Hans are also on the
premises, discussing the menu
with the kitchen staff or in the
garden pruning the fruit trees.

“If you have fun, it becomes fun

and it will radiate fun. That is the
secret of success. We never spent a
cent on advertisements. We offer
no special offers or reductions.
We strongly believe in word-of-
mouth. We never really thought
it could go wrong, not here and
not with Hotel New York, because
if you create something you love,
people will come and they will
keep coming.”
32
HERITAGE IN DANGER

Mounds, Motorways
and Grave Robbers
Ancient Burial Sites Under Threat

“I cannot recall any building project that was ever

stopped because of an ancient burial mound. It is
difficult to get people excited about something that
lies beneath the surface. If a beautiful, historical
building is destroyed because of a motorway, people
get involved. But a burial mound (or tumulus)
usually loses the battle against the need for housing,
industrial areas or new roads.”

Dr. David Fontijn, associate
professor of European prehistory
at the University of Leiden, is one
of Europe’s foremost experts on
ancient burial mounds, roughly
dating from 3000 to 100 B.C.
Although burial mounds seem
far removed from the attractive,
adrenaline-driven Indiana Jones
world of archaeology, they are an
essential part of European history.
Most of us are direct descendants
from the people who built them.
Fontijn: “In the Netherlands alone
we have about 2,500 registered
mounds. It is quintessential
European heritage. They can
be found all over Europe, from
Armenia to Denmark but we tend
to find fewer in southern Europe.
I guess the total amount of sites
would probably be in the millions.
Only the ones in nature reserves
and forests have survived. I
shudder to think how many were
bulldozed or flattened over the
centuries. And they are still very
much at risk all over Europe.”
Fontijn speaks softly but with the
determination of a true believer.
33
“These burial hills were the first
archaeological sites to be protected
but the surrounding area is not
protected at all. In recent years we
have made many new discoveries
with new technologies. We should
investigate much larger areas, but
that is impossible if a motorway
lies on top of it. The mound may
be partially intact but if the whole
surrounding area is bulldozed, the
answers to the many questions
about who these people were, are
lost forever.”
Maybe the most spectacular
example of what Fontijn is
talking about is the ‘Grave of the
King’, a stunning mound near
the city of Oss that is 53 metres
wide, the largest in Europe. For
34
HERITAGE IN DANGER
centuries there was a legend
about a mysterious king who lay
buried there but nobody ever
expected to actually find him. It
was discovered in the 1930s and
the finds were spectacular: an iron
sword with a wooden handle and
with a gold and red coral inlay, a
bronze axe, bronze horse-gear,
pieces of woolen cloth and much,
much more. The treasures ended
up in the National Museum of
Antiquities in Leiden, but the site
itself was abandoned and forgotten.
They even built a junkyard on top
of it with car wrecks that leaked oil
and chemicals into the ground for
decades.
Dr. David
Fontijn and his
team.
Only when a new exit was recently
built for the A50 motorway was
the mound re-discovered. The
‘Grave of the King’ mound was
originally dated to around 600
B.C. but now they learned that
underneath it was another, much
older grave dating back to 1800
B.C. It soon emerged that the
whole area was littered with
ancient burial sites. A second
important mound was unearthed,
40 metres in diameter, with
hundreds of rare, miniscule bronze
objects.
Fontijn was closely involved in
the research. “In the Netherlands
we have the following standard
practice: if burial mounds
are discovered in an area that
will be built upon, they can
first be excavated. With this
second mound we faced serious
excavation problems. Badgers had
been living in it for a very long
time. Luckily for us, they had not
dug very deep into the interior, so
it was still largely in tact.”
“The people who built these
mounds were probably the first
cultural heritage protectors. We
know that they restored burial
sites from earlier times and even
buried some of their own dead in
these ancient graves. These people
had strong connections with the
rest of Europe. For example, they
had especially good ties with
south Germany whom they traded
salt with, because it did not have
any. One of the traditions we see
is that they laid their dead to rest
on a large cart. We have found
several large wheels in mounds
in the Netherlands. We also learn
that these people lived in small
communities, of about thirty
people, which were spread over
a few farms that mainly raised
livestock. In the Netherlands
these villages were not walled like
in some other parts of Europe: it
 35

was apparently unnecessary. We

have found many weapons, but
these were probably used in ritual
battles between families. Swords
and weapons are in fact very
rare in graves because they were
usually thrown into lakes and
swaps. We do not know why. This
is why the bigger picture is so
important.

The fieldwork is very time-

consuming. It would be impossible
without the help of volunteers. I
think 99% of what we can do is
only possible thanks to their help.
They dig, make notes, observe
the site and protect it when there
is nobody around. They do this
sometimes for decades. They know
an area like the back of their hand.
Someone like Lot Delfin (see also
the article on heritage volunteers
ed.) for instance, investigated
these woods almost every day for
decades. She could see things none
of us could ever detect.”
“One of the biggest problems in
archaeology are grave robbers.
They go out and dig up these
ancient graves and sell what they
find on the internet. Television
programmes in which they show
these finds only encourage these
people by declaring the value of
these finds. I know people who
would never touch a mound in
their own country because they
think it is unethical, but would
go to Hungary and illegally dig
there. Cultural tourists with a
metal detector are destroying
sites in Eastern Europe, Turkey
or Russia. Everybody is angry
when Egyptian graves are looted,
but if a burial mound is destroyed
by grave robbers here, we hardly
seem to mind. And we really
should... we really should.” He
sighs. “This is heritage that is the
basis of everything else. So much
is already lost and we must save
what we can, when we can.”
36
SHORT STORY

John Adams was 2nd

president of the United
States of America. He
lived in Amsterdam for a
few years as a diplomat.
He wrote many letters
home, spiced with
humorous and human
observations about life

An American in the Netherlands. In

1784 his wife Abigail

in Amsterdam
Excerpts from personal
observations by an American
president and his wife
Adams (nicknamed Portia
ed.) joined her husband
and her eldest son, John
Quincy (the 6th president).
In a letter to her sister
she recalls her time in the
Netherlands.
 Letter 37
appointing
Adams as
Commissioner,
Abigail Adams

Amsterdam, 18 December,
1780.

My dearest Portia,

(…) I should not wish to

have children educated in
the common schools in this
country, where a littleness
of soul is notorious. The
masters are mean spirited
wretches, pinching, kicking
and boxing the children
upon every turn. There is
besides a general littleness
Amsterdam, 15 September, 1780. arising from the incessant
contemplation of stivers
My dear Portia, and duits (Dutch coins
ed.), which pervades the
(…) The country where I am is the greatest curiosity in the world. whole people. Frugality
This nation is not known anywhere, not even by its neighbours. and industry are virtues
The Dutch language is spoken by none but themselves. Therefore everywhere, but avarice and
they converse with nobody, and nobody converses with them. The stinginess are not frugality.
English are a great nation, and they despise the Dutch because they The Dutch say that without
are smaller. The French are a greater nation still, and therefore a habit of thinking of every
they despise the Dutch because they are still smaller in comparison duit before you spend it, no
to them. But I doubt much whether there is any nation of Europe man can be a good merchant,
more estimable than the Dutch in proportion. Their industry or conduct trade with
and economy ought to be examples to the world. They have less success. This I believe is a
ambition, I mean that of conquest and military glory, than their just maxim in general, but
neighbours, but I don’t perceive that they have more avarice. I would never wish to see a
And they carry learning and arts, I think, to greater extent. The son of mine govern himself
collections of curiosities, public and private, are innumerable. by it.
38 Transportation
The Hague, 25 July, 1782.
in the
SHORT STORY

Netherlands in
My dearest Portia,
Adams’ time by
P.Constantijn la
In this country, as in all others,
Fargue.
men are much addicted to
Keizersgracht ‘hobby horses.’ These nags are
529 house of
John Adams called in the language of the
by Marion Dutch ‘Liefhebbery,’ as they
Golstreijn
are called in French “Marotte.”
(…) Yesterday I made a visit
to one Mr. Lionet, a venerable
old man of seventy-five, in full
health, strength and vivacity,
respectable for several offices
which he holds, but more so
for vast learning in various
kinds, and great ingenuity. His
hobby horse has been natural
knowledge. We went to see a
collection of marine shells. We
were two hours, and had not
got half through. The infinite
variety of figures and colors is
astonishing. But his curiosity
has not been confined to shells.
It has extended to insects, and
he has had it in contemplation to
write as full an account of these,
as Buffon has written of birds,
beasts and fishes. But beginning
with caterpillars, he has filled a
folio upon that species, and he
drew and engraved the plates
himself. Thus he rode his hobby
horse and lived. Without it he
would have died fifty years ago.
Have you an inclination to read
and inspect cuts of the anatomy
of caterpillars; their nerves,
blood, juices, bones, hair,
senses, intellects, their moral
sense, their laws, government,
manners and customs (…) I
doubt not the book is worth
studying. All nature is so. But
I have too much to do to study
men and their mischievous
designs(...) ever to be very
intimate with Monsieur Lionet
(whom I respect very much,
however) or his book.

London, 12 September, 1786.
My dear sister,
(…) The most important places which I visited,
were Rotterdam, Delft, the Hague, Leyden,
Haarlem, Amsterdam, and Utrecht. I went through
many other villages and towns; the names I do
not recollect. (...…) Upon the whole, I was much
gratified with my excursion to a country, which
cannot show its like again. The whole appearance
of it is that of a meadow. What are called the dikes,
are the roads, which, being raised, separate the
canals. Upon these you ride, through rows of
willow trees upon each side. Not a hill to be seen.
It is all a continued plain, so that trees, meadows,
and canals, canals, trees, and meadows, are the
unvaried scene. The houses are all brick, and the
streets are paved with brick. It is very unusual to
see a single square of glass broken, or a brick out of
place, even in the meanest house. They paint every
piece of wood within and without their houses
; and, what I thought not so wholesome, their
milk-pails are painted, within and without, and
so are their horse-carts ; but it is upon a principle
of economy. The country is exceeding fruitful,
Amsterdam in 39
Adams’ time by
Jan de Beijer
and every house has a garden spot, plentifully
stored with vegetables. (...) I was pleased with the
trig neatness of the women ; many of them wear
black tammy aprons, thick quilted coats, or russet
skirts, and small hoops ; but only figure to yourself
a child of three or four, dressed in the same way.
They cut a figure, I assure you. Gold ear-rings are
universally worn by them, and bracelets upon
holidays. The dress of the men is full as old-
fashioned ; but the Court and genteel people dress
part English and part French. They generally speak
both the languages, but French most. Since their
intercourse with America, the English language
is considered as an essential part of education. I
would not omit to mention that I visited the church
at Leyden, in which our forefathers worshipped,
when they fled from hierarchical tyranny and
persecution. I felt a respect and veneration upon
entering the doors, like what the ancients paid to
their Druids.
Adieu. Believe me yours very affectionately,
A.A. (Abigail Adams ed.)
40
CULINARY

A Taste for Heritage

Of Gouda cheese, speculaas and bitterballen…
“Mentioning the Netherlands and good food in the same sentence is usually not
done. If you ask my Turkish friends in the Netherlands about Dutch food, they look
at you with a concerned look as if you need medical assistance.” Film-maker and
food lover Yelda Yanat Kapkın laughs out loud.
 She lives in İstanbul, but visits
the Netherlands many times
throughout the year to catch
up with friends and develop
new projects. “Next year the
Netherlands and Turkey will
celebrate 400 years of diplomatic
relations so there are a lot of
interesting projects in the
making,” she explains over coffee
in a café in the city of Rotterdam.
“Did you know that the Ottomans
were the first to roast and grind
coffee and the Dutch were the
first Western Europeans to serve
it? And of course the Dutch and
the Turks are connected through
the tulip as well. And – not
many people dare to say that out
loud nowadays – through the
historical trade in narcotics. Dutch
businessmen and their families
lived in cities like İzmir mainly
because of the opium trade. The
Dutch still have an international
reputation in that field, with their
coffee-shops. I think it is hilarious
to call them coffee-shops, it sounds
very respectable and sweet.” Her
laugh rings out around the café.
Left page
Speculaas “When I talk to Dutch people about
Cookies by Elke their culinary tradition, they say
Wetzig and
Poffertjes by we do not have a cuisine, but I think
BininMesse. that is just silly. The Netherlands
Cheese Market
has wonderful traditional food
Gouda.
that is part of its cultural heritage.
Cheese obviously. Did you know
that Gouda cheese now has the
official Protected Geographical
Status? Oh, and then there is this.”
She points down at a big piece
of apple pie covered in sugared
whipped cream. “Dutch apple pie
is known all over the world. And
everybody should try poffertjes,
the small pancakes with powdered
sugar and creamy butter they
serve in these traditional wooden
market stalls in every Dutch town.
Not very good for your figure, but
I have not met anyone who does
not like them. Now I think about
it, more and more springs to mind.
The Dutch and the Belgians have
this endless discussion about who
invented the potato fries, called
patat in Dutch. My advice
would be to leave
that question to
the philosophers and
simply combine the two by
eating Belgian fries in the
Netherlands. I would add hot
41
peanut sauce to them, which is
typically Dutch. This brings me to
another Belgian-Dutch discussion,
about the recipe of speculaas, a
cookie sometimes in the form of a
windmill or a human figure. They
are usually quite small, but around
the celebration of St. Nicolas in
December they appear in enormous
sizes. I would give the benefit of
the doubt to the Dutch in this
discussion because the ingredients
are strongly connected to Dutch
history. The exotic cookies are
made with spices from the former
Dutch colonies like cinnamon,
nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cardamom,
white pepper and brown sugar.
They come in great variety both in
quality and taste. Never buy them
in the supermarket though. Always
buy them fresh and crunchy. The
filled speculaas with almond paste
42 Cheese on
planks by
CULINARY
Quistnix
could be a hit in Turkey and in
the Middle East where everybody
is a bit nut-crazy. If I was a
businesswoman, I would jump on
it. Another colonial connection
is the wonderful Indonesian food
you can eat here. Indonesia was
a Dutch colony until 1948 and
Indonesian cultural heritage had a
remarkable and lasting influence
in the Netherlands. A rice-table is
a combination of sometimes more
than twenty different tasty dishes.
I do not think you can
enjoy such high quality
traditional rice-
tables anywhere
else in the world, including maybe
even Indonesia.” Yanat Kapkın
drinks her coffee and points at the
draft beer over at the bar where one
of the bartenders is changing the
beer taps.
“Everybody knows that the
Dutch are very successful in
marketing their beers. Heineken
is famous all over the world and
other Dutch brands like Grolsch
and Bavaria are very popular as
well. If you want to try beers in
Netherlands there are
“The city of Schiedam – close to
should be accompanied in my
opinion - although probably not
many specialised beer houses,
which sometimes have hundreds
of different kinds of beer. I always
go to De Wildeman in de Kolksteeg
in Amsterdam, or if I just want
to try another draft beer from
some small heritage brewery, I go
to De Prael. Another thing that
most people do not know is how
famous the Netherlands are in
strong liquors. The Dutch have
a great historical tradition in
drinking. Drunk as a Dutchman
is even an expression, I think.”
She pretends to look guilty for a
moment without much success.
Rotterdam - had more distilleries
than anywhere in the world (see
also article on De Kuyper ed.). And
there are still a few left that are
still extremely successful. There
is even a special jenever-museum
where you can try them all out. A
great Dutch tradition that should
be enjoyed with measure, like
rakı.”
“And of course
any beer or drink
 43

everybody would agree - with

bitterballen. I cannot really explain
what they are. They are filled with
a thick meaty sauce, covered in
breadcrumbs and deep-fried. It
sounds disgusting frankly. They
are something of an acquired taste,
like Dutch herring with raw onions,
but once you are used to them, you
cannot do without them for long.
All my Turkish friends have long
since bowed to the power of the
bitterbal. I have family members
who used to live and work in the
Netherlands and every time they
visit here they take deep-frozen
bitterballen back home.”

“So, maybe it is not as obvious as

it is in France, Spain or Turkey,
but the Netherlands has some
real culinary heritage to discover.
You just have to explore without
prejudice and try, sometimes
against better judgement.” She
waves at the waiter and orders a
tradional Dutch beer brewed by
Trappist monks, and a portion of
bitterballen for both of us. “How I
am going to miss this,”she laughs,
“but hopefully not for long.”
44

Resurrection
TREASURE

The Rescue of Two Remarkable

Industrial Heritage Sites

De Cruquius by
Bas,
De Cruquius by
Caspar,
De Cruquius by
Jim van der Mee.

Unique Dutch Model:
Vereniging Hendrick
de Keyser, the historic
houses association of The
Netherlands
This private initiative and independent,
non-profit charity was established in
1918 by a group of Amsterdam merchants
with the aim of preserving the historic
heritage of Amsterdam. The association,
named after a leading 17th century
architect, sculptor and builder, now owns
about 386 properties - private dwellings,
canal houses, manor houses, city gates,
country estates, villas, farms, chapels,
cottages and city halls - in over 93 cities
and villages. Its income, making costly
upkeep and restoration projects possible,
comes from the long term letting of
properties, membership fees, legacies
and donations, as well as public and
private fund raising. Membership is open
to all. http://www.hendrickdekeyser.nl
45
Cruquius Pumping Station
Most passengers arriving at
Schiphol international airport do
not realize they are landing on
what used to be a lake, Haarlem’s
Lake (Haarlemmermeer ed.). The
planes touch down on a runway
4 metres below sea level. Until
the middle of the 19th century the
lake was important for transport
and fishing but when storms
threatened to flood nearby cities,
a decision was reached. The lake
would have to be drained. Using
modern techniques, three giant
steam-engine pumping stations
were built. They drained the lake
in three years between 1849 and
1852. One of them, Cruquius,
had not been used since 1912
and was officially taken out of
active duty in 1933. The unique
pumping station was at risk of
being demolished. But fans of the
station combined strength and
their Cruquius Foundation bought
the steam engine pumping station
for the symbolic sum of 1 Dutch
guilder and built a museum. In
the 1970s the Cruquius became
a listed building, one of the first
industrial monuments in the
world. Recently intensive repairs
and restoration were deemed
necessary and the pumping station
was handed over to the Hendrick
de Keyser Association in 2009.
By April 2011 most of the repairs
have been concluded successfully,
guaranteeing the survival of
this magnificent monument of
the industrial revolution. The
pumping station is also part of
the Holland-route of the ERIH,
the European Route of Industrial
Heritage.
http://www.museumdecruquius.nl
http://www.cruquiusmuseum.nl/
englishsite/flashanimation/CruquiusEN.
html
46 Unique Dutch Model: Restoration company Stadsherstel N.V. (City Restoration
PLC) established in 1956 buys, restores, maintains and also lets (for a long
TREASURE

or short term period) iconic buildings in the inner city of Amsterdam. By the
1950s many of the traditional houses were in a dilapidated state. The city
council wanted to renew and start a large-scale modern city development. The
city should also have to be adapted to accommodate more cars. Stadsherstel
successfully challenged this attitude and saved the Amsterdam inner-city
from large scale redevelopment. In the last 50 years, Stadsherstel has restored
almost 500 buildings. 400 of these are within the UNESCO designated World
Heritage site. http://www.stadsherstel.nl/

Shipyard Museum Shipyard ‘t

roadside
Kromhout
To some the sound of a ship’s
diesel engine is one of most
beautiful sounds in the world. In
Museum Shipyard ‘t Kromhout in
Amsterdam, historical inshore
vessel engines are kept in perfect
working order by a group of
dedicated volunteers. The original
shipyard ‘t Kromhout was built in
1757. In 1867 the Goedkoop
family took over and turned
the shipyard into a successful
business. Their keen interest
in machines lead to the
development of the Kromhout
internal combustion engines.
An original roof span was built
in 1888, a second one in 1899.

ERIH is the European Route of
Industrial Heritage, the tourism
information network of industrial
heritage in Europe. ERIH presents
more than 850 sites in 32 European
countries. All sites relate to ten
European Theme Routes which show
the diversity of European industrial
history and their common roots.
http://www.erih.net/
By 1908 the shipyard location in
Amsterdam became too small to
accommodate the success of the
business and a Kromhout factory
was established elsewhere. The
dependable Kromhout became one
of the most successful engines of
the Netherlands, but from 1968
onwards the brand name was no
longer used.
By the 1970s the original
shipyard area was still in use,
but in serious need of repair.
The threat of demolition
urged enthusiasts to start the
Foundation Museum Shipyard ‘t
Kromhout in 1973. The shipyard
ended up under the protective
wings of the restoration
company Stadsherstel and in 1999,
the overhaul of the
original roof spans started,
securing the 19th century steel
and safely removing the asbestos
plating. The environmental
issues of the shipyard were also
solved.
47
Shipyard Museum Shipyard ‘t Kromhout is
gravure, Old
now a unique combination of an
shipyard.
industrial monument, an operating
shipyard and an engine museum,
mostly original Kromhouts. Eight
volunteers keep the museum
running. The shipyard is still
operating, focussing mainly on
historic ships. It is one of few still
operating Amsterdam shipyards
of historical importance. Like the
Cruquius pumping station, the
yard is also part of the Holland-
route of the ERIH, the European
Route of Industrial Heritage.
http://www.machinekamer.nl/museum/
engels.html
48
HERITAGE IN DANGER
A Matter of
Priority
Cultural heritage often victim
of war and conflict
Mostar bridge “The fire lasted into the next day. The sun was
by Smooth.
obscured by the smoke of books, and all over the city
sheets of burned paper, fragile pages of grey ashes,
floated down like a dirty black snow. Catching a page
you could feel its heat, and for a moment read a
fragment of text in a strange kind of black and grey
negative, until, as the heat dissipated, the page melted
to dust in your hand,”wrote librarian Kemal Bakarsic
( †2006 ed.) in 1994 on the burning of the National and
University Library of Bosnia-Herzegovina in Sarajevo.
The conflict in Europe’s back
yard destroyed cultural, religious
and historic landmarks. Other
conflicts followed like in Iraq,
Afghanistan and Libya. Cultural
heritage turned out not to be
high on the agenda when lives
and livelihoods are at stake.
But when peace returns and
tangible roots of history and
identity are erased, the road to
post-was reconstruction and
reconciliation is long and difficult.
The international community has
been active since 1899 to have a
system in place that would ensure
looting and heritage destruction
 49
Civil Society organisations, like Europa Nostra, have their own
important role to play in conflict situations. Upon invitation of Denis
de Kergorlay, Europa Nostra’s Executive-President, 38 professionals
from Kosovo/UNMIK, Serbia and neighbouring countries met for the
first time in November 2006 in an informal setting to start a dialogue
and discuss issues of common concern. It was essential to depoliticise
the debate on cultural heritage, to acknowledge past wrong-doings
of all sides, to show generosity of spirit towards one another and to
consider the cultural heritage inclusively, as a rich inheritance of all,
rather than as the exclusive property of separate religious or ethnic
groups.

Europa Nostra subsequently organised a public forum at the UNESCO

headquarters in Paris entitled “Cultural Heritage in Kosovo: from
Apple of Discord to Ferment of Reconciliation”. This initiative
reflected Europa Nostra’s deep conviction that cultural heritage –
after having been the victim of so much destruction and confrontation
– can and must become a powerful factor in the construction of a
society based on the respect of human rights and shared European
values. Many practical solutions were discussed: the setting up of
regional heritage training centres, unbiased history and cultural
heritage education in schools and cross-border broadcasting of multi-
ethnic and multi-religious heritage programmes

“We need to help the local communities to overcome the ‘logic of

confrontation’ and to embark upon a ‘positive spiral’ of mutual
understanding and confidence building, for the benefit of the
safeguard of the cultural heritage and more generally for the benefit
of the lasting stability and future prosperity of the entire region,”
stressed Denis de Kergorlay.

to become a thing of the past. But
not everybody seems to be of
the opinion that culture matters
in times of war and conflict.
Former US Secretary of Defence
Donald Rumsfeld famously said
when the Baghdad Museum had
become a target: “Looting is an
unfortunate thing. Human beings
are not perfect,” which could be
interpreted as We don’t really care.
International conventions and
protocols safeguarding heritage
sites in times of conflict and
war make for difficult reading
and international negotiations
are complex. The Netherlands
have always played a central
role, in 1899, in 1907 and - most
importantly - in 1954 in the Peace
Palace in The Hague, where the
International Convention for the
Protection of Cultural Property
in the event of Armed Conflict,
and the related First Protocol,
were adopted. In the Convention
an emblem, a ‘blue shield’ was
introduced, the cultural equivalent
of the Red Cross. It is the
Below Tadrart protective emblem for marking
Acacus Libya cultural heritage sites to give them
By Roberdan,
Taller Buddha protection from attack in the event
of Bamiyan of armed conflict.
before & after
destruction
A Second Protocol was put in place
in 1999. This contained important
legal additions. It made criminal
prosecution possible. It limited
the use of the term ‘military
necessity’ which is often abused.
It also included lessons learned
in the recent Balkan War. Under
the 1954 The Hague Convention
this war would be interpreted as
a national conflict, which was not
part of the agreement. Flora van
Regteren Altena (Department for
Culture Heritage of the Ministry
of Education, Culture & Science)
explains: “These conventions
and protocols are today part of
the international humanitarian
law. Although war is always
chaotic, the world has made rules
to regulate it, which include the
protection of cultural heritage.
The 1954 Convention imposes
an obligation to the countries
that have ratified it, to respect
cultural property within their
own territory and that of others.
This being said, the possibility
to enforce this obligation lacked.
This was improved in the Second
Protocol and is applicable in
the event of conflicts both of
an international and of a non-
50 international character, as in the
HERITAGE IN DANGER
Balkans.”
Another example of this is the
conflict in Lybia which started as a
non-international conflict in which
the international community
became more and more involved.
Safeguarding the five UNESCO
World Heritage sites is the
responsibility of Libya, but also
of the international community.
But if anything happens, criminal
prosecution would prove difficult.
Criminal responsibility under
the Second Protocol is in part
based on the official designation
of threatened sites as sites under
enhanced protection. An attack
on those sites as well as their use
in support of military action are
considered as crimes under the
Second Protocol. In 2010 the
first four locations in the whole
world received this protection,
three in Cyprus and one in
Italy. Guidelines clarifying the
implementation of the Protocol
were finalized recently, in 2009.

The Netherlands has the chair of
the Second Protocol Committee
in 2011. It will seek to bring this
process further.
But it does not end there. The
Convention and the Protocols
need to be signed and ratified
before a country can be held
accountable. The United States
ratified the 1954 Convention
as late as in 2009, after fierce
criticism and continued bad
press following the Iraq War. The
United Kingdom still has not
signed it, while Egypt was the
first country to do so – as early as
in 1955. Libya, Iran and Iraq have
also signed and ratified it. The
1954 Convention has been ratified
by about 125 countries in all, but
the more specific Second Protocol
has so far only been signed by
about 60, Libya among them. So
there is no quick and easy solution.
Placing the whole World Heritage
list under enhanced protection is
simply impossible under current
international law.
The destruction in 2001 of the
Bamiyan Buddhas by the Taliban
in Afghanistan shocked the world
and caused a tremendous backlash
against the regime. But the
Convention did not apply. It was
51
the legitimate government who can they do to help? Several
destroyed them. The Buddhas were international organisations like
not protected under the Hague the United Nations and national
Convention, as Afghanistan is not governments like the United
a party to that Convention, and it States and the Netherlands
was only after their destruction have put special units in place.
that they became protected under Many countries have started
the World Heritage Convention awareness raising projects within
and international action could be the military. Recently the Dutch
initiated. government (the Ministry of
Defence working jointly with
The Bamiyan Buddhas show how the Ministry of Culture) and the
the international community Netherlands National Commission
struggles to find the right for UNESCO developed playing
answers. But some progress is cards, specially designed for
being made. Another example is soldiers, with very practical
the 1970 UNESCO Convention cultural heritage information.
on illicit import, export and Other similar projects are being
transfer of cultural property. developed.
During the recent revolt in Egypt,
international organisations as
Interpol and the International
Council of Museums (ICOM)
responded with immediate alerts to
customs and heritage authorities to
prevent illicit export and import of
art. Luckily with new technologies
it has become easier to bring
violations to light. Bringing these
practices out of the dark into the
open helps to change attitudes, if
only because the chances of getting
caught are increasing.
And what about the attitude of
the soldiers on the ground? What
52
HERITAGEINDANGER
Peace Palace, Another organisation concerned
Seat of the
is the NATO. How high on the
International
Court of Justice agenda are cultural heritage issues
in the Hague. at the NATO’s headquarters? In an
exclusive interview, former NATO
Secretary-General Jaap De Hoop
Scheffer explains how he sees the
role of the organisation.
“You cannot expect the NATO to
intervene on behalf of cultural
heritage. Cultural heritage is
not part of our mandate, but for
instance in Kosovo our troops did
step in to protect the endangered
monasteries and churches of
the Serbian minority.” De Hoop
Scheffer, who is now Professor
of International Relation in the
department of Peace, Justice and
Development at Leiden University
continues: “If the NATO had been
present in Afghanistan during
the destruction of the Bamiyan
Buddha’s we surely would have
intervened. We would not have
allowed that to happen. It cut
Appeals judges at the Yugoslav war crimes
tribunal in the Hague have upheld in 2008
the conviction of a Yugoslav army general
Pavle Strugar to 7.5 years in prison for
overseeing the deadly 1991 shelling of the
historic coastal city of Dubrovnik. The
shelling triggered an international outcry.
It was the first time that shelling of an
UNESCO World Heritage Site was part of a
war crime indictment.
through my soul. But I must
stress that we cannot expect the
NATO to have a policy for the
preservation of cultural heritage.
It is not part of its focus. We
have no scenario for it. We use
of course the United Nations
information on the location of
cultural heritage sites. And, as
representatives of democratically
elected governments - although
it is not our mandate - it still
would be considered as our duty
to protect cultural heritage when
it is really necessary to do so,
when the immediate situation
calls for it. The NATO bombing
cultural heritage sites for military
purposes? I would consider this as
unthinkable.”
Defending cultural heritage is
difficult in the best of times, let
alone in the worst of times, periods
of conflict and war. The 21st century
poses even more challenges as
rough states and terrorists tend
not to play by the rules. But there
is too much at stake and giving up
is not an option. The international
community seeks to create binding
systems of decent behaviour.
The military seeks to make their
soldiers aware. When the smoke of
battle lifts and the reconciliation
process has to begin, cultural
heritage can play an important role
in healing wounds and renewing
trust. One of most prominent
cultural tragedies of the war in the
Balkans was the destruction of the
Mostar Bridge. Now, the rebuilt
bridge can do once more what
it has done during the last four
centuries, bridging cultures and
bringing people together.
Further reading:
http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/
images/0014/001407/140792E.
pdf http://unesdoc.unesco.org/
images/0018/001867/186742E.pdf
American website: http://www.cemml.
colostate.edu/cultural/09476/afghanstart.
html
 53

Photo: Rudolphous, Logo : Lusitana (CC-BY-SA)

54

Heritage of a Disaster
CITY DREAMS

The Therapeutic Value of Modern

Architecture and Industrial Monuments
“I was visiting family in the village where I was born called
Losser when I saw a column of smoke rise on the horizon. It
was a beautiful, sunny and windless day and this black, fat
mushroom cloud just hung there; silent, still, unnatural. I
knew immediately something disastrous had happened,” says
architect and urban planner Pi de Bruijn from his office of De
Architekten Cie. in Amsterdam.

On May 13, 2000, the fireworks
factory in the Roombeek area in
the city of Enschede in the east of
the Netherlands blew up, killing
23 people and injuring almost a
1,000. The area near the centre of
the city was wiped off the face of
the earth. Visiting the site today
is still a humbling experience.
Walking the endless streets of
new architecture and restored
industrial heritage, one cannot
image what it must have been
like. The area is so vast and the
scars are so deep that it triggers
huge doubts about the wisdom of
building accident-prone utilities
and factories so close to homes and
schools.
“Deep in my heart I know the
city had made a mistake by
allowing such a factory within
the city limits,” says De Bruijn.
“The Roombeek area was a
poor working class district but
a prime location nevertheless.
Immediately after the disaster
people started talking about a
conspiracy between the city and
property developers. The people
did not trust the motives of the
local government. Even today,
more than ten years after the
disaster, there are still a lot
of questions about the cause
and effect that have not been
answered.”
Pi de Bruijn is talking rapidly,
hardly masking his passion and
emotion. “This kind of factory
would have never been allowed
in an affluent residential area.
Enschede is not an exception
in this. All over Europe money
talks and the consequences can
be as devastating as they were

in Enschede. After the disaster
a military approach took over.
They put up big fences around
the place and refused access to
the local people who were already
traumatized by what had happened.
People were allowed in only weeks
later. But by then their precious
memories, their photo albums,
their children’s toys, their clothes,
had all been destroyed by rain
and smoke. Valuable possessions
like jewellery had been stolen by
criminals. It was unnecessary and
it made the population even more
suspicious and angry.”
“When an emotional Queen Beatrix
visited the site the following
day, the Prime Minister made an
important impromptu speech. He
said the people should be able to
return to their homes and that
money should not be an issue in
rebuilding the neighbourhood.
The city of Enschede also tried
to make amends. By using
their preferential right to buy
up property, they immediately
stopped speculators from buying
out the owners. I was of course
following the developments very
closely and when I got the chance
to get involved, I jumped to it.
55
After a series of pitches I got the
assignment to work as the urban
planner for the entire area.”
“The way I approach my role as
an urban planner is very specific.
I believe in the dynamics of
interactivity. I do not believe in
grand architectural gestures. The
end-user should be the central
focus in the development of
ideas and designs. I started to
talk to the people who used to
live there, to discuss what they
would want to see happen in their
neighbourhood. But before you
can talk about anything like that,
you first have to talk about what
happened. You have to go through
the tears and the pain. I saw the
rebuilding of the Roombeek area
as a form of therapy. This positive
exchange with the residents fits my
personal ideas about architecture
and urban planning. You have to
know what the people want and I
needed to understand the people of
Roombeek. I had to make sure that
what we did would make their lives
better.”
“We used the existing cultural
heritage sites in the area to ground
the project. Het Rozendaal, a
building that was originally
part of a textile factory is now a
conglomerate of museums. The
water tower and buildings of
the Menko factories are now
apartments and another factory
building is now an academy for art
& design. A structure where they
used to store textiles will be turned
into an art museum.”
“I not only supervised the whole
layout of the area, I also created
the over-all urban design and
sometimes selected the architects.
At time I would get very involved
and be strict in order to protect
the urban quality, but at other
56
CITY DREAMS
times I would take a step back.
We encouraged the residents
to build their own houses and
this brought interesting results.
Some architects complain to me
that I should have taken more
control, because it looks messy.
But I do not agree. People like
diversity. They do not like it when
everything looks the same. There
now is this variety in Roombeek of
old and new, of heritage buildings
and modern design, of highly
original and maybe not-so-original user-unfriendly buildings. But
architecture. It all fits together. I
now, in our economically more
rate this project in my top three. Ichallenging times, the pendulum
worked in the area for ten years andswings the other way. The end-
I am still involved in it today.” user has become important
again. We realise that the city
“For years the market was belongs to the population. That
determined by property developers. vitality is the central issue. You
Because of the economic should not bulldoze an area; you
circumstances everything they should incorporate the historical
built, good or bad, found a buyer. elements in your urban planning.
They made enormous profits and The clean slate thinking belongs to
we ended up with a lot of ugly and the past. If you use the historical
 57

elements, you give people a

natural surrounding, something
to feel at home in. That is what we
tried to accomplish in Roombeek
and the area is now beautiful
and attractive. 40-50% or the
original tenants and about 20%
of the original homeowners have
returned. That is quite a success.
The area has vitality and relevance.
It was difficult, it was challenging,
but we really created something
good out of something bad.”
58
Losing Faith
HERITAGE IN DANGER
Country churches in danger
Once they were the centre of their
community, sometimes even for
centuries. Now an old signpost
is swinging in the wind. The
overgrown graveyard has not
seen visitors for years. When the
heating in the building is turned
off and the roof starts leaking,
the way down is a slippery slope.
The last local juvenile delinquent
finishes the building off with
some graffiti, while smashing a
window and demolition is just
around the corner. Keeping up
country churches without the
faithful is a difficult task. But if
these buildings are lost, what will
replace them? These monuments
keep local communities together
- not so much in a religious sense
- but in a sense of belonging and
identity.
Large areas in eastern Europe, the
centre of Spain and France or the
north of Scotland to name but a
few, have growing difficulties
in keeping their religious
monuments relevant and in good
shape. Young people are leaving

for the big city. And if a village
is losing its population, there is
little chance that converting a
church into apartments is a viable
solution. In remote villages there
is little interest in the commercial
exploitation of an arts & culture
centre.
Also in the Netherlands there are
many examples of local churches
and monasteries that are losing
the battle. Churches are among
the most torn down buildings in
Europe. Especially the churches
built after World War II have
a hard time surviving, in the
countryside as well as in the cities.
Most of them have not obtained
any form of heritage status and
have disappeared before anyone
could protest. But there are also
Power of Example: Faith in 59
Maintenance in the United Kingdom
was 2010 winner of an European
Union Prize for Cultural Heritage/
Europa Nostra Award in the
category “Education, Training and
Awareness-Raising”. The project
gives volunteers the tools and skills
to do essential maintenance work
on the buildings. Their website give
handy tips for anyone who wants to
get involved. http://www.spabfim.
org.uk/
hopeful examples where local Left page Church Luckily all across Europe similar
of Cuypers in
churches have found new life Kranenburg,
initiatives are developed to save
through creative ideas and the Church in country churches from being
help of volunteers. One example Wytgaard torn down. As the problems are
collapsing by
is the St. Antonius church in the Documentatie comparable all over Europe, the
hamlet of Kranenburg in the east Centrum RK power of example, the exchange
of the Netherlands. This church, Converted church
of new ideas and smart solutions
which was built in 1856 by the Ipswich docks by are key to finding viable
famous architect Pierre Cuypers John Goldsmith, alternatives. More recently,
Djupivogur
(1827-1911) - who would later church. Iceland several European organisations
build the Central Station and the by Christian active in this field, including
Bickel, Kotor,
Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam - has Montenegro by
Europa Nostra, came together
recently been sold for 1 Euro to a Sares, Converted to launch a European Forum for
church, Reading
foundation for the preservation of Historic Places of Worship. It is
UK by Philafrenzy,
religious buildings. The deed has Graubunden, inevitable that some churches
a specific clause that if the church Switzerland by will lose the battle - like the
Falk Lademann,
is ever used as a nightclub or a Scotland, Isle of Pierre Cuypers’ church in
brothel, a daily 10.000 Euro fine Arran, St.Georges the village of Wytgaard - but
church by Vincent
would be applied. But chances of through cooperation between
van Zeijst
this happening are remote, as the civil society, local communities
church today houses a national and government, miracles can
museum of religious sculpture. happen.
60
OPINIONS

The Winds
of Change

Windmills are one of most lasting and

iconic symbols of the Netherlands.
The countless windmills were not just
used to empty the lakes and lagoons
of this river delta; they were also used
to grind endless bags of grain into
flour to feed a nation. It is impossible
to look at a 17th century Dutch
landscape painting without seeing
a windmill. There were so many
in fact, that people did not see
any historical value in them.

by Denis de Kergorlay,
Executive President of
Europa Nostra

Only in the 19th century, when they
became more and more obsolete,
did enthusiasts grow worried
about the rapid pace with which
they were disappearing. And today
some cities, like the old town of
Schiedam, are even rebuilding
their windmills one by one. The
newest addition just became fully
operational. Schiedam harbours
the highest historical windmills in
the world. The tallest windmill is
42,5 metres and has a staggering 55
metres wingspan. They are indeed
a sight to behold.
The famous row of windmills in
Kinderdijk are UNESCO World
Heritage and nearly every Dutch
town or village sees their local
windmills as important landmarks.
There is even talk of using old
style windmills to generate wind
energy, which might be a typical,
Dutch solution for making the
historical circle complete.
Nowadays there is a new type
of windmill, which has a much
more uneasy relationship with
the landscape. All over the
Netherlands and the rest of
Europe, huge wind turbines
have been appearing with a wing
span similar to an Airbus 380. It
is a quest for clean energy that
is slowly but surely visually
Kinderdijk 61
by Lucas
Hirschegger,
Netherlands by
Loranchet
polluting our countryside. It is
easily forgotten that the beauty
and harmony of our European
landscape is also a non-renewable
asset! It is a difficult balancing
act between the necessity of
finding green solutions and
the destruction of the soul and
spirit of Europe. These issues
are thoroughly examined in
the Europa Nostra Declaration
on Wind power. (http://www.
europanostra.org/UPLOADS/
FILS/DECLARATION%20
ON%20WINDPOWER%20
Final%202008.pdf)
These turbines are not just
a tragedy for the European
landscape, they have a negative
influence on the lives of thousands
of people. Often built close to
homes, their incessant noise, freak
winds and the degradation of the
value of property create a social
problem.
62
OPINIONS

generous subsidies can do what

they want. The European Union
and its Member States stimulate
the use of the wind turbines but at
the same time wash their hands
like Pontius Pilate when it comes
to the long term effects of these
machines.

Let me also be clear about

Another point I want to raise is
Permission
by aerophoto- the impact on biodiversity. Bird
schiphol populations literally do not know
Right page, what hit them. Bats become
Mont St.Michel disorientated. Some of these
in France, Bird
issues can be avoided by building
versus wind
turbine by Dirk the wind turbines outside of bird
Ingo Franke, migration routes and far from bat
2010 windmill
in Schiedam habitats. But are these concerns
taken into account? Is there an
honest discussion about the real
carbon footprint of these turbines?
And what happens to the wind
farms when they are at the end of
their cycle? Who is responsible for
the clean-up? These are not small
structures that can be easily and
cheaply removed. The rules and
regulations differ in every city,
province or state. Companies that
profit from this lack of rules and
something else. Europa Nostra
has never been an organisation
that just says “no”. We understand
that alternatives for the current
energy problems will have to
be developed. Relying on our
traditional energy sources is
indeed a dead end road. Nuclear
energy faces its own problems
especially after the recent disaster
in Japan. Renewable energy
sources are the future and Europa
Nostra is very willing to partner
with governments and civil society
organisations to find the best
solutions. Maybe wind-farms
built in the sea just beyond the
horizon can be an option, if built
outside of bird migration routes. It
would also solve the “not-in-my-
backyard” discussion. In other
places, like in the new polders of
the Netherlands, the skyscraper
windmills might fit the landscape
and hurt no one.
Allow me in closing to point out
one of the most alarming plans
concerning one of France’s top
heritage vistas: Mont Saint-Michel.
If the city councils concerned get
their way, instead of enjoying an
iconic view that has been unaltered
for centuries, the hundreds of
thousands tourists will enjoy a
forest of white steel wind turbines,
spreading their wings along the
horizon. Board members of Europa
Nostra visited the municipality of
Argouges, which overlooks the bay
of Mont Saint-Michel, to evaluate
the risk of visual degradation by
the proposed 100 metres high
wind turbines.
Mont Saint-Michel is not just one
of the most visited monuments in

the world, it is also one of
the jewels of Christian history.
It is a monument of both
spirituality and architecture.
The fact that the splendour of
this site and its setting is at
risk from dozens of industrial
machines, which rival the height
of the archangel Michael atop
the abbey’s spire, is a dangerous
mixture between public policies
and private interests.
In spite of the fact that UNESCO’s
World Heritage Committee has
already expressed to the French
government its grave concern,
neighbouring municipalities
continue to investigate wind farm
proposals, notably in the adjacent
department of Ille-et-Vilaine,
63
also located on the hill-crest
overlooking the bay.
The battle for Mont Saint-Michel
is just a striking example of what
is happening all over Europe.
Development of wind-farms may
seem like a green solution for our
power hungry society, but that
same society should safeguard our
European landscapes. The Dutch
poet Lucebert created the phrase
‘everything of value is defenceless’...
our landscape is indeed a far
too easy victim of uncontrolled
development. The winds of change
have made fossil fuels and nuclear
energy problematic, but wind
energy also brings new challenges
that need to be openly discussed
and addressed.
64
Panorama
PANORAMA
Amsterdam
Amsterdam, like New York and
Paris, has a very recognisable
city-grid. The canal district
of Amsterdam - added to the
UNESCO World Heritage list in
2010 - is an historical marvel of
canals and 16th and 17th century
houses. It was a planned city
extension that changed wetlands
and swamps into a harbour city
that became a global player. It is
a true masterpiece of hydraulic
engineering, unique in the world.
Not everybody is pleased with
the addition of the city centre to
the World Heritage list. Some are
afraid the lively city will change
into a sleepy museum town. But
most - including Esther Agricola,
director of the Amsterdam’s Office
of Monuments and Archaeology
- agree that the city will keep
renewing itself as it has always
done. The canals are lined with
buildings from different periods,
each with very different styles.
The UNESCO status should not
stop development, but help to
make the quality choices instead of
 65

promoting convenient or financial

ones.

Aerial pictures of Amsterdam

beautifully show the inner
structure of the Dutch capital.
They are reproduced with kind
permission from
www.aerophoto-schiphol.nl
PANORAMA

66
 67

Defence Line of Amsterdam

(De Stelling van Amsterdam)
UNESCO World Heritage Site*
The capital of the country was protected by a network
of 45 armed forts, built between 1883 and 1920 and
extending 135 km around the city, which acted in
accordance with temporary flooding from polders
and an intricate system of canals and locks. The
defence line became obsolete with the introduction of
aeroplanes into warfare. Part of the flooding-system
was however activated when the German army
invaded the Netherlands in May 1940, but no fighting
took place. Some structures are still in use by the
Ministry of Defence.

* source: whc.unesco.org
68

Country Living
COUNTRY DREAMS

A visit to a family estate

Baron Van Dordt tot Medler

telling the story of the deed

The Association of Privately
Owned Country Estates
(Vereniging Particuliere Historische
Buitenplaatsen.ed) is an important
Dutch organisation to protect this
unique cultural heritage and a
member of Europa Nostra http://
www.vphb.nl
“I got a phone call from some
government official, something
to do with forms or regulations
and he could not find any proof
of ownership in the register. He
asked if I could maybe send him
papers showing when we bought
the property.” Mr. Zeno baron van
Dordt tot Medler and his sister
Reiniera Wefers Bettink, baroness
van Dorth tot Medler, show me
around their stunning family
estate ‘t Medler in the east of the
Netherlands. “I politely explained
that we have been living here for
more than 350 years and if he
wanted to, he could come up and
look at the original deed signed
in 1612. He hung up very quickly
after that.” The former diplomat
69
Personalised
laughs loud and long, revealing a horse box
life lived well.
“Our estate is about 300 hectares
big, of which 200 hectares is
cultivated land; 165 hectares is
rented out. 90% of the estate’s
income comes from rent and
about 10% from forestry. We use
the money mainly for the upkeep
of the buildings. We share the
responsibility for the estate with
the four of us, two brothers and
two sisters, each owning 25% of the
shares. We decided not to set up to sell, the shares are first offered
a foundation, as you have to have to the others. We have recently
independent strangers on the board. decided to appoint a manager who
You never know what can happen runs the day-to-day business. It
then. We have made arrangements is much better for the family
that if one of us wants or needs relations,” he says with a smile.
70
The Union of European
COUNTRY DREAMS
Historic Houses Associations
(UEHHA) promotes European
cooperation in the conservation
of historic houses and gardens
to ensure the continuity, as
living entities, of private
historic houses, their contents,
gardens, parklands and estates.
The UEHHA is a member of
Europa Nostra. http://www.
uehha.org/en/index.php
Only half a gate “Keeping up an estate like this is
remains after a
hard,”his sister adds. “When you
poplar fell on it,
Kitchen are a listed building of national
importance, you have special
privileges. You can deduct certain
costs, but you have to do everything
precisely according to the rules.”
The baron gets up to serve another
coffee. “One of things that saved
many historic family estates in the
Netherlands are the low succession
rights. The value of the estate is in
the estate, not in cash. You live poor
and die rich, we always say. The
government is now busy changing
all the rules for monuments now, so
hopefully all the changes are for the
better.”
He has his private apartment in
the main building. His two sisters
live on farms on the estate and
his brother also has an apartment
next to the main building. “An old
poplar fell on one of our gates but
repairing it costs too much money.
We have been discussing within the
family other options to generate
income, like placing a transmission
tower for mobile phones, a golf
course or building a windmill park,
but all these solutions are difficult
and intrusive. Some estate owners
make the decision to change into
a hotel or to build holiday houses
on the estate, but we have decided
we will try to keep it as much as
possible as it is. This is the house
my sister and I grew up in.”
“For a long time all the people who
lived in the main house were old. In
our family we tend to reach a very
old age. The children only moved in
when the former generation passed
away. They would then be in their
sixties or so. To a certain extent
that saved our family, as we only
had three generations per century
while others tended to have four or
five: we had less chance of messing
it up. It was a little different in
the case of our parents. Because
my grandfather died young, our
parents moved in to live with my
grand mother when they were still
young. My sister and I were even
born here. I am the youngest. For
the first time in centuries children
lived here and it was a wonderful
house to grow up in.”
“My grandmother and our family
basically ran two households on
one estate. Grandmother lived
downstairs. She had the most
beautiful rooms and she was the
official lady of the house. She
had her own servant and her own
living room, kitchen and dining
room. We were living on the first
floor mainly. She had a television

in her room and we were allowed to
come on Wednesday afternoon and
Saturday to watch. And on Sunday,
one of us was invited to lunch with
our grandmother. She had the
large dining room where she would
dine alone and we would dine
with the six of us in something of
a broom closet. But do not get me
wrong, there were no misgivings
about it. None whatsoever. It felt
very natural and we all loved my
grandmother dearly. It was just the
way it was and that was fine with
all of us, including my parents.”
The baron shows me the first floor
of the house. His portrait as a young
boy adorns the stairways, together
with paintings of his brother and
sisters. We enter a small family
chapel. “We are a Catholic family in
an area that is mainly protestant,”
he says while showing me drawers
full of chasubles. “Recently a
grandchild was baptised here. We
still use it. It is of great sentimental
value to us.” The next room reveals
fluffy creatures, sitting amidst
new and old toys. It is still used as
much as when the baron was a child.
“This playroom is just above my
grandmother’s living room, so she
must have suffered severely from
the noise we made. But she never
ever complained about it.”
In each room the history of the Van
Dorth tot Medler family can be felt,
partially as a tangible presence,
but mostly because centuries of
furniture blend together; an 18th
century fireplace next to a 1980s
stereo-set; a vintage Alfa Romeo
sits where once carriages stood; a
storage building where we can still
recognise the personalised horse
boxes.
71
“We feel a moral obligation to Living room,
Private chapel
hand the estate over to the next
generation,” the baroness
explains. “A lot has changed
over the years of course. When
we were growing up and going to
the local school, you could still
feel you were singled out because
you were privileged. You still had
a special position in the village.
Most people had very little or no
schooling. But now their children
are doctors and lawyers. When we
grew up we had servants that lived
with us in the house. We had two
and my grandmother had one, but
in the sixties that also changed.
You could no longer find people
who would be willing to live and
work as a maid on the estate.
It also became less necessary
with washing machines and
dishwashers. It has all changed for
the better.”
72
SHORT STORY
Letters by
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent by Paul Vincent van Gogh (1853 -1890) was
Gauguin 1888
born in Zundert, a small village
close to the Belgian border, the son
of a preacher. His brother Theo was
four years younger. Throughout
Vincent’s life he was a prolific
writer. He started writing letters to
his brother from 1872, when he was
working as a young assistant in his
uncles art gallery Goupil & Cie in
The Hague. In 1873 Vincent moved
to the London branch, later to Paris
and then back again to London.
As Vincent’s depression got the
better of him, he got himself fired
in 1876. After part-time jobs as
a teacher, assistant priest and
bookseller, he arrived in 1877 in
Amsterdam to try and pass a state
exam that would give him access to
the university to study Theology.
In 1878 he left without sitting the
exams and went to Belgium where
he would decide to follow his
calling as an artist. During his time
in Amsterdam he sent many letters
to his brother Theo, which reveal
a sensitive young man with a great
gift for observation. The large-
scale “Letters Project” carried out
by the Van Gogh Museum and the
Huygens Institute have now made
the letters easily accessible on-line.
Except for the small drawing
referred to in his letter of 28th of
May 1877 and maybe Winter, In
Life As Well (after Jozef Israëls)
there are no Van Gogh’s art

works known from his time in
Amsterdam. Most articles on
Vincent van Gogh are illustrated
by Van Gogh’s own paintings,
but in this case we have chosen to
show you how others viewed him:
a photograph taken when he was
19 years old and three portraits
painted by Toulouse-Lautrec,
Gauguin and the Australian artist
Russell, all dating about ten years
after his time in Amsterdam.
Vincent by 73
Toulouse-
Lautrec 1886.
Amsterdam, 28 May 1877
(…) Walked to the seaside in the afternoon, and spent the rest
of the day writing. The work and writing don’t yet go as fast and
easily as I’d wish, but I hope to learn by practice, but, old boy, if
I could I’d like to skip over a few years, though I trust that I shall
succeed and that my lips shall speak the fullness of preaching
the gospel and that my hand shall write it. (…) Last week I got as
far as Gen. XXIII, the burial of Sarah in the field that Abraham
bought to bury her there in the cave of Machpelah, and I couldn’t
help making a little drawing of how I imagined that place to be,
it’s nothing very special but I’m enclosing it anyway.(…) Right
now all the people are leaving the dockyard to go home, that’s
nice to see. One hears them already early in the morning, I think
there are around 3,000 of them, the sound of their footsteps is
something like the sound of the sea.
74 John Peter
Russell Studies
SHORT STORY
of Vincent
The Cave of
Machpelah 1877.
Amsterdam, 30 May 1877
(…) There were some words in your letter that
touched me: ‘I should really like to get away
from everything, I’m the cause of everything and
only make others sad, I alone have caused all this
misery to myself and others.’ Those were words
that touched me – because that same feeling,
exactly the same, nothing more and nothing less, is
also on my conscience.
When I think of the past – when I think of the
future, of nearly insurmountable difficulties, of
much and difficult work which I have no passion
for, which I – the evil part of me, that is – would
prefer to avoid, when I think of the eyes of so
many that are fixed upon me – who, if I do not
succeed, will know the reason why – who will not
utter any ordinary reproaches but who, because
they have been tried and are well versed in what is
good and proper and fine gold, as it were, will say
it by the expression on their faces: we helped you
In 2010 the “Letters Project”
was awarded with one of the
Grand Prix of the European
Union Prize for Cultural Heritage
/ Europa Nostra Awards in the
category “Research”. Since
1994, the Van Gogh Museum in
Amsterdam and the Huygens
Institute have been working
on this extensive research
and digitalisation project. The
European Jury stated: ‘Thanks to
the digitalisation and free internet
access of this fascinating project,
it is now possible to read the entire
archive of letters of the painter
in their original version and in
translation.’
http://vangoghletters.org/vg
and have been a light unto you – we did for you
what we could. Did you sincerely desire it? What
are our wages and the fruits of our labours? You
see, when I think of all that and of so much else,
all manner of things – too many to mention, of
all the troubles and worries which do not become
less as one progresses through life, of suffering,
of disappointment, of the danger of failing to a
scandalous extent, then that desire is no stranger
to me either – I would really like to get away from
everything!
And yet – I go on – but with caution and in the
hope that I’ll succeed in warding off all these
things, so that I can somehow answer all the
reproaches that threaten, trusting that in spite
of everything that seems to be against me I shall
attain that thing that I desire, and, God willing,
shall find grace in the eyes of some whom I love,
and in the eyes of those who shall
come after me. (…)

Amsterdam, 12 June 1877
A terrible storm blew up
here this morning at quarter
to 5, a little while later the
first stream of workers
came through the gate of
the dockyard in the pouring
rain. Got up and went into
the yard and took a couple of
notebooks to the cupola and
sat there reading and looking
round the whole yard and
dock, the poplars and elders
and other shrubs were bent
by the strong wind, and the
rain pelted on the wood-piles
and the decks of the ships,
sloops and a little steamboat
went back and forth in the
distance, near the village on
the other side of the IJ, one saw
brown sails passing quickly
and the houses and trees on
Buitenkant and churches in
more vivid colours. Again and
again one heard thunder and
saw lightning, the sky looked
like a painting by Ruisdael,
and the gulls were flying
low over the water. It was a
magnificent sight, and really
refreshing after the oppressive
heat of yesterday.
Amsterdam, 27 July 1877
(…) A couple of days ago a
couple of children fell into the
water near the Kattenburg
bridge.(...) A little boy was
pulled out; I went along with
two ship’s doctors whom
Uncle had sent over, and the
men carrying the boy into a
chemist’s shop made every
effort to resuscitate the
child, but to no avail. In the
meantime it was recognised
by the father, who’s a stoker
at the dockyard, and the little
body was taken home in a
woollen blanket. The search
went on for an hour and a half,
as it was thought that a girl
had fallen in as well, though
happily that seems not to
be the case. In the evening I
went back to see the people, it
was then already dark in the
house, the little body lay so
still on a bed in a side room,
he was such a sweet little boy.
There was great sorrow, that
child was the light of that
house, as it were, and that
light had now been put out.
Even though coarse people
express their grief in a coarse
way and without dignity, as
the mother did, among others,
still, one feels a great deal in
such a house of mourning, and
the impression stayed with me
the whole evening when I took
a walk.
Vincent by 75
Australian
artist John Peter
Russell 1886
Vincent van
Gogh photo 1872
Amsterdam, 18 Aug. 1877
I had quite a time on Thursday
morning; (…) So had got up
early and seen the workers
arriving at the dockyard with
the sun shining wonderfully.
‘It is a good thing to praise
the Lord God in the morning’,
that’s what one thinks at such
times. You would like the
curious sight of that stream of
black figures, large and small,
first in the narrow street into
which the sun shines only
briefly and later at the yard.
Had breakfast afterwards, a
piece of dry bread and a glass
of beer – that is a remedy
Dickens recommends to those
on the verge of committing
suicide as being very
efficacious in ridding them
of that intention, for a while
at least. And even if one isn’t
exactly in such a mood, it’s
nevertheless good to do it now
and then, and to think at the
same time of, for example,
Rembrandt’s painting of the
supper at Emmaus.
Your most loving brother
76
FEATURE

Amsterdam Then and Now

Amsterdam grew from a small dam in the river into the centre of
an empire spanning the globe. Some parts of town have changed
dramatically over time, but some buildings and sites have remained
remarkably unchanged. Many of the most visited landmarks of this
Venice of the North are the result of private initiatives.

The Nederlands Scheepvaartmuseum (Netherlands

Maritime Museum) is housed in a former naval
storehouse, the Admiraliteits Magazijn, designed by
the Dutch architect Daniël Stalpaert and constructed
in 1656. The museum moved to this location in 1973
and recently has undergone a major renovation.

Pierre Cuypers’ (1827 -1921)
design for the Rijksmuseum
(National Museum) in Amsterdam
was a combination of gothic and
renaissance elements. Construction
began on October 1, 1876. The
museum was opened on July 13,
1885. Until 2013 the Rijksmuseum
The Sint Antoniesbree Street was
a thriving neighborhood in the
17th century especially for the
artistically inclined. Rembrandt
van Rijn lived on the street from
1631 until 1635. The monument
now known as the Rembrandt
House - he lived there between
1639 and 1656 - is just down the
77
will be restored and renovated
based on a design by Spanish
architects Antonio Cruz and
Antonio Ortiz. Many of the
old interior decorations will be
restored. During the restoration
and renovation process only about
four hundred of the one-million
piece permanent collection are on
display.
road on Jodenbree Street 4. The
street changed dramatically in the
late 20th century when almost
all the original buildings were
torn down. The historic picture
is probably from the late 1890s,
taken by the famous photographer
Jacob Olie.
78 Anne Frank House
FEATURE

Prinsengracht 263 was originally

built in 1635 and the annexe was
built in 1740. Just another typical
canal house, were it not for a
girl that lived there in hiding
with her family in an annexe
concealed by movable bookcase
during World War II. Her name
was Anne Frank.

On August 4, 1944, she and

her family were betrayed and
arrested. The house was stripped
by the Nazis and only Anne’s
diary was saved.

When Otto Frank returned

after the war as sole survivor of
the family, the house was in a
dilapidated state. In the years
that followed, plans were being
made to tear down the house
and a row of adjacent ageing
canal houses to make place for
a new textile factory. Frank and
his friends tried to delay the
seemingly inevitable. By then
Anne Frank’s diary had become a
global bestseller. Public pressure
was mounting. In 1957 the Anne
Frank Foundation was founded,
to save and open the building
to the public. Their efforts
were successful and the textile
company donated the building
to the foundation. But that was
not the only hurdle that had to
be overcome. In the end several
buildings were bought with
support of the city council and
concerned citizens who wanted
to keep Anne’s memory alive.

The museum was opened in

1960 and is visited by around 1
million guests per year. Recently
the buildings were completely
renovated to be able to cope with
the rising amount of visitors.

The DeLaMar Theatre in
Amsterdam is an interesting
heritage location. It is not so
much the actual structure, but
the spirit of the building that
still remains. The location had
been used as a gentlemen’s club,
a school, a warehouse and a Nazi
forced employment office. After
the war Piet Grossouw converts
the building into a thearre for his
wife, comedian Fien de la Mar.
The DeLaMar Theatre becomes a
famous place for great comedians
but also a stage for drama classics
and youth festivals.
That tradition now lives on in a
new theatre based on the same
concept. On January 12, 200 , the
VandenEnde foundation presented
their ambitious design for the
resurrection of the DeLaMar
theatre. The foundation, initiated
by Janine and Joop van den Ende
(the famous Dutch media tycoon,
theatrical producer and co-
founder of Endemol and founder/
owner of Stage Entertainment
ed.) had a dream of creating a
theatre in which high quality and
attractive performances could be
combined with stimulating talent
and cultural entrepreneurship.
An independent board would
determine the programming.
The façade of the school, built in
1887 in which DeLaMar Theatre
opened its doors in 1947 was to be
reconstructed. The architecture
would be a combination of old and
new.
79
The resurrected theatre opened in
November 2010 and now programs
more than 500 performances by
over 50 different producers each
season.
The foyers of the DeLaMar
Theatre houses a permanent
photo exhibition. The collection
was brought together by Janine
van den Ende. She bought
historical photographs, but also
commissioned new works around
the theme of theatre. Janine van
den Ende:“I wanted to combine
two art forms in the photo
collection - theatre and visual arts -
and show art to the general public.
I hope our collection will surprise
and enchant our visitors.”
80
FEATURE

For Europa Nostra, the Portuguese Jewish

Synagogue is an important and emotional
place of remembrance since a special
memorial service for its former Executive
President Otto van der Gablentz (1930-
2007) was held here. This service showed
how much Von der Gablentz was admired
and respected within the (Dutch) Jewish
community. Otto von der Gablentz was a
long time ambassador to the Netherlands,
later to Israel and Russia. He was a man of
many talents. As a true European he helped
improve Dutch - German relations with his
open and constructive diplomacy. After his
retirement as German diplomate he was
rector of the ‘College of Europe’ in Bruges.
He spent the last years of his life with his
wife Hetti in Amsterdam. He was Executive
President of Europa Nostra from 2002-2006.
His erudition, his European vision and
friendly demeanour were key to the current
recognition of Europa Nostra as the Voice of
Cultural Heritage in Europa.

During the 17th century, many
Jewish refugees from the Iberian
peninsula arrived in Amsterdam.
They called themselves Portuguese
Jews to avoid being identified with
Spain, which was at war with the
Dutch Republic at the time.
In the Ijar 5430 (the year 1670),
the Sephardic Jewish community
of Amsterdam acquired the site
to build a synagogue. A year
later architect Elias Bouman
started to build the synagogue or
Snoge of Amsterdam. In 1675 the
impressive structure was finished.
The building is surrounded by
lower structures where also the
famous Jewish library Ets Haim is
housed. The building was recently
beautifully restored and re-opened
to the public in June 2011.
CEPIG – The Stichting Cultureel
Erfgoed Portugees-Israëlietische
Gemeente (Foundation Cultural
Heritage Portuguese-Israeli
Congregation ed.) is responsible
for the cultural heritage of the
congregation and the Ets Haim
library. The Jewish Historical
Museum, situated just across the
road, takes care of the synagogue
complex since 2009, not only
to protect and manage, but also
to open up the monuments to
a general public of all ages, and
of all cultural and religious
backgrounds.
Dam square with the Royal Palace
(once City Hall) lies at the heart
of the city. It was named after the
dam in the Amstel River. Built
around 1270, the dam linked the
settlements on both sides of the
river, thereby creating the city of
Amsterdam.
As a market square, the Dam
originally had a weigh house. It
was demolished in 1808 by order
of Louis Bonaparte who hated the
sight of it. A national monument
“Unity”, personified by the statue
of a woman, was unveiled in 1859
to commemorate the Ten-Day
March during the independence
uprising of the Belgians. It was
made of soft stone and the statue
rapidly started to show serious
signs of decay. She lost part of her
nose and then an arm dropped
81
off. Her head had to be screwed
back on. “Unity” ended up with
the nickname Naatje (which
means ‘rubbish’ in Dutch) and was
removed in 1914. In 1956, on the
other side of the square, the Dutch
National Monument was unveiled
as a memorial to the victims of
World War II and as a monument
to liberation and peace.

Pinto House

The house is named after the De

Pinto family, a rich Portuguese-
Jewish family, known as the
Rothschilds of their time. The
house was originally built in the
early 17th century, but the family
altered the building in 1686 in
Dutch classicist style. Until the
beginning of the 19th century the
house remained family property,
but at the end of the century the
building stood empty and was
re-used by small businesses.
By the Second World War, the
once beautiful city palace was
a shadow of itself. The Jewish
neighbourhood in the same area
was in bad shape. The city bought
the building in 1968 with the aim
to demolish it and to modernise
the whole district. By the 1970s it
was the last building still standing
in a wasteland.
in the Friends of Amsterdam the historical street plan was
But the local population frustrated Inner-city Foundation. In 1975 respected and the building was
the plans. Squatters took citywide riots forced the city’s restored. It has now found a new
possession of the building, united hand. Lessons were learned, life as a library and office-building.
82 In June 2011 Europa Nostra was
proud to organise the Award-
FEATURE
giving ceremony of the EU
Prize for Cultural Heritage /
Europa Nostra Awards in Het
Concertgebouw
‘Het Concertgebouw’ is one of the
most famous concert hall in the
world. The hall was built in 1883
in a pasture (then) just outside the
city on the initiative of well-to-do
citizens. It is still today sustained
by citizens and private funds. Only
5% comes from public funds.
2,186 piles were used to ground the
building in the muddy soil. The
hall opened in April and the Royal
Concertgebouw Orchestra gave its
first concert on 3 November 1888.
The architect of the building was
Dolf van Gendt (1835-1901). He
designed an incredible amount of
signature buildings in Amsterdam.
He was more merchant than artist,
but according to many he was
the right choice for designing an
affordable, solid, representative
and user-friendly building.
According to his own children, he
was not very musically inclined,
so the renowned acoustics of
Het Concertgebouw may be a
wonderous accident and a lasting
mystery.
The Great Hall seats more than
2000 people, is 44 meters long,
28 meters wide, and 17 meters
high. With audience present, the
reverberation time is 2.2 seconds.
It is considered one of the best
concert halls in the world and one
of most successful. In addition to
orchestras, opera, jazz, pop, rock
and world music groups perform
here. A second, smaller concert
hall in the building is an almost
exact copy of the concert hall of
Felix Meritis.
83
84 Felix Meritis:
Fortunate through Merit
FEATURE

The Felix Meritis Society

(Fortunate through Merit ed.)
was founded by 40 citizens of
Amsterdam in 1777. In 1788
they moved into a purpose-
built neoclassical city palace
on the Keizersgracht in what is
now the World Heritage zone
of Amsterdam. The society was
to become a flourishing centre
for art, culture and science for
almost a century. The beautiful
concert hall was the capital’s
most important music temple
and Schumann, Saint-Saëns and
Brahms performed here. Its design
was later even copied for the small
concert hall of the Concertgebouw.

By the late 1800s the financial

situation of the society
grew increasingly dire. The
organisation had become elitist
and membership went down.
The building was sold and used
for almost 60 years by a printing
company. It did not enjoy a good
reputation. The owners treated
their workers, some of them

Artist Joseph Semah (Baghdad 1948) is creating a new art

work for the famous observatory of Felix Meritis, where
Arthur Schopenhauer once enjoyed the view. On eight
heritage buildings across Amsterdam citations from world
literature will be projected in neon. They can only be seen
through telescopes installed on top of the Felix Meritis. On
the oval floor of the roof a starry sky will be reproduced
using copper and wood.

children, badly. Day and night
the printing presses rotated
where once only music and polite
conversation could be heard. A fire
in 1932 severely damaged the front
of the building.
In 1948 the Netherlands
Communist Party bought the
building and a politically turbulent
period commenced. The building
was even beleaguered in 1956
after the Hungarian uprising.
Windows were smashed and the
atmosphere was explosive. In
the late 1960s the building went
back to its artistic roots with
the Shaffy Theatre. The City of
Amsterdam bought the building
in 1981. By 1988 the theatre lost
most of its financial support and
the Foundation Felix Meritis
took over the building. Joanneke
85
Lootsma, director of Amsterdam
Summer University (now AMSU
ed.) remembers that the mood
was still hostile when the theatre
was moving out and she, as part
of the new Felix Meritis team,
was moving in. Slowly but surely
the organisation transformed
the building – literally through
two major restorations - into
an influential European House
of Culture and Debate with
international projects like GRAD
in Belgrado. The old concert hall
and the Shaffy Theatre have been
recently restored. Felix Meritis’
director Linda Bouws describes important cultural centre in the
the mission of the organisation heart of historic Amsterdam.
as redefining the Enlightenment With all these re-discovered and
ideas. International networking, international merits, the future
international debating and of Felix Meritis looks bright, and
daring new projects have made maybe even fortunate.
the building once again an
86

An Island
TREASURE

on Dry Land
UNESCO World Heritage:
Schokland island

In 1825 a huge storm raged over
the tiny island of Schokland. The
small fishing community had been
fortified with wooden poles, but
the devastating strength of the
wind ripped out most of them.
Houses and people were swept out
to sea. It was not the first time the
dire population of this secluded
isle was in trouble.
“They started a campaign to
collect money for the poor people
of Schokland. Again, I should
say, as it was not for the first time.
The rest of the Netherlands was
growing tired of rescuing the
Schokkers, as the islanders were
called. It started a discussion
about the future of Schokland
as a community.” William
Vercraeye of Natuurlijk Schokland
(Schokland, Naturally) shows
us around one of the most
fascinating natural and cultural
treasures of the Netherlands,
an island on dry land. It is a
magnificent place, rising not even
a few meters from the surrounding
farmland. Once, less than 70
years ago, we would have seen
nothing but sea from here. It is not
difficult to imagine how close and
threatening the water must have
been and how fragile this close-
knit and remote community must
have felt.
87
“Then in 1854 there was a fire mounds. It is a quiet, slightly
and an extremely cold winter. melancholy place. Ruins of a 13th
Children died. The government century church and the foundation
had to do something. A decision of a lighthouse can be seen, the
was reached to evacuate the twittering of birds can be heard
island permanently. In 1859 the and a slight breeze can be felt,
last Schokkers voluntarily moved that blows over what were once
to the mainland. They received medieval dikes. The previously
a small compensation. Nobody treacherous Zuidersea was subdued
was interested in welcoming the by the Afsluitdijk in 1932 and in
Schokkers in their midst. They 1942 Schokland became
had a very bad reputation. The an island on dry
islanders had a legendary talent land in the
for living each day as it came and southern
worrying little about tomorrow. part of the
Ownership was difficult concept
and cargoes would disappear
from visiting ships. The houses
on the island were levelled, as
the government was afraid that
the Schokkers would return after
they had spent their money. They
were lucky that Legebeeke, a local
teacher, had bought a piece of
land nearby on the mainland. He
built small houses in which some
of the Schokkers could live. But
the island was not completely
deserted after the evacuation:
there was a skeleton crew of
lighthouse keepers and emergency
facilities. Life was hard and lonely.
It would get to you after a while.
People usually did not stay long.”
We are strolling on what are
essentially three man-made
88
TREASURE

North part of newly created Noord Oostpolder.

the island
Engineer Gerrit van der Heide
(1915-2006 ed.) was instrumental
The restored
church in saving the island from
bulldozers. His research showed
how important Schokland was
as a treasure trove of history.
Archaeological sites showed that
humans lived here 10,000 years
ago. Schokland was not an island
then but a viable community
of farmers. Only later, when
flooding slowly changed the area
into an island did fishing become
important. In the heydays of
the Hanze cities and the Dutch
Republic, Schokland was a
lucrative harbour. Later it was still
successful as a fishing community
and trading post, divided over
three small villages: Catholic in the
north and Protestant in the middle
and south.

“There was talk in 1942 of
levelling the island so it would
be easier to farm. But luckily
people started to realise the
unique natural and cultural value
of Schokland. I came here as a
child and I wanted to get involved
in safeguarding it as an adult.
The soil of the island began to
dry out and it became harder
and harder to farm Schokland
commercially. Since I lived close
by, I offered to cultivate the land
on a non-profit basis in 1992.”
Vercraeye’s eyes wander along
the endless horizon of the
polder.
“It is a wonderful, magical place.
From 1995 we began to get people
together to create something
unique here. The government, the
local authorities, the old Schokker
families, the new Schokkers – we
have about eight people who live
on the island now - the farmers,
Old Schokker boot the nature lovers: all worked
as can be seen in towards its status as UNESCO
the museum.
World Heritage. Now we have it.
We have been able to preserve the
Prehistoric bear, 89
interior church,
tomb stone
light house,
old drawing of
Schokland
natural beauty of the island and
the surrounding wetlands. We
restored some of the buildings,
created a museum and re-
constructed the original harbour
on the north side of the island.
We show people around from
all over the world, re-telling the
history of Schokland, to keep the
memory alive. We are very proud
of what we have accomplished by
the collective effort of so many
enthusiasts, professionals and
volunteers. Schokland is now
thriving more than ever.”
90
LIVING HERITAGE

Volunteers and
professionals
working
together to
restore the old
harbour of the
city of Hulst in
the province of
Zeeland.

European Year
of Volunteering
People who make a difference
Why would anybody want to dig
up a prehistoric village, standing
in the rain, ankle-deep in mud
on a Sunday? To get rich? To get
famous? For most volunteers
the answer to these questions is
obvious. They are there because
the work needs to be done. Of
course it is great to work together
to save or protect heritage, to
do something meaningful and
important, but that is almost
beside the point. The point being
that without volunteers the field
of heritage would simply collapse.
Volunteers show you around in a
museum, organise an activity or
simply make the tea. They work
day and sometimes night to help
restore an old building or site or to
run a heritage organisation. They
take to the streets to campaign and
never give up.
In this European Year of
Volunteering, on behalf of all its
members across Europe, Europa
Nostra wants to thank all tireless
volunteers. Without you, we
would not exist. Without you,
hundreds of sites would not be
here today. Without you, Europe
would not be as beautiful as it is.
And if you are not yet a volunteer,
please become one today. There
are sites and monuments, and
also heritage organisations, all
over Europe that are desperately
waiting for your help.
The Netherlands has a long-
standing tradition of voluntarism
in the heritage field. A recent
official survey showed that most
Dutch volunteers feel appreciated
in the work they do. In this Dutch
special of our magazine we want
to show our appreciation by
inviting you to meet some Dutch
volunteers, almost chosen at
random. These are people who
make, or have made, a difference.
Volunteers on the Rotterdam
91

*Students,
scientists and
volunteers
combine talents
in excavating
burial mounds

Photo by Ruurd Kok Klaas Krijnen, chairman

of the Stichting Behoud
Stoomschip Rotterdam (the
Foundation for the safeguard
of the steamship Rotterdam
ed.). After a family cruise on
the Rotterdam in the 1990s,
Krijnen became fascinated by
the ship and its history. For
years he worked tirelessly to
document, research and re-
discover every aspect of the
Rotterdam.

Charlotte Delfin-Van
Mourik Broekman (1914-
2010) was an amateur
archaeologist who had been
enchanted by prehistory
since she was a young girl,
growing up in an affluent
and artistic family. For
years she explored the
Dutch forests and ‘read the
landscape’ like very few
others could. In the 1970s
she found traces of burial
mounds on the Elster hill,
which still bear her name.
92
Garrit Hendriks and
LIVING HERITAGE

Matthieu Zuiderwijk are

both voluntary millers in
the city of Schiedam. Garrit
passed his official miller
exam in 2004 and Matthieu
more than thirty years ago.
Matthieu worked for many
years as a professional
miller and still works every
Sunday as a volunteer
in Schiedam. Garrit
works in provincial water
management, but he has
been an active volunteer
in milling since he was
fourteen.
 93

Willem Vercraeye grew

up next to what is left
of the ancient island of
Schokland. As a young
boy he became fascinated
by the strange history
of this island, which
was on dry land. As an
adult he actively got
involved as a farmer
Reiniera Wefers Bettink baroness Van Dorth tot Medler
and volunteer. Willem
became a volunteer in the local church that had been built
and other volunteers
by her forefathers in the nearby village. The country church
were instrumental in
now houses the national museum of religious sculpture and
saving Schokland from
together with many other volunteers from the village, they
degradation and securing
succeeded in keeping the church - one of the first by renowned
its place on the UNESCO
architect Pierre Cuypers - from becoming derelict.
World Heritage list.

Gerard van Gelswijck

has been active as a
Wilma de Rijk worked volunteer in Museum
for seventeen years as a Shipyard ‘t Kromhout in
volunteer on the Batavia Amsterdam for the last
shipyard in Lelystad, where sixteen years, the last
the legendary Dutch galleon twelve as chairman. As
was reconstructed. After a professional engineer,
moving to the northern he has always loved the
province of Drenthe to technical side of anything
take care of her mother-in- that rides, flies or floats.
law, she immediately got “The only difference
involved with the Hunebed between a man and a boy,
Centre as a volunteer. is the size of his toys,” he
laughs.
94
LIVING HERITAGE
“I often have the feeling that local
Bond Heemschut is a winner of
the 2011 European Union Prize for
Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra
Award in the category ‘Dedicated
Service’
Bond
Heemschut
A founding member ready for the
next hundred years
and national governments do not
like the public to get involved in
heritage matters. They think that
participating citizens are a bit of
a pain in the neck. We complicate
their decisions, but we live in a
democracy and they have to deal
with it.” Karel Loeff, the energetic
director of Bond Heemschut, talks
about the role the organisation has
played in the last hundred years.
We sit on the first floor of their
charming headquarters in the
middle of historical Amsterdam.
Loeff is passionate about getting
the general public involved in
heritage. He works for instance as
an expert in a heritage television
programme. “Bond Heemschut is
an organisation of activists and
of course that does not always
sit well with project developers
and city planners. For a long time
we were seen as the people who
always said “no” to everything.
But it is just as easy for us to give
compliments as it is for us to
complain. We have made a list of
the ten most threatened buildings
in the Netherlands. We have made
that list not to complain about
it, but to get people involved and
do something about it. We think
that more should be done for
“younger” monuments, like the
iconic buildings from after World
 95

of cultural heritage can be

instrumental for the renewal
or urban areas and for the local
economy.”

“Heemschut represents people.

War II. If we are not aware of the
value of recent heritage, it will be
demolished before we even realize
what is lost.”
You don’t know what you’ve got
till it’s gone, is a line from the
famous Joni Mitchell song and that
is especially true for the buildings
that were made shortly after
World War II. It was an optimistic
period when the Netherlands
changed rapidly socially and
economically. All of a sudden, the
architecture became very modern
and interesting.
“The government has taken an
important step by making a list of
100 buildings of the more recent
period that have heritage value.
We do not really like such lists
very much, as they automatically
exclude many other potential
monuments. What about number
101 and 102? We felt we needed to
make some important additions to
the governments’ choice and we
did.”
“We strongly advocate the re-
use of buildings, even though
demolition and new construction
work is more profitable for the
city and project developers,”
Loeff continues with conviction.
“We jump into action against
the ease with which a carefully
planned built environment can
become a victim of neglect, short
term interests and the urge to
score points. Our attitude is
often mistaken for a “hands
off” approach, but the re-use
We do not own buildings and we
do not restore buildings. We are
active in the field of advocacy. We
are doing the same as Europa
Nostra is doing at the European
level and that is not always easy
to communicate to the general
public. Bond Heemschut has 6,500
members, of which 150 are active
volunteers. We are organised by
province, each consisting of about
ten expert volunteers. We ask
them: what is worrying to you?
What is happening in your area that
we should know about? They are
our eyes and ears on the ground
and we help raise their concerns
from the local to national level. We
concentrate our efforts on the three
different levels of decision-making,
each with their own challenges
and opportunities: local, regional
and national. We are proud to be a
founding member of Europa Nostra
because we are convinced that
some of our national issues should
be brought to the international,
European level. We are ready for
the next hundred years.”
96

Monumental
FEATURE

Changes
Monument care should be a
pleasure and not a burden

“It was dreadful,” sighs Jan de Jong,

ministerial project leader for the
MoMo (Modernising Monument
Care ed.). “Refinements of laws on
every government level had grown
into a jungle of regulations. We cut
30% in a first phase and we will be
able to simplify even further.” We
are sitting in the stylish offices of
the Ministry of Education, Culture
and Science in the centre of The
Hague. The Netherlands are not
alone in facing these issues. All
across Europe the rules seems no
longer to help heritage, they are
instead obtrusive in developing
new initiatives. The Dutch
government consulted some
fifty experts from the field and

conducted four elaborate studies
to come up with new solutions.
“The system had a bad reputation
with the owners of heritage
buildings. The costs and the
administrative burdens were too
high and the positive effects too
few. We started to investigate the
laws of other European countries
to see what we could learn. In
Ireland they have a system that
when a heritage building becomes
uninhabited, the building is
secured against the elements.
Instead of letting rain and wind
damage the building while we
are making plans for securing
financing, they make sure it is
kept safe. In Germany they look
at the role of monuments from
a larger perspective, as part of
the historical value of a whole
area. We had a lot of rules about
the monuments, but very little
was said about the surroundings.
Theoretically you could build a
huge apartment building next to
a medieval castle. Many buildings
that are not listed monuments
can still be valuable. It is more
of a helicopter view. In Berlin we
learned that it is important to
make all the information you have
accessible to the public. You can
no longer hide behind the fact that
owners do not know anything
about it.”
To an outsider it feels like the
black box of heritage care is
opened. Could it turn out to be a
Pandora’s box? Some worry that
97
the new approach may endanger
heritage buildings. De Jong is
not worried. “The major change
is the shift in attitude. We had
created a system of mistrust,
making sure that the owners of
heritage buildings could not do
anything bad to the building.
But why would they? 99% of the
owners want the best for their
home. The good owners had
to suffer because of a few bad
apples. Now there is a mentality
developing of cooperation and
trust. We simplified the rules.
You don’t need a permit for small
changes which do not affect the
monumental value. If you want
to remove a kitchen from the
98
The three pillars of change:
FEATURE

Pillar 1: Take into account the cultural

historical context when preparing and
implementing infrastructure, land use
planning and municipal zoning plans.

Pillar 2: Stronger and simpler rules

Pillar 3: Promote re-use and immediately

protect buildings from degradation

Inside RCE, 1980s or upgrade your bathroom,
Ministry of it’s all right. We care less about
OCW
what happens at the back of the
building in a protected area if
no one can see it. We used to
believe in a system of subsidies,
but now we think low cost loans
from our National Restoration
Fund are a much better solution.
These kinds of revolving funds
are very important. The original
investment comes from the
ministry and then it keeps itself
going. The fund can relatively
easily and cheaply attract new
capital as a government related
fund. Owners can borrow that
money against low interest rates.
We are planning a new revolving
fund especially for large-scale
projects like industrial heritage
sites that take years and years
to develop. In the near future
monument care will be more a
pleasure and less of a burden,” De
Jong concludes with a smile.
Monument care is broadly
supported in the Dutch society.
Some 750.000 people are member
of one of the circa 1000 historical
societies in the Netherlands.
Every year the Dutch version
of the European Heritage Days
(Open Monumenten Dagen ed.) are
visited by almost a million people.
The Dutch sociologist Kees Schuijt
uses the term civilised nationalism
to describe this interest. It means
that we can be proud of what we
have and who we are, without
thinking that this is better than
what someone else has or is.
“We are working for the 17 million
heirs to Dutch heritage,” explains
Cees van ‘t Veen, director of
the Netherlands Cultural

Heritage Agency (Rijksdienst
voor het Cultureel Erfgoed
ed.) in Amersfoort that plays
an important role as a centre
of knowledge in the practical
applications of the new policy.
“We used to focus on just the
heritage buildings. We would
collect them like you would
collect stamps. Now we look at the
context of the monuments, at the
lines on the map, the importance
of the building in a social context.
Each monument has its own
story to tell. Rules alone won’t get
you where we need to go. When
I first came to the agency, the
organisation was not keeping
with the times. We were housed
in introvert buildings, closed to
the outside world. Now we are
in a new, open and transparent
building which welcomes visitors.”
“Citizens are more involved than
ever before. This is what I call
the democratisation of heritage.
People feel more emotionally
attached to their cultural
environment. The notion of my
father used to work in this factory
is very important. They get
involved. The same is true for the
owners of heritage monuments.
In the past you had to try really
hard to find any reference to
heritage owners in government
regulations. It was like they did
not exist, even though most of our
monuments are privately owned.
The role of our agency is to inspire
and facilitate, to connect and to
broaden our appeal. We play a
more vital role than before. We
moved from a defensive position
to a proactive attitude, a force for
positive development.”
The agency not only has a new
building, it also has new
responsibilities. Besides its central
role in the field of archaeology,
monuments and cultural
landscapes, it is responsible for
99
Unique Dutch Financing Mechanism: The Nationaal
Restauratiefonds (The National Fund for Restoration ed.)
was established in 1985 to promote the preservation and
restoration of historic buildings by providing financial
facilities and services. The foundation is managed by
‘Rabo Vastgoedgroep’, one of the largest corporations in
the Netherlands engaged in development, financing and
management of property. The most important role of
Nationaal Restauratiefonds is to grant low interest loans
to the owners of listed buildings. Interest and installment
(repayment) of low interest loans are coming back in
the fund. In this way a so-called ‘Revolving fund’ is
created. The approach of the Nationaal Restauratiefonds
has been very successful. The message of Nationaal
Restauratiefonds can be summarized as follows:
• Do not use subsidies as the only financial resource
for preservation and restoration of listed buildings.
Replace subsidies in part by low interest loans.
This creates a “Revolving Fund” and a long lasting
‘recycling of money’
• Solve financing problems for the owners of listed
buildings in one stroke. This can only be done if the
government and private enterprise provide for a range
of facilities together. Make sure these facilities are
easily accessible to the owners
• Establish the fund as an independent foundation.
managing the gargantuan National
Collection of more than a 100.000
objects.
“One of the biggest advantages we
now have as an agency is that we
combine tangible and intangible
heritage. It makes it easier - to give
you an example - to deal with the
interiors of historic buildings.
We want to be an authority not
because of rules and power, but
because of the knowledge we share.
We are working on new practical
brochures on the re-use of historical
farms, churches and water towers.
The “National Agenda for Heritage
Re-use” is another important
initiative. We look at the full
historical environment in all its
aspects. The democratisation of
heritage means that more and
more residents of the Netherlands
actively take part in determining
the future of the built environment.
That’s real empowerment.”
100
BEFORE-AFTER

New Energy
The resurrection
of the Westergasfabriek
In 2010 the
Westergasfabriek
in Amsterdam won
an European Union
Prize for Cultural
Heritage/Europa
Nostra Award
in the category
‘Conservation’. The
Jury stated: “In a
European context,
the Westergasfabriek
is a model for the
implementation of
new creative, social
and cultural life into
an industrial heritage
site.”

The Westergasfabriek (Western
Gas Factory ed.) in Amsterdam
was the largest gas works in
Europe when it was built in 1885.
Originally, the gas was used for
street lighting. The buildings
were designed by the Amsterdam-
based architect Isaac Gosschalk
(1838–1907). Gosschalk worked
in the picturesque Dutch Neo-
Renaissance style he initiated.
The Westergasfabriek ceased
gas production in 1967. The site
was heavily polluted, making it
difficult to find a new purpose
for the area. Since 1992, the
buildings were used temporarily
for creative and cultural activities.
Adventurous entrepreneurs and
artists flocked to the site. But
the creation of a fully-fledged
‘Westergasfabriek Culture Park’
was a long and difficult road.
Not only a new landscape park
had to be laid out, a large-scale
clean-up operation was needed
and the historic buildings had to
be restored. Use was made of every
possible subsidy and grant, but the
local government did not want to
bear the risks of investing in these
heritage buildings on its own.
Visionary property developer
MAB was prepared to take the
risk. In the end, the National
101
BOEi (National Society for
the Upkeep, Development and
Exploitation of Industrial
Heritage) is a not-for-profit
organisation that is active in
the field of re-use of industrial
heritage, either as an
investor, a project developer,
in an advisory capacity or a
combination of all three. BOEi
aims to protect this unique
heritage regardless of their
official monument status.
www.boei.nl
Restoration Fund gave MAB a
loan of € 26.5 million, which was
guaranteed by local government
and for which the buildings served
as security. In total the financial
agreement between the city of
Amsterdam and the National
Restoration Fund amounted to €
31 million, the largest contribution
in the history of this fund. The
project is a strong example of
private-public partnership.
Now, the Westergasfabriek is
providing a whole new kind of
energy. The redeveloped factory
site and the beautifully laid out
park are an asset for the local
area. The Westergasfabriek is one
of many industrial areas that are
being redeveloped across Europe.
Some similar projects have been
unsuccessful, but Westergas is
seen as an international showcase
of its kind.
An extensive and comprehensive
website was created about the
history and transformation of
the Westergasfabriek:
www.project-westergasfabriek.nl
102
FEATURE

‘Heritage is not a luxury,

it is a necessity’
An interview with Androulla Vassiliou,
European Commissioner for Education,
Culture, Multilingualism and Youth
We meet up with the
103
Commissioner in Villa Empain,
in a leafy area of Brussels. She is
charming, elegant and erudite. She
enjoys taking a few minutes out
of her very busy schedule - a diary
her aides call “supercharged” - to
walk around the art exhibition
Of women’s modesty and anger
and the landscaped garden of
the villa. A true European at
heart, the politician of Cypriot
origins has a warm and more than
professional interest in cultural
heritage. Coming from a country
where questions of heritage are
not always easy to unravel from
questions of history and national
identity, she has an innate
understanding of the importance
of cultural heritage in people’s
everyday lives.

Can you share with us a personal

memory related to a cultural
heritage site, which has an
emotional significance for you?
If I look back a few years, the
European Union Prize for Cultural
Heritage/Europa Nostra Award
was given to the Omeriye Baths in
Nicosia.
I was present at the time for the
local ceremony and I remember
thinking back to my childhood.
Because, when I was a little child,
we did not have a modern bath in
our house. At least once a week I
went with my grandmother, my
mother and their friends to the
Turkish baths. We would get our
bath, our scrub, a massage and
then sit down in the rest room and
talk. It gave me a feeling of great
nostalgia.
The emotional value of heritage
is quite clear - we identify with
heritage sites - regional, national
or European, we are connected
to them, we can feel a sense of
pride in them. But you can look at
‘value’ at other levels too.
If we start with the historical
value: cultural heritage helps
us understand where we come
from. Europe’s cultural diversity
is mirrored in the richness of its
heritage. It is a link to our past
- and to our future. We need to
ensure that our heritage and our
legacy can be handed on to future
generations.
The social value of heritage is also
undeniable - heritage brings people
together, sharing experiences and
a sense of belonging.
Then of course there is the
economic value of our heritage
sites. Europe’s tremendous and
diverse cultural heritage is one
of the attractions which make it
the top tourist destination in the
world. If we want to hold on to this
position, we must invest in the
upkeep of our heritage and more
generally in culture. We only have
to look around us to see that both
direct and indirect investments by
past generations, from the great
Greek and Roman civilisations
onwards, are still delivering a
vast return - centuries after they
were made. Many of them are still
generating jobs, contributing to
our GDP and spurring our never
ending quest for knowledge
and innovation. The European
heritage sector is an important
part of our cultural and creative
industries, which provide quality
jobs for 8,5 million people in the
European Union and contribute
4,5% to Europe’s GDP.
Can you give us an example of
this?
Where do you want me to start?
Perhaps with the location for
this interview. We are here in the
recently restored Villa Empain
in Brussels, one of the jewels of
European Art Deco architecture
104 and a winner of this year’s
FEATURE
European Union Prize for Cultural
Heritage, which we organise with
Europa Nostra.
European funding - through the
Culture Programme and European
Regional Development Fund - also
helps to support the preservation
of cultural heritage. Let me give
you an example. We invested 30
million Euros in transforming the
Zollverein mining complex in the
Ruhr. Once a derelict site, it is now
home to 170 enterprises - mostly
in the creative sector - and has
created 1000 new jobs.
How do you view the different
roles of European Union and the
civil society movements in the
field of heritage?
The upkeep, protection,
conservation and renovation of
cultural heritage are primarily a
national responsibility, but the
European Union supports Member
States in this work, as I have just
mentioned.
The European Commission also
seeks to encourage cooperation
between cultural operators in
different EU countries, so that
they can learn from each other
and increase their international
outreach.
We also want to raise awareness of
the European dimension of cultural
heritage. Last year I proposed
a new European Heritage Label
which will highlight sites that
symbolise European integration,
ideals and history. I hope this will
come into effect next year.
Civil society has an important
role to play in cultural heritage.
At European level, civil society
is the link between the European
Institutions and the public. I am
committed to working with civil
society organisations, as well as
public and private stakeholders.
Civil society also provides a bridge
to the world of volunteering.
Volunteers play an essential role
in supporting and working for
cultural heritage sites. 2011 is the
European Year of Volunteering
and I would like to salute the work
that volunteers are doing in the
area of cultural heritage.
Volunteering is an expression
of civic participation which
strengthens European values such
as solidarity and social cohesion.
Volunteering also provides
important learning opportunities,
because involvement in voluntary
activities can provide people with
new skills and can even improve
their employability.
The European Commission
works together with Europa
Nostra on the EU Prize for
Cultural Heritage/Europa Nostra
Awards. Why is the Commission
supporting this prize?
The European Commission
has supported the EU Prize for
Cultural Heritage since 2002,
through the Culture programme.
There is a lot of excellent work
being undertaken in the field
of cultural heritage in Europe
- in conservation, research and
awareness-raising - and I see a
clear added value for the European
level to contribute to this work.
We want these projects to be
even better known, to receive
the attention they deserve and to
inspire future projects. Europa
Nostra is a natural partner for us
because of its wealth of experience
in this field. We share the same
vision and the same goals.
Prizes are very important, but
we have to talk money too. How

can the European Union support
heritage?
There is a lot of support available
– and I want to make that better
known in the heritage sector
and among the public. In terms
of financial support, the EU
Culture Programme has invested
26 million Euros in co-financing
heritage projects in the past four
years. I already mentioned the
European Regional Development
Fund, one of our so-called
structural funds. Between 2007
and 2013, 3 billion Euros will
be allocated for the protection
and preservation of cultural
heritage, 2.2 billion Euros for
the development of cultural
infrastructure, and 775 million
Euros to support cultural services.
Almost 6 billion Euros all together.
We also support the European
Capitals of Culture and the
European Heritage Days initiative.
The latter attracts more than 25
million people to monuments and
buildings that open their doors
to the public during a weekend in
September. The European Capitals
of Culture is one of our best-known
‘brands’. As well as supporting
regeneration and jobs, especially
in tourism, the Capitals raise
awareness of cultural heritage
- first and foremost among the
105
citizens of the cities themselves
who are sometimes not aware of
what is on their doorstep.
How about future challenges?
The potential of cultural heritage
in Europe is enormous. The same is
true for the whole sector of cultural
and creative industries. The
Europe 2020 Strategy for smart,
sustainable and inclusive growth is
now in the implementation phase.
We face big global challenges:
globalisation of markets, the
digital shift, exiting the crisis. I
believe cultural heritage can be
part of the solution. By working
together in a focused way to
address the challenges facing our
heritage and cultural sectors, we
will not only be making Europe an
even more beautiful place in which
to live and work, but we will also be
increasing our potential to create
growth. Heritage is not a luxury, it
is a necessity.
106
CORPORATE

Family Spirit
The ins and outs of an old family business

Bob de Kuyper, the former CEO of De Kuyper, established in 1695,

shows us around the family business. 311 years ago Petrus Kuyper - a
manufacturer of wooden barrels for the transportation of jenever and
beer – married Anna Custers and started a dynasty.

In 1769 De Kuyper started the
distillation of beverages and
has never stopped since. Bob
de Kuyper is Petrus’ direct
descendant and proud of his
family tradition. We enter a listed
building – a 19th century factory
hall in Schiedam, the distillation
capital of the Netherlands - with
crates of fresh ginger from
China, bags filled with juniper
berries from Italy, oak barrels
filled with aged rum and strong
smelling cacao and coffee beans.
In comparison to the modern and
fashionable entrance, this working
area where the aromas for their
world-renowned liqueurs are being
made is surprisingly mundane
and traditional. “For a long time
jenever (also known as Dutch
gin or Geneva ed.) was our core
business but for the last 15 years
we concentrate on liqueurs,” De

Kuyper explains. “The Dutch have
a long tradition as traders, but not
as marketers. Whiskey and gin - an
English copy of Dutch jenever –
went global, but jenever never did.
It is too late now, I fear.”
“We moved here in 1911 and the
jenever-lords of Schiedam loathed
us. They did not even talk to my
grandfather. It’s much better
now.” I see a twinkle in his eye.
Bob de Kuyper is a tall, amiable
man with a knowing smile and
eyes that have seen the world.
He shows us the hyper modern
bar of the company, straight from
the early 20th century into the
21st. Subdued and subtle lighting.
Lots of dark purple. Square seats.
Hundreds of bottles. “We do not
target the general public; we target
the barkeepers. The public usually
doesn’t ask for a specific brand in
cocktails, so we have to convince
the people who mix the drinks to
use our liqueurs. It gives us new
ideas as well.”
107
“The past is obviously very
important to us, but the future
is even more essential. In the
public eye, family businesses are
seen as dusty and old fashioned.
But family businesses survive -
and there are still many jenever
companies in Schiedam that are
family-owned, like Nolet, Jansen
and Dirkzwager. They managed
always to change course in time.
The pressure of short-term success
is lower and you can be more
stubborn in your strategies. Old
family businesses tend to have a
108
CORPORATE
strong and conservative financial
basis. Many companies suffered
from the economic crisis with wild
investments and towering debts,
but for us that is less of a problem.” He was an excellent coach. It
“Another thing I think we did well
is making clear choices in the rules
and regulations of running the
family business. Traditionally the
oldest son would inherit and buy
out his brothers and sisters. The
way this was done was very fair
and honest. Because we have
been doing it for more than
300 years - I was the 10th
generation to run the
company - we know what
the pitfalls and snags
are.”
De Kuyper is connected to Europa
Nostra through the Hénokiens,
the international association of
family and bicentenary companies,
and an associate organisation of
Europa Nostra. Bob de Kuyper
is on the board of the Hénokiens.
The only other Dutch member
of the organisation is the Van
Eeghen Group (est. 1662), which
specialises in the processing,
trade and distribution of food
ingredients.
“When my father stepped down, I
was 31 but I did not feel ready. I
needed to learn and so a temporary
CEO Frans Auer was appointed.
worked very well for me and that
is the reason why we are doing it
again. I said from the beginning
that I would step down before my
60th birthday to work somewhere
else. To the surprise of many, I
did. I work now as a consultant
advising family companies. My
son Marc is working for De
Kuyper in the USA and the
company is run by Ben van
Doesburgh, who is not a
family member. You have
to find the right person and
we did.”
Van Doesburgh
used to work
for
international giants like Procter &
Gamble, Mattel and Maxxium.“I
noticed short-term gains became
more important over the years.
The focus on shareholder value
and quarterly results increased
the pressure on the executives.
It looks like success, but what is
the truth behind the numbers?
Continuity, quality and careful
positioning is more important.”
Van Doesburgh became
disenchanted by the short-term
culture, he explains on the phone:
“I think this kind of attitude is
commercially counter productive
if you look at the big picture. The
long term focus at De Kuyper
after all those years of increasing
short term focus felt like a warm
bath. I am staying until the
11th generation of De Kuyper
is ready to take over. Marc de
Kuyper has shown interest: he is
currently working for us in Miami,
positioning another heritage
brand we acquired, Mandarine
Napoléon, the favourite drink
of Bonaparte. But there are
other De Kuypers who are also
keen to get involved. The family
communicates a lot with one
another. The agreements within
the family are clear, as is the role
of the family as shareholders. The
supervisory board of three consists
of one member of the De Kuyper
family and two independents.
They are responsible for the
succession questions. It is all
well balanced.”
.com.tr for a catchy design...
110
Saving Heritage
CORPORATE
with Pretty Earth
Text: Petra Nikkinen
(left to right)
Markus
In 2010 Europa Nostra entered a
Bernoulli three year cooperation agreement
(Europa
with the Finnish jewelry company,
Nostra council
member), Lapponia Jewelry. The lauch of
Laura Lares this cooperation was launched
(CEO Lapponia
Jewelry), Poul during the gala dinner marking
Havgaard the 50th anniversary of Lapponia
(artist)
last October in Helsinki. Part of
and Sneška
Quaedvlieg- the sales proceeds (5% ed.) of the
Mihailović Pretty Earth necklace by Danish
(Secretary-
General Europa jewelry artist Poul Havgaard will
Nostra) be donated to help Europa Nostra
in safeguarding Europe´s cultural
and natural heritage. Havgaard
himself is constantly inspired
by the beauty of the world, but
reminds us that if we want our
Lapponia stands for bold, original design with
unique motifs in a sculptural style. Lapponia jewelry
combines artistic design, choice of material, skillful
handicraft and small series. From the very beginning,
Lapponia’s mission has been to revolutionize the classic
approach to jewelry design with its unique artistic
jewelry inspired by Nordic nature. All its jewelry is
manufactured in Finland.
grandchildren to enjoy it in the
same way, we should take a better
care of it.
”The Pretty Earth necklace is a
tribute to the Earth and its well-
being. My aim was to portray
the beauty of the world, our
pretty earth, in a form of a long
necklace,” says Poul Havgaard.
”We all should be responsible
for the world and for the way
we are living in it. We need to
take responsibility for it for our
children, the children of our
children, and so on.”
Havgaard joined Lapponia Jewelry
in 1971. Before his career as a
jewelry designer he worked as a
blacksmith and a painter, restoring
old churches. In the beginning of
his career he designed impressive
belt buckles, which were used in
Pierre Cardin´s fashion shows.
His first jewelry collection for
Lapponia was 3-D SILVER, the
name being a reference to the
sculptured look of the jewelry
and to the fact that all sides of the
pieces looked good.
“The basis of my jewelry lies
in organic forms. An essential
principle of my design is the
creation of tension. It is achieved
by letting two interesting forms
communicate with each other
as well as their surroundings,”
says Havgaard. He is a designer
who does not create solitary
pieces. He designs entire jewelry
collections, which can be easily
combined with other elements.
In addition to jewelry, Havgaard
also creates sculptures. His work
has been displayed in museums
and galleries across the globe,
including Berlin, London, Paris,
Sydney and Tokyo.
 lapponia.com
111

the art of expression

pretty earth • design poul havgaard

lapponia, through its pretty earth necklace,

supports europa nostra in safeguarding europe´s
cultural and natural heritage.

europa nostra. the voice of cultural heritage in europe.

112
Success Story
LIVING HERITAGE
25 years of Dutch Heritage Days
It all started 25 years ago in the
Spanish city of Granada during the
Architectural Heritage Convention
on October 3rd, 1985. Jack Lang, the
then French Minister of Culture,
suggested that a successful
initiative launched in France the
year before Les Journées Portes
Ouvertes,
during which monuments
normally closed to the public open
their doors, should be extended
to the rest of Europe. It was to
become the most successful
cultural heritage event in Europe.
The Dutch quickly embraced the
concept when they started
Open Monumentendag
(literally Open Monuments
Day ed.). The Dutch
Open Monumentendag
inspired Heritage Days
all across Europe. Under
the leadership of Emil
van Brederode in 1991 in
Gouda, the first official
opening of the European
Heritage Days took place
and the ground rules
were agreed upon:
each year during
a weekend in
September, all over Europe, the
European Heritage Days would
enable the general public to visit
monuments and sites which are
usually closed to them.
The European Heritage Days
became an immediate success, the
result of an unprecedented
cooperation between
governmental bodies, NGOs,
associations, voluntary
organisations and private
owners of monuments
across Europe.
The efforts of the
Open Monumentendag
foundation and its
many volunteers were
instrumental in achieving
such a success. This year, as many
as 4,000 monuments and sites will
participate in the Dutch edition of
the European Heritage Days. 80 to
85 per cent of Dutch municipalities
will join in and around 900,000
visitors are expected. It is one
of the Netherlands’ premier
cultural events. Across Europe
the Heritage Days attract millions
of visitors each year. The theme
of Open Monumentendag in 2011
is Re-use: new use for historic
buildings.
The 25th Open Monumentendag
takes place on 10 & 11 September.
This year it will not be just about
conservation, but about new ideas
on sustainable development and
new uses and prospects for built
heritage.
 113
The Inktpot building (Ink
Pot building ed.) in the city
of Utrecht was once the head
office of the Dutch rail road
authorities. It is one of the
monuments open to the public
in September. A unique work of
art in the form of a crashed UFO
adorns the top of the building.
Photo by Jan Lankveld

3 Questions on 25 years European Heritage Days

to Jack Lang

Had you expected the European What is the most important thing it has
Heritage Days to still be here, 25 years to offer the Europe of today?
after you suggested it? The European Heritage Days are essential
Yes. I suggested it in Granada in 1985, because they create an opportunity for
when I was the French minister of Culture. you to talk with your friends and family
It was a simple and about history, about how things used to
sympathetic concept, be and how they might be in the future.
inviting people to look Europe is a colourful canvas in which
behind the doors civilisations and cultures have had violent
and windows of encounters throughout the centuries.
monuments, to use Cultural heritage helps us understand
curiosity to learn the complexities of our history, but also
about history shows the continuity. Some conflicts have
and heritage. been forgotten over time; in other cases
Not stuffy, not memories are vivid and emotions raw.
official, but an From personal experience, I am convinced
experience that these constant negotiations with our
everybody past are vital to the European spirit as a
could enjoy. whole.

The future?
I would like to pose the challenge to ask
new and daring questions about cultural
heritage and to use technical innovations
where possible to reach and activate new
groups and especially young people. If
our cultural heritage is no longer relevant
to new generations of Europeans, our
monuments have no chance of survival.

(Source: 25 years of European Heritage Days –

Council of Europe)
114
PARTNER

The Castle and

the Water

The Netherlands and the struggle
against water: two things that
are inseparably linked. Over the
centuries, due to the position
occupied by this ‘low country’, the
Dutch have both benefited from
the water and fought against it.
The landscape still bears witness
to this fact, with the windmills as
world-famous landmarks behind
the protecting dikes.
In the Defence Line of Amsterdam
(known in Dutch as the Stelling
van Amsterdam), the Dutch used
water as a weapon. A system of
widespread defensive flooding,
or inundations, was combined
with 36 forts, two coastal forts,
two fortresses, four batteries and
two coastal batteries to create a
cohesive defence structure. The
greater part of the Defence Line
was constructed by the Dutch War
Department in the period 1881–
1914. The Muiderslot forms part
of the Defence Line, which was
designated as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site in 1996.
The Muiderslot is one of the
best-known castles, and the
oldest moated castle, in the
Netherlands. The history of this
site has been influenced by seven
centuries of water defence, but it
is a history which has remained
almost invisible up to now.
Thanks to funding from amongst
others the BankGiro Lottery, the
Muiderslot will soon be able to
display this history once more.
Ties Hilgers, the director of
the Muiderslot, explains the
background: “The Muiderslot
is an important place of
remembrance in the Netherlands,
with a special significance in
Dutch history. The castle is well-
known throughout the country
and receives around 120,000
visitors each year, including
many families with children.”
“The Muiderslot is also a superb
115
embodiment of a major theme in
Dutch history: the relationship
between the Dutch people and
the water that surrounds them,
as reflected in seven centuries of
water-based defence.”
“The Muiderslot is able to unearth
this hidden, but at the same time
very current history of the castle
through the construction of the
Water Shield: a new monument
that will be built on the old
foundations of a 19th-century
defence bunker. The generous
and substantial donation by the
BankGiro Lottery - 40% of the
required total - has ensured that
we will really be able to build
the Water Shield. Water and its
major role in this history of The
Muiderslot will form an important
element in the museum’s
presentation to the public.”
The Muiderslot is a place that
invites visitors to learn, where
learning and entertainment go
hand in hand. This is also what the
museum can do best: to illuminate
the history of the castle itself by
telling background stories and
connecting past history and the
present day, as well as the years to
come. It presents cultural heritage
as a process involving the past,
present and future.
Ties Hilgers continues: “Both
the shape and the content of the
Water Shield illustrate and evoke
the defensive nature of this site,
which means both using the
water and struggling against it.
The Muiderslot is situated at the
mouth of the River Vecht, built
to be – in every sense – a tower of
strength on the coast of the former
Zuidersea. The moat around the
castle was the first concrete form
of water defence. In the following
centuries this was extended to
116
PARTNER
Marieke van
Schaik - form a fortress with defensive
BankGiro installations, surrounded by water.
Loterij
From the end of the Middle Ages
onwards, the Muiderslot Fortress
occupied a unique position within
the various defensive waterlines
because it lay at the intersection
of the New Dutch Waterline, listed
as a Dutch National Monument,
and the defensive structure for
Amsterdam and Holland known
as the Defence Line of Amsterdam,
now a World Heritage Site.”
“The Water Shield gives visitors a
sense and an experience not only
of the defensive but also of the
threatening potential of water;
water is portrayed as both a friend
and an enemy, in the past, present
and future. Visitors are challenged
to form their own opinion:
what does water mean to me? A
friend, or an enemy? In this way
the Water Shield can effectively
increase awareness about the role
of water in the heart and soul of
the Netherlands and of the Dutch.”
Culture enriches us all
The BankGiro Lottery is the
Dutch cultural lottery and
supports institutions such as
museums, windmills and heritage
monuments. Last February
the lottery announced its total
contribution to culture in the
Netherlands: almost 60 million
Euros. This is money generated
by the 750,000 participants in the
lottery. The Muiderslot was one of
the beneficiaries for these funds.
Asked about what prompted the
BankGiro Lottery to make a one-
time donation of 400,000 Euros
to the Muiderslot, the lottery’s
managing director Marieke van
Schaik answers: “The Muiderslot
is a popular excursion destination
that tells the story of the castle
itself, the knights, the Count of
Holland Floris V and the nobility.
Now a new structure is planned
which will further highlight the
role of the Muiderslot in the
Defence Line of Amsterdam: this
will be the Water Shield, situated
within the fortress walls but
outside the castle, in a sunken
location partly below ground level.
This will allow the Muiderslot
to achieve two goals. Firstly, the
Water Shield tells visitors the
story of the castle as a defensive
work, both against the water itself
and also against human attackers.
Secondly, it gives the Muiderslot
organisation the opportunity to
provide further services to the
business community. In the past
the castle was a place of encounter
for the nobility, for dignitaries, for
administrators and merchants,
and now it aims to be a prime
location for business partners
from the Gooi en Vecht region and
from Amsterdam.”
“The lottery’s contribution ensures
that the castle will be able to
realise this dream: shortly after
the donation by the lottery, the
provincial government also issued
its definitive funding approval. In
this way the lottery was able to
achieve the catalyst effect which
we often hope for.”
A visit to the Muiderslot
Just a stone’s throw from
Amsterdam, you can go back
700 years in time to experience
a genuine piece of Holland’s
history. The imposing Muiderslot
castle, part of the Defence Line
of Amsterdam, is situated on the
former Zuidersea in the watery
Vecht region.

As they enter the site of the castle,
visitors are watched by no less
than 48 embrasures in the walls.
The Muiderslot was well-equipped
to be an important defence point
on the approaches to Amsterdam.
The Muiderslot was built around
1285 by Count Floris V, an ally of
the French court and later of the
British king Edward I. In 1296
Floris was overpowered by his
own noblemen while out hawking
and was imprisoned in the castle.
When the local populace rallied
to free him, his captors fled with
him from the castle and brutally
murdered him at Muiderberg.
Some 300 years later, the author
Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft took
up residence in the castle. This
“Dutch Shakespeare” is the most
famous inhabitant of the castle. In
1609 he was appointed as sheriff
and bailiff of Muiden and the
Gooiland region and occupied this
post for almost 40 years until his
death in 1647. Hooft is famous
chiefly for his prose and poetry and
for an impressive contemporary
chronicle, De Nederlandsche
Historiën or “Dutch Histories.”
The guided tour through the
castle’s Golden Era, featuring
the imposing Knights’ Hall, the
towers and the dungeon, the
film in the Castle Chapel and of
course the Armoury with its fine
suits of armour, is a must-do for
young and old alike. There is also
an interactive discovery trail for
children that takes in a large part
of the castle.
The superb herb and vegetable
gardens exude the atmosphere of
the Dutch Renaissance. Or one
can stroll along the fortress walls
which offer a fantastic view of
the watery surroundings and the
Pampus fortified island.
Falconry is inseparably associated
with Floris V and the Muiderslot.
During the summer months the
Castle Falconer presents his birds
of prey on the theatre bastion.
10 billion Euros could be raised…
The BankGiro Lottery is the
charity lottery in the Netherlands
for cultural heritage that donates
50% of every lottery ticket to
museums, monuments and other
cultural institutions. In 2010, 120
117
million Euros was raised of which Ties Hilgers -
Muiderslot
60 million was distributed among
57 cultural organisations. This
year the Lottery celebrates its
50th anniversary.
The BankGiro Lottery took the
initiative, together with other
private charity lotteries, to
establish the Association of Charity
Lotteries in the EU (ACLEU) to
promote this successful private
fundraising tool for the benefit of
cultural heritage organisations as
well as for other NGOs in every
EU Member State. Over 10 billion
Euros per year could be raised
if all 27 Member States would
allow private charity lotteries on
a national scale, next to existing
state lotteries. This is the reason
why ACLEU is advocating these
charity lotteries to national and
European policy makers.
For the third year in a row ACLEU
is proud to be the main private More information:
sector partner of the Award giving http://whc.unesco.
org/en/list/759
ceremony for the European Union http://muiderslot.nl/
Prize for Cultural Heritage/ english
http://www.
Europa Nostra Awards which is bankgiroloterij.nl
taking place on 10 June at the http://www.acleu.eu
Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.
118
PARTNER
Narratives 3.0
Designer Gilian Schrofer turns virtual places
into interactive spaces.
By Enrica Flores d’Arcais,
European Cultural Foundation
Everyday every European
experiences and engages with
culture and heritage in the spaces
and places that surround them.
But we rarely connect with them
or consider them as something
intrinsically ‘European’. Perhaps
it’s because we are too distracted
with our lives to go beyond
the surface. Or perhaps we
are merely not aware of how
something connects with the
ideas and history it embodies.
Now however, with the continual
rise of mobile technologies, we
have unprecedented access to the
stories behind the façades, as well
as the possibility for adding our
own meanings, understandings
and personal expression to the
mix.
Amsterdam has a wealth of artists,
designers and creative innovators
who have been inventing new
ways for people to connect with
their surroundings and, in turn,
with others. Since helping develop
Amsterdam 3.0 in 2008, designer
Gilian Schrofer has been at the
forefront of these developments as
co-founder, partner and creative
director of multidisciplinary
design company Concern. He
is a fervent advocate of making
information free, accessible and
interactive.
Schrofer established himself as a
multi-disciplinarian early in life.
After working as a cook, pastry
chef and furniture-maker, he
co-founded the design bureau
Concrete, which received much
international acclaim for its
interiors for De Lairesse pharmacy
(Amsterdam), Laundry Industry
Fashion (Amsterdam, London and
Berlin), Supper-club (Amsterdam
and Rome) and the Australian
Home-made shops.
Since founding a new bureau
Concern in 2005, Schrofer has
worked with such clients as Hotel
de l’Europe, Lost Boys, the Dutch
Cultural Broadcasting Fund
(STIVO), the Must See cinema
chain and Amsterdam University
College. He is currently busy
designing the interiors of the four
refreshment areas of Amsterdam’s
Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art,
which is set to re-open in 2012.
Schrofer is driven by a passion
for creating spaces that improve
how people live, work, eat, heal
and function. That’s why Concern
focuses on areas that make a
difference: healthcare, education,
public spaces, exhibitions and
museums. He is also an educator
who wants to teach and learn from
younger people. Indeed, it’s all
about the process, and if it was up
to him, “a designer should always
smell of sawdust.”
Developed as a network
organisation, Concern brings
together different disciplines that
can work together in inspiring
ways. While the group may change
from project to project, they
are always bound by a common
method of, as Schrofer describes it,
“digging deep into a client’s DNA.”
Concern dug deep into their home
town’s DNA when they were asked
Left page 119
Zuiderkerk Cave
Gilian Schrofer
Gilian Schrofer
by Paul De
Bruin
The European Cultural Foundation (ECF) and Europa Nostra, two European organizations based
in the Netherlands, have a shared vision for Europe - one that bridges our different pasts with the
future through culture and heritage. We look forward to joining forces and identifying collaborative
projects to help us realise this vision. For almost six decades the mission of ECF has been founded
on the belief that culture is a key building block of Europe and that culture is invaluable in helping
us live together as Europeans. Europa Nostra and ECF are particularly interested in the potential
of contemporary cultural expression and new technologies to connect Europeans of all ages to past
and future narratives for Europe and to the rich environment that surrounds us. People can now
not only connect with culture and heritage in unprecedented ways, they can also participate in
and share their experiences, from wherever they are, bringing an increased understanding of and
engagement with Europe.
to help develop Amsterdam 3.0 for do their thing. “Everything is out in
the IT World Congress 2008. As the open. So you already have route-
Schrofer describes it, “Amsterdam planner companies like TomTom
wanted to make a real statement on which are sharing information with
a level it has not made since its 17th the Dutch police. We are really at
century Golden Age. It wanted to the beginning with this. But being
be the first to develop an advanced scared will not achieve anything.
information centre about the city. Organisations with important
The intention was to make the virtual data should be much more
UNESCO heritage part of the city open in sharing their data. We
attractive and accessible in a virtual should dare to be much more digital.”
way for tourists, young people and
inhabitants of Amsterdam. We Schrofer believes that the age of
came up with a kind of cave from one-way information is over. It’s no
where you could virtually fly over longer about people accessing data;
Amsterdam in 3-D.” The resulting now it is about people sharing their
system is still being used as part of own stories and experiences related
a search machine for the city’s new to that data. “We really should not
residential architecture projects. try to control this user-generated
People looking for new homes content too much,” says Schrofer.
can not only check for availability “It’s very interesting to see what
and living conditions but also input you receive if you just open
directly interact with their future yourself up to it.”
neighbours.
The question now is how we can
According to Schrofer, there are still better use these technologies in
many challenges to opening up data opening up Europeans up to the
to the masses and letting everyone idea of Europe.
120
Postcard from Brussels
Dear Reader,
This year again, I wish to share
some of my impressions about our
Brussels related activities. A lot
has happened since June 2010 and
one can say that Europa Nostra is
gradually but steadily expanding
its “territory” and making its
“voice” heard in the European
capital.
1 July 2010 – Just after our
Istanbul Congress, Belgium
takes over the EU Presidency
until the end of December; after
Spain and before Hungary.
A great opportunity for our
Brussels office, which opened
only 4 months earlier! Numerous
meetings are organised in Brussels
with relation to culture and we
try to be present at all of them: a
colloquium on creativity, culture
and innovation; the contribution
of culture in combating poverty
and social exclusion (theme of the
European Year 2010); a meeting
of the experts of the European
Heritage Label; and last but not
least the Bruges Conference on 9
December: “Cultural Heritage: a
Resource for Europe - the Benefits
of Interaction.” We gladly give our
advice to the Flemish Government
to prepare the Conference and
I had the pleasure to be one of
the four panelists in the closing
round-table discussion. At the
end of the day, the “Declaration of
Bruges” is officially presented by
the Belgian Presidency. It seeks
to ensure that cultural heritage is
better incorporated in the general
policy of the EU and suggests the
setting up of a European platform,
which will bring together all
heritage stakeholders, both public
and private. We are following this
initiative closely!
15 September 2010 – Following
the adoption in June of the
Europe 2020 Strategy for a
smart, sustainable and inclusive
growth for the coming decade,
the European Commission, DG
Education & Culture launches the
public consultation on a future
EU Culture Programme which
will replace the current one from
2014 onwards. Naturally, we take
active part in all phases of the
consultation and meet regularly
our colleagues of the DG EAC and
other DGs concerned to convey
our views.
September 2010 – The “greening”
of the Common Agricultural
Policy (CAP) - the most complex
and the most expensive of all
EU policies - is a hot topic in
Brussels. Europa Nostra seeks to
influence this debate through a
wide dissemination of its position
paper, drafted jointly with other
European organizations: “Europe’s
living landscapes: cultural heritage
as a force for rural development.”
30 November 2010 – We organise
a public hearing on “Roşia
Montană in peril” in collaboration
with our Romanian Member
Organisation Pro Patrimonio and
Mrs Daciana Sarbu, member of the
European Parliament. This is the
occasion to hear the arguments
from different stakeholders on
this complex case of heritage in
danger where a Canadian-based
mining company plans to exploit
what would become Europe’s
largest open-cast gold mine at
Roşia Montană in Transylvania
(Romania) with far-reaching
consequences on cultural and
natural heritage in the wider
area. A few months later, Europa
Nostra wrote to the Romanian
Government urging it to take
responsibility and ensure the long-
term sustainable development of
the Roşia Montană area, including
a highest level of protection of its
environment and of its cultural
heritage.
March 2011 – One year after the
opening of our Brussels office,
its “energizing” effect is indeed
very noticeable: we are invited
to present our views to an ever
growing number of meetings and
debates. On March 24th, I had the
opportunity to present the views
of Europa Nostra at an important
conference on “Increasing
Europe’s competitiveness through
cultural heritage research.” The
conference was organised by
the EU-project “NET-Heritage”
in cooperation with EC’s DG
Research and Innovation (see
photo). We look forward to our
future cooperation with NET-
Heritage in this important field of
EU policy and funding.
Cordially yours,
Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović,
Secretary General of
Europa Nostra
EUROPA NOSTRA
The Voice of Cultural Heritage in Europe
OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE
In a globalised world, cultural heritage is vital to a better understanding and a deeper respect
between Europe’s citizens. It brings us closer together, regardless of our cultural, religious or ethnic
backgrounds, and across national and linguistic boundaries. Cultural heritage builds bridges
between past, present and future generations, and brings beauty, enchantment and significance to
our everyday life.

YOUR EUROPEAN VOICE

Whether you care for your cultural heritage at local, regional or national level, you will have
discovered that many questions transcend borders and affect all Europeans. These questions
require a European response: Europa Nostra is the voice of European civil society caring for cultural
heritage. Europa Nostra is your voice in Europe.

YOUR NETWORK
In over 45 years Europa Nostra has built a network of more than 400 member and associate
organisations from all over Europe. They represent millions of citizens supporting or working for
heritage as volunteers and professionals. As a member of this growing network, you can share your
ideas and exchange best practices with European colleagues. You can contribute to and benefit from
our website, magazines, heritage tours and meetings.

YOUR LOBBY
Join us in making cultural heritage a European priority. Together we will promote sustainable
development and quality standards in urban and rural planning. Together we will safeguard our
cities, our countryside and our historical, architectural and archaeological sites. Together, we
will demonstrate that our cultural heritage is a key asset to Europe’s society and economy, and is
essential to our identity and quality of life. Europa Nostra is your connection to the European Union,
the Council of Europe and UNESCO.

YOUR SUCCESS
Each year, we reward the best of cultural heritage achievements. Through our European Union Prize
for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards, we celebrate excellence and dedication by architects,
craftsmen, volunteers, schools, local communities, heritage owners and media. Through the power
of their example we stimulate creativity and innovation. Submit your project and share your success.

YOUR CONCERN
Europa Nostra campaigns against the many threats to Europe’s cultural heritage. When monuments
or sites are in danger by uncontrolled development, environmental change, neglect or conflict, we
raise our voice. Cooperation and solidarity between heritage organisations and activists are vital to
ensure that witnesses of our past are here to enjoy today and in the future.

YOUR MOVEMENT
We invite all committed to cultural heritage to join: heritage professionals and volunteers;
associations, networks and federations; foundations; public authorities and agencies; museums,
schools and universities; corporations and businesses.

Support us in taking care of our shared history and the unity in diversity of our common culture.

EUROPANOSTRA.ORG
122
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 My Legacy

My late husband Hans de Koster was deeply committed

to Europe and to Europe’s cultural heritage. He became
president of Europa Nostra in 1984 and ever since our lives –
as a family – have been dedicated to this worthy cause.

The Hans de Koster Fund – which was set up in 1992 as

a tribute to my husband when he retired as president –
continues to enable members and partners from Central and
Eastern Europe to take part in Europa Nostra’s activities.
Over a period of two decades this fund has effectively
helped to connect West and East within our ever-growing
pan-European heritage movement. I am very proud of this
achievement just as Hans would have been very proud of it!

Heritage belongs to all of us, young and old, irrespective

of one’s ethnic, cultural or religious background. I strongly
believe that cultural heritage binds us all together as human
beings – across time and across borders. This is an inclusive
and positive message which is close to my heart. Therefore I
gladly continue to contribute as a full-time volunteer and as
a Benefector to this remarkable European organisation. This
is my legacy to my late husband and to my family and also to
Europa Nostra.

Dineke de Koster

Should you wish to follow this powerful example and

create and leave your own legacy, please contact
Europa Nostra’s Secretary General, Mrs Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović
(T: +31.70.302.40.56./57 or E: sqm@europanostra.org).
 The Experience of a Lifetime
The unique Europa Nostra Heritage Tours are a
service of Europa Nostra especially tailored for its
individual members, but also members of Europa
Nostra Member Organisations are welcome to join
the tours. Every booking contributes financially to
the Hans de Koster Mobility Fund for Central and
Eastern Europe and the Heritage in Peril scheme
of Europa Nostra. The tours are organised through
the connections of Europa Nostra members or by
affiliated specialists across Europe. Much care is
taken to include exceptional private homes and
other buildings and landscapes generally closed to
the public, and to visit award winning projects.
Travel in style and experience Europe´s cultural
heritage up close and personal!

Europa Nostra Heritage Tours

Contact Barbara Zander, Heritage Tours Co-ordinator
Tel: +31 70 302 40 54
bz@europanostra.org

YOU HAVE SEVERAL ROLES IN LIFE

AND SO DO YOUR ASSETS

You have several roles in both your personal and professional life – and each one affects how you
approach your finances. Decisions you make as a businessperson and as a parent, for example, are
taken from different perspectives. So you need a private bank that takes a personal approach to your
business needs and that offers professional support for your personal finances. That’s why when you
are taking a major step like selling your business, we not only consider your future, but your children’s
future too. Phone +31 20 6286606 to make acquaintance with your private banker.
Private Banking for all the people you are.

Supporter of the Europa Nostra Heritage Congress

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 EUROPEAN CULTURAL HERITAGE REVIEW
SUMMER 2011

THE WINDS OF CHANGE

BIG STONES AND SMALL KIDS
THE ART OF REJUVENATION
CASTLES, WATER TOWERS
AND BIG MACHINES
WITH PLÁCIDO DOMINGO,
ANDROULLA VASSILIOU
VINCENT VAN GOGH
AND MANY MORE

ISSN: 1871-417X

DUTCH SPECIAL