• Russia: plans for refurbishing the Dutch fortress in Rostov

    Russia: plans for refurbishing the Dutch fortress in Rostov

    Student plans for refurbishing the 17th century Dutch Earthen Fortress in Rostov were presented to the Dutch Ambassador and won a Denkmal Moscow Fair award.
    20 December 2017

    On November 3, Ambassador Renee Jones-Bos visited Rostov Veliky to discuss possible refurbishment of the Dutch earthen fortification with heritage experts and local authorities. The ambassador took part in a two-day seminar with experts from the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE). During the seminar, four urban design plans were presented, that had been developed by students of the Moscow Architecture Institute (MARCHI) as their graduate projects. The students developed a tourist route on the ramparts with new developments in the bastions, a refurbishment plan for the town’s embankment and other innovative design projects.

    Denkmal Moscow Fair award
    The projects were also entered in an architectural competition at the Denkmal Moscow Fair, the international trade fair for heritage preservation, restoration and museum technology. One of the projects, a plan for a ramparts route by Elena Peregudova, became the 2nd prize winner. The prize was awarded on 10 November in Moscow by Leipziger Messe International GmbH and Drees & Sommer SE.

    Dutch Earthen Fortification
    The Dutch Earthen Fortification was built by Jan Cornelius van Rodenburg, an engineer from Amsterdam, in 1632-1634. The fortress had a system of canals and drainage moats that served the urban area of Rostov Veliky. One of the oldest cities in Russia, Rostov Veliky is a tourist centre in the ‘Golden Ring’ located to the northeast of Moscow. Since 2013, the Embassy has initiated projects to enhance appreciation of the Dutch fortress, which is in near pristine condition – a unique situation for Dutch heritage in Russia.

    Organization: 
    Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands
    Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Moscow

  • Japan: Workshop on revitalising Hirado through heritage

    Japan: Workshop on revitalising Hirado through heritage

    In a five-day workshop, Japanese architecture students joined forces to propose a redevelopment and redesign plan for the historical centre of Hirado.
    20 December 2017

    In the week of 20 November, twelve architecture students from five different Japanese universities gathered in the only three-story machiya (a traditional wooden townhouse) left in the old city centre of Hirado. Their goal was to propose a redevelopment and redesign plan to the city officials. The workshop was initiated by the Japan and Netherlands Architecture Cultural Association (JNACA) and organised by the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, the Dutch Embassy in Japan and the Dutch architectural firm Space and Matter.

    Heritage as an asset?
    The central question the students worked on was: How can heritage be a positive asset in a redevelopment and redesign strategy? During their research the students found out that the town of Hirado is coping with a shrinking and aging population, and an increasing amount of vacant real estate. There is, however, a growing interest in the Hirado Island as a tourist destination, thanks to the historic town centre, its natural surroundings and local food products famous in Japan. The workshop addressed the potentials of developing open spaces in the main shopping street, Hirado Castle and the waterfront.

    The final presentation was held at the reconstructed Dutch Trading Post. The 60 residents present greeted the advice of the students with positive remarks. The vice-mayor promised to discuss implementation of the advice that was given during the presentation.

    Dutch Trading Post
    The small town of Hirado was the location of the Dutch East India Company’s first trading post in Japan. Reconstructed at the beginning of this century, the trading post is now a landmark that symbolises the connection between the Netherlands and Japan.

    Organization: 
    Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tokyo
    Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands

  • Japan: Dutch trading post Dejima revived and reconnected

    Artist impression of the restored historical main gate bridge to Dutch trading post Dejima in Nagasaki, Japan.
     
    Click to see photo caption

    Japan: Dutch trading post Dejima revived and reconnected

    The Main Gate Bridge on Dejima will be reopened on 24 November in Nagasaki, a great way to close the Holland-Kyushu year. Princess Laurentien will be present.
    23 October 2017

    Nagasaki City is holding a ceremony to commemorate the completion of the Main Gate Bridge on the former Dutch trading post of Dejima on 24 November 2017. This ceremony is a milestone in Dejima’s reconstruction, which started back in 1951, as it restores the original connection between the island and the mainland of Nagasaki for the first time in 130 years.

    Holland-Kyushu
    The ceremony will be the climax and closing event of Holland-Kyushu 2016-2017, a regional focus programme on the south-western part of Japan developed by DutchCulture, the Dutch embassy and local stakeholders to strengthen existing ties and initiate new exchanges based on the abundant Dutch-Japanese history in this region. Read more on the Holland-Kyushu programme and its projects here.

    Dutch trading post
    Dejima was an artificial island that housed the Dutch trading post from 1641 and was the only window to the Western world during Japan’s era of national isolation. The Dutch traded here for over two centuries, until the country was forcefully opened up by the United States in 1853.

    Mind the gap
    Dejima had one bridge, which connected the island and Nagasaki and – on a grander scale – the world and Japan. After the trading post closed in 1859, Dejima became a part of the city through land reclamation. The bridge was removed when the canal in front of Dejima was widened at the end of the 19th century. These days, tourists can only enter the former island via the sea gate.

    Satellite events of celebration
    The completion of the bridge has major significance, as it is regarded as a symbol of the hope that Nagasaki will regain its splendour of the days when it was a hub of international trade and Western learning. On behalf of the Dutch government, Princess Laurentien of the Royal House will be present during the ceremony. The inauguration of the bridge will be accompanied by many satellite events, including exhibitions and workshops by Dutch artists and designers such as Marcel Wanders, Studio Ina&Matt, Aliki van der Kruijs and the studio The Future. On the eve of the inauguration, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra will perform in Nagasaki.

    Organization: 
    Marcel Wanders
    Studio INAMATT
    Aliki van der Kruijs
    Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

  • Visitor's Talk: Liveable Historical Cities

    Prinsengracht in Amsterdam on a summer day (source: Wikipedia Commons)

    Photo: Wikipedia Commons
     
    Photo: Wikipedia Commons

    Visitor's Talk: Liveable Historical Cities

    On Thursday 12 October 2017 our guests from several countries discuss the challenges on keeping historical cities liveable.
    12 October 2017

    Historical cities around the world face many challenges: development, increasing population density, polution, gentrification and tourism are only a few of those challenges. How can we make sure these cities remain inclusive and pleasant places to live in? 

    On Thursday 12 October we will discuss these challengse with eight urban heritage professionals from Sri Lanka, Russia, Japan, India and Indonesia. They have been invited by DutchCulture and the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE) for a visitors programme on the topic of liveable historical cities. See here for more information about the programme.  

    Guests
    We are welcoming from Sri Lanka: Ms Deepanie Jayasooriya (Senior Architect at Aerocity Project, Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development) and Ms Varuni Jayathilake (Assistant Director of Architecture and Director of Maintenance at the Department of Archaeology). From Russia: Ms Maria Sedletskaya (Advisor at Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation) and Ms Narine Tyutcheva (Head Architect at architecture firm Rozhdestvenka). From Japan: Mr Daiki Nagakawa (Secretary General at the Japan and the Netherlands Architecture Cultural Association). From India: Mr Rajiv Patel (Founder of THREEE FOUNDATION - The Heritage Research foundation for Economic Ecosystem Enterprise, Ahmedabad). And from Indonesia: Mr Doni Widiantono (Deputy Director at the Ministry of Agrarian and Spatial Planning) and Mr Jonny Wongso (Lecturer at Magister of Architecture - Postgraduate Program of Bung Hatta University, Padang). 

    Practical information
    Date: Thursday 12 October 2017
    Time: 15:00-17:00 hrs (doors open at 14:30 hrs, afterwards networking opportunity until 18:00 hrs)
    Location: DutchCulture, Herengracht 474 in Amsterdam
    Language: English
    Admission: free of charge, please register here  

    Please note there is limited seating available.

    Organization: 
    DutchCulture
    Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands

  • International visitors: Liveable historical cities

    The historical city of Galle in Sri Lanka (source: Jerome Courtial, Flickr)

    Photo: Jerome Courtial
     
    Photo: Jerome Courtial

    International visitors: Liveable historical cities

    From 9 to 13 October 2017, eight urban heritage professionals from Sri Lanka, Russia, Japan, India and Indonesia are visiting the Netherlands.
    9 October 2017

    Historical cities around the world face many challenges: development, increasing population density, polution, gentrification and tourism are only a few of those challenges. How can we make sure these cities remain inclusive and pleasant places to live in? 

    Focal theme
    The historical inner city is defined as one of the three focal themes of the Shared Cultural Heritage Programme, part of the Netherlands' international cultural policy. From 9 to 13 October, DutchCulture and the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE) are facilitating a visitors programme on the topic of liveable historical cities. Eight urban heritage professionals from Sri Lanka, Russia, Japan, India and Indonesia have been invited to share and exchange their experiences and challenges. These professionals have the opportunity to learn from each other, learn from Dutch professionals, and Dutch professionals will be able to learn from our visitors. 

    Guests
    We are welcoming from Sri Lanka: Ms Deepanie Jayasooriya (Senior Architect at Aerocity Project, Ministry Of Megapolis and Western Development) and Ms Varuni Jayathilake (Assistant Director of Architecture and Director of Maintenance at the Department of Archaeology). From Russia: Ms Maria Sedletskaya (Advisor at Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation) and Ms Narine Tyutcheva (Head Architect at architecture firm Rozhdestvenka). From Japan: Mr Daiki Nagakawa (Secretary General at the Japan and the Netherlands Architecture Cultural Association). From India: Mr Rajiv Patel (Founder of THREEE FOUNDATION - the Heritage Research foundation for Economic Ecosystem Enterprise, Ahmedabad). And from Indonesia: Mr Doni Widiantono (Deputy Director at Ministry of Agrarian and Spatial Planning) and Mr Jonny Wongso (Lecturer at Magister of Architecture, Postgraduate Program of Bung Hatta University, Padang). 

    The programme consists of visits to organizations and institutions in Amsterdam, Amersfoort and Rotterdam, such as Stadsherstel Amsterdam, Dutch National Monuments Organisation and Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam. Also part of the programme are workshops, in which the visitors are stimulated to exchange the challenges they face in the historical cities in their respective countries.

    On Thursday 12 October, from 15:00 to 17:00 hrs, the visitors will discuss their challenges and debate topical international issues at a public event at DutchCulture in Amsterdam. You are welcome to attend this free event, the event is in English. Please register in advance.

    Organization: 
    DutchCulture
    Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands

  • Suriname: ‘MuseumN8’, workshops on re-using cultural heritage

    Suriname: ‘MuseumN8’, workshops on re-using cultural heritage

    In the context of MuseumN8 2017 in Paramaribo, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands organised two workshops on re-using shared cultural heritage.
    13 September 2017

    The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Paramaribo organised two workshops on shared cultural heritage on 27 May this year, working closely together with the ‘Vereniging Vrienden van Stadsherstel Suriname’(Friends of City Restoration in Suriname Association). The workshops specifically focussed on the exhibition ‘Re-use, Re-develop and Design’, and were led by four experts on the re-use of cultural heritage and urban planning and architecture: Sander Gelinck and Frank Strolenberg from the Netherlands, and Gerda Gehlen and Zarja Garmes Rojer from Curaçao. The goal of the activity was to trigger participants to think about how to re-use cultural heritage in Paramaribo. On 29 May, two additional workshops took place; the first being on the re-use of cultural heritage and the second on a car-free city centre, in which the city centre of Willemstad, Curaçao was used as a role model.

    Museum Night
    The workshops on 27 May took place during Museum Night, a special cultural event where all museums open up their doors for visitors in the evening. ‘MuseumN8’ is the Surinamese counterpart of the International Museum Day initiated by the International Council of Museums (ICOM). This year’s theme was ‘Museums and contested histories: Saying the unspeakable in museums’. The Museum Night has gained in popularity over the years, contributing to a growing awareness of the importance of culture and cultural heritage for society.

     

    Organization: 
    Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands In Paramaribo
    Stichting Stadsherstel Paramaribo
    Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands

  • Suriname: Renovation of Fort Zeelandia

    Suriname: Renovation of Fort Zeelandia

    Renovations on the roof of Fort Zeelandia have started with the contribution of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Paramaribo.
    13 September 2017

    This colonial fortress from the 17th century was in need of thorough renovation because of two leaking roofs. The renovation was initiated by the Suriname Museum Foundation. Since 1995, Fort Zeelandia houses the Suriname Museum, which displays colonial-era relics, period rooms and temporary exhibitions. The museum owns a large collection of ethnographical objects, which give testimony to the cultural diversity of the Surinamese territory: native Indians, Maroons in the 17th century, Europeans, Jews, Chinese, Indians, Javanese and Lebanese. The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands was able to make a contribution to renovate the two most essential roofs, in order to preserve and protect the museum’s collection from water damage. The renovations will be finished by the end of September 2017.

    Fort Zeelandia
    Fort Zeelandia, a pentagonal fortress located along the left bank of the Suriname River, was the first place where Dutch colonists set foot on shore in Suriname and from which the further development of the country started. The fortress became the headquarters of the museum in 1972. However, in 1982, after the 1980 military coup d’état, the museum was forced to leave its accommodations. That situation of banishment lasted until 1995, when the museum finally reopened its doors after a major renovation. Since 2002, Fort Zeelandia is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

     

    Organization: 
    Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands In Paramaribo
    Suriname Museum - Fort Zeelandia

  • The ‘Dutch approach’: New life for old buildings

    On April 11 the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands presented the book and exhibition Reuse, Redevelop & Design: How the Dutch Deal with Heritage.

    Photo: RCE
     
    Photo: RCE

    The ‘Dutch approach’: New life for old buildings

    On 11 April, Reuse, Redevelop and Design was launched. This book gives examples of successful redevelopment.
    24 April 2017

    The book Reuse, Redevelop and Design: How the Dutch Deal With Heritage was launched along with an accompanying exhibition during a well-attended session at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague. After speeches by Paul Meurs, one of the authors of the book, and Floris Alkemade, the Chief Government Architect of the Netherlands, the book was presented to Johan Verboom, the Ambassador for International Cultural Cooperation.

    Partly conceived through the Shared Cultural Heritage programme of the Cultural Heritage Agency (RCE), Reuse, Redevelop and Design focuses on innovative ways to redevelop buildings, elaborating on some international examples in illustration of this. The book is aimed at international peers in the heritage sector and hopes to kick-start a global discussion by showing the success of the ‘Dutch approach’ to redevelopment. The exhibit is offered in digital format and will be made available through the Dutch embassies, which can request the exhibit from the Cultural Heritage Agency and print or present it as suits them best.

    Organization: 
    Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands
    Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands
    SteenhuisMeurs
    Location: 
    Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands

  • Suriname: A snapshot of current Shared Cultural Heritage projects

    Jaji is a documentary about solidarity among people of Javanese-Surinamese origin.

    Photo: JAJI
     
    Photo: JAJI

    Suriname: A snapshot of current Shared Cultural Heritage projects

    From a restored international cemetry from the 18th century to a documentary about descendants of Javanese-Surinamese people.
    24 April 2017

    Both Suriname and Guyana share a history with the Netherlands and have a wealth of cultural heritage. Here are some examples of current projects in Suriname and Guyana.

    The Oranjetuin cemetery
    Suriname has hundreds of old buildings and places with a rich history. The Oranjetuin, a cemetery from the 18th century, is one of those places. During the colonial era, people with different nationalities and social backgrounds were buried here. Each grave tells its own story.

    The Oranjetuin is interesting for both the Surinamese people and for countries that have a shared history with Suriname. This piece of funerary heritage had fallen into disrepair over the years. As a public/private initiative, the Oranjetuin is now being cleaned up and restored. The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Paramaribo financed the restoration of the brick wall.

    Jaji – a documentary about solidarity
    Shared cultural heritage is more than bricks and buildings. Suriname has a wealth of immaterial heritage. In 2015, Suriname commemorated the arrival of the first group of Javanese contract workers from the Dutch East Indies.

    To mark this historical fact, the documentary Jaji was made. The Javanese word ‘jaji’ refers to the special relationship that arose between people while crossing the ocean from the Dutch East Indies to Suriname. In this documentary, filmmaker Jeffrey Salimin seeks the answer to the question of whether the jaji feeling still exists and what happened to the descendants of Javanese-Surinamese people, 30,000 of whom are living in the Netherlands.

    The Dutch Embassy in Suriname developed a corresponding school programme in which secondary school students interactively discussed culture, traditions, language, music, entrepreneurship and social engagement. Interested in this documentary? You can watch the trailer here (in Dutch).

    European heritage in Guyana
    Guyana also has an extensive cultural heritage from other European countries. The Guyana Heritage Society and the European Union, in collaboration with the National Trust of Guyana, have jointly produced the book Aspects of European-Guyanese Heritage. Guyana’s relationship with Europe stretches back to the 15th century, when Spanish explorers arrived at the mouth of the Essequibo River, followed by the Dutch, Portuguese, French and British. The book is a collection of the footprints of various European countries in Guyana.

    Organization: 
    Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands In Paramaribo
    National Trust of Guyana
    Guyana Heritage Society
  • Reuse, Redevelop and Design: How the Dutch Deal with Heritage (design: Beukers Scholma / Nai010 Publishers)

    Photo: Netherlands Cultural Heritage Agency
     
    Photo: Netherlands Cultural Heritage Agency

    Redevelopment as the future for vacant buildings

    Reuse, Redevelop and Design: How the Dutch Deal with Heritage presents twenty inspiring projects that show redevelopment as the solution for vacant buildings

    Where there are vacancies, there is room for something new, such as housing or facilities for healthcare or leisure. Surprising combinations often follow, such as a school or community centre in a factory complex, a shop in a church, a recreation area in a military zone. The creative way that Dutch architecture firms deal with heritage is also spreading beyond the country’s borders, as is shown by examples in China, Germany, Italy, Russia, and the United States. The book addresses the story behind the success of redevelopment, exploring possibilities for unoccupied buildings with essays on heritage policy, public-private partnerships, financing and design.

    Published in cooperation with the Netherlands Cultural Heritage Agency, the book by Paul Meurs and Marinke Steenhuis also includes contributions by Sander Gelinck, Jean-Paul Corten and Frank Strolenberg. The publication is accompanied by a similarly-named exhibition, which is offered in digital format to the Dutch embassies. The book is available here.