Classification of shipwrecks by owner

Many Dutch shipwrecks lie at the bottom of the sea. To decide about managing these wrecks, first the ownership is determined. An important distinction is whether they are state-owned (Dutch sovereignty) or private vessels. This diagram illustrates this distinction.

As owner and manager of Dutch waters, the government plays an important part in maritime heritage care. The RCE works together with partners in order to establish sustainable heritage management on an international level. A series of protocols has been published in order to achieve this, amongst which this flowchart about ownership.

Colophon

Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, 2022.

This document is a result of the International Programme for Maritime Heritage 2017-2021. It is also available in Dutch.