Projects

Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach

UNESCO has adopted the so called Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) in 2011. HUL does not replace existing doctrines or conservation approaches; rather, it is an additional tool to integrate policies and practices of conservation of the built environment into the wider goals of urban development in respect of the inherited values and traditions of different cultural contexts. The HUL approach helps to reconcile urban development with heritage conservation.

More information about how the RCE and partners implement this approach can be found on our page about HUL.

Urban Heritage Strategies (UHS)

UHS aims to develop a better understanding of the complex relationship between urban development and heritage management. A multilateral training course on the social, economic and environmental potential of heritage in urban development.

In cities around the world, built heritage is under pressure from either over- or under-development. Meanwhile, we may observe that heritage plays an increasingly important role in the present-day city. It reflects an image of the city, reveals stories about its past and gives character and human scale to the city. If managed properly, heritage can effectively contribute to urban quality and serve as a vital asset for future development.

In the summer of 2023, the 8th UHS edition focused on the Dutch city of Nijmegen, one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands. Among the different challenges this heritage city is facing, four main challenges have been selected in close collaboration with the Nijmegen municipality: 

• Urban Densification, or how the city can accommodate an ever-growing number of people within its boundaries, while strengthening its historical character

• Adaptive Reuse, particularly concerning former industrial sites along the riverfront; sites that have played an important role in the city’s local economy
• Social Housing, or how to deal with a mass house legacy of a former generation that no longer meets current societal needs
• Climate Adaptation, particularly the impact of extreme rainfall and periods of drought in summers on neighbourhoods built on higher, sandy grounds.

Each of the selected challenges is connected to a particular neighbourhood in the historic city centre, and to the four core concepts of the Urban Heritage Strategies curriculum: economics, social aspects, environment and culture. See the website of IHS for more information.

The UHS-training is organized by the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS, Erasmus University Rotterdam) in close cooperation with the Department of Architectural Engineering of Delft University of Technology and the RCE. Read more about UHS in an interview with the coordinators of the course on the website www.ihs.nl.

Albany exchange Neerbosch | a x n 2022

In February 2022, the Historic Albany Foundation (HAF), Van ’t Lindenhoutmuseum Neerbosch-Nijmegen, and the RCE jointly initiated this international online expert exchange. The three-part exchange, aimed at professionals in built environment, explores development potentials of the Van Ostrande-Radliff House in Albany, New York and Kinderdorp Neerbosch in Nijmegen. Each part of this exchange examines the cases from different, complementary angles: area development, adaptive re-use and restoration practices. Taking two heritage sites situated in different contexts, the programme discusses similarity of challenges they face and ways to address them.

Rewatch the first expert meeting of February on Roycalcast, the second meeting of June on Vimeo and the third meeting of October on Royalcast.

Reuse

In 2017 and 2020, the RCE and publisher nai010 have presented the publication Reuse, Redevelop and Design. How the Dutch deal with Heritage. Presenting twenty inspiring repurposing objects as examples, this publication sketches the outlines of repurposing as the new future for real estate from the perspective of how the Netherlands deals with adaptive reuse.

Accompanying this publication, the RCE offers the exhibition Reuse to interested parties. It has already visited many countries. The aim of this project is not to tell other countries what to do, but to start the debate on adaptive reuse, realizing that the Dutch approach is not timeless. When circumstances change, this practice will consequently change. And then it is good to know how others deal with adaptive reuse. The RCE always uses the exhibition and publication in combination with workshops and lectures in collaboration with Dutch architects.

Sharing Stories on Contested Histories

How are museum and heritage professionals around the world responding to current societal challenges, such as the climate crisis and social inequalities? How do museums critically engage with their own histories and reflect on their role in society in the face of these challenges? How can they handle collections created and collected during colonial times in more caring and ethical ways? How do they navigate and react to contestations over certain histories and heritage?

This exchange programme Sharing Stories on Contested Histories brings together a group of young museum and heritage professionals from around the world to reflect on these questions and to exchange knowledge and experiences regarding their working practices. This programme is organised by the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, in collaboration with the Reinwardt Academy. For further information and on how to apply, please visit the page Sharing Stories on Contested Histories.

Brochures on Paintings Conservation

The Foundation for Cultural Inventory (SCI), SRAL - The Conservation Institute and RCE have published a series of six brochures on Paintings Conservation. These are created conservators of easel paintings, wishing to keep up with current knowledge, and learning how to apply new techniques in their field.

These six brochures were compiled to serve as a reference, bringing together current practices and new knowledge regarding materials and methods for practical use. The content provided can be used by professional conservators, who are aware of the ethical and contextual aspects and complexity of conservation decision-making.

Conservation knowledge and practice are developing at an increasingly fast pace. In many countries, this knowledge is often concentrated within a relatively small group of conservators and other professionals in larger institutions with the resources to take major steps in the development and application of new methods for preservation and treatment of paintings. New publications on focus topics are often issued through journals or editions that are costly and not easily available to the conservation field. Thus, accessing such knowledge and integrating into practice can be challenging. These brochures are designed to help bridge this gap. They are also a tool for mid-career professional conservators seeking to refresh and update their knowledge. The content is intended as a snapshot of up-to-date developments in these six focus areas and should not replace academic training in the field of painting conservation.

The need for this reference material became apparent during a series of masterclasses and conferences, organized in the period 2012-2020 by SCI in India, Russia and Cuba. These gatherings, focusing on mutual exchange and deepening knowledge in relation to the local contexts, were organized in association with SRAL - The Conservation Institute, the RCE, and Dutch embassies in the partner countries of the International Heritage Cooperation programme.

The brochures in this series on conservation are:

1. Dirt and Dirt Removal
2. Varnish Removal
3. Consolidation of Flaking Paint 
4. Filling Losses in Paint
5. Structural Conservation of Canvas and Panels (expected)
6. Varnishing and Inpainting

UNESCO Foundation Course on Underwater Cultural Heritage Management

Between 19 November and 8 December 2023, the UNESCO Foundation Course on Underwater Cultural Heritage Management took place on Tobago. For three weeks, 16 students with different professional backgrounds and living in the countries and islands in and around the Caribbean Sea enhanced their theoretical and practical education in underwater cultural heritage management. The training was financed by the RCE and coordinated by Prof. Martijn Manders (RCE) and Dr. Chris Underwood (ICOMOS-ICUCH). Underwater archaeologists Cimberly Symister from Curacao and Jasinth Simpson from Jamaica served as trainer-trainees.

The Netherlands invests in these capacity building courses, because it believes that the underwater cultural heritage can only be well protected if countries work together in this. In the light of the upcoming ratification of the UNESCO Convention for the protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage (2001) it aims to also bring expertise in this area to help to protect the extended underwater heritage - including some shared heritage with other countries - and the presence of the six islands in the area – Curacao, Aruba, Bonaire, St. Maarten, Saba and St. Eustatius - that are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Burial ground Simon's Town, South Africa

In August 2022, human remains of at least 184 individuals linked to a former hospital of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in Simon's Town (in use from 1765 to the beginning of the 19th century) were reburied. A monument to commerorate these persons was placed on the burial ground in November 2023. The RCE has been involved ever since the initial excavations in 2019. Together with Leiden University, we coordinated further analysis to unravel the possible origins of the persons found buried. Lab results, in conjunction with archaeological and historical data, point strongly towards a domicile in Europe for these individuals.

The reburial represents one of the final phases in a concerted effort of archaeological company ACO Associates, Simon’s Town Museum, the Netherlands Embassy, Leiden University and the RCE to bring these people to their final resting place. They now lie buried in the Old Burying Ground in Seaforth, Simon’s Town. 

Modern Oral History: Dutch Wrecks in South Africa

About 100 Dutch historic ship wrecks are located on the bottom of the South African seas. Many of these were vessels of the Dutch East India Company. The RCE has worked together with the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) in 2015 to create the project Modern Oral History: Dutch Wrecks in South Africa. In 2019, this project was started up again. It aims to gather and interpret information about excavations by sports divers and treasure hunters, who dove to Dutch shipwrecks between the 1980s and 1990s. These excavations happened before the ratification of the UNESCO convention of 2001 by South Africa and the implementation of the relevant South African law to protect historic shipwrecks. People have not or have partly worked according to archaeological techniques during these excavations, thereby destroying important heritage.

To gather their memories and information about what they have found during their dives, they have been interviewed according to the oral history method. Their stories will be published in 2022. Together with the research of students from the University of Leiden, this project has enhanced our knowledge about our shared past with South Africa, and has given us more insights into the impact of the excavations. SAHRA has updated its database so it has the most recent information about the shipwrecks at hand.