Heritage Day explores histories behind the heirlooms
Archives, libraries and museums across Flanders age gearing up for the annual high point in the heritage agenda, and we’ve got an A to Z overview of the top activities
From A(ntwerp) to Z(onnebeke)
In hundreds of archives, libraries, museums and associations, you can view thousands of inherited objects, listen to hundreds of stories and come to understand the passion and care that countless people and organisations throughout Flanders devote to taking care of this legacy.
From this fantastically rich and diverse selection of activities, we present Flanders Today’s own A to Z (Antwerp to Zonnebeke) of Heritage Day 2015, with some ideas to interact with cultural heritage in your own daily environment in a contemporary and meaningful manner.
ANTWERP: Flemish heirs of the American Dream
Between 1880 and 1920, tens of thousands of Flemish people crossed the Atlantic in search of a better life. In North America, they tried to continue their traditions while adjusting to their new environment. Later generations of Flemish Americans became real citizens of America, yet remained faithful to the cultural heritage of their ancestors.
Flemish Archive and Documentation Centre ADVN, Lange Leemstraat 26, Antwerp
BERINGEN: The legacy of Limburg coal
In the early 20th century, coal was discovered in Limburg. Until then, the region had been a poor agricultural region. The arrival of the mining industry changed everything. In no time at all, central Limburg developed into an industrial region. Share the excitement of the time and discover how Limburg has changed since the mines opened – and closed down.
Mine Museum, Koolmijnlaan 201
Hear me roar
BRUGES: In the steps of master craftsmen
Bruges has a long tradition of excellent craftsmanship. This knowledge was passed on from fathers to sons and apprentices, or through the 19th-century industrial schools. Together with a guide, you will discover the personal stories of Bruges’ master craftsmen. The two-hour walk ends with a demonstration by a young blacksmith.
Predikherenrei 4A
BRUSSELS: Feminist memories
Unearth the roots of the Belgian women’s movement and its pioneers in the exhibition 50 jaar strijd om gelijkheid (50 Years of Struggle for Equality). Read newspaper cuttings and study photographs from the front lines of the movement through the years. Discover which books and articles inspired these women, and add your own source of inspiration to a feminist wall of fame.
Open VLD office, Melsensstraat 34
DENDERMONDE: Take the train into the past
Meet the steam locomotives of the past and discover how our current railway industry developed. What techniques have we learned from our ancestors that still exist today? Children can learn how steam is created and experience its power during a ride on a real steam locomotive.
Baasrode North Station, Fabriekstraat 118. Check website for exact departure times
GHENT: Reviving great-grandma’s living room
How can you give all those things you’ve inherited from your great-grandparents a second life? Take a look at how a house from the 1870s was fitted out with furniture and decoration. And then interactively discover how these heirlooms could be re-used or recycled today. It may inspire you to take a second look at all that stuff that Great Grandma left you.
KBOV library, Kraanlei 65
HERENTALS: By boat along the Albert Canal
During a boat trip between Herentals and Zandhoven in Antwerp province, you can enjoy stories, old maps, photographs and prints of the landscape before digging began, through the construction of the Albert Canal to its present state and future vision. Discover the historical significance of this canal and its legacy for future generations.
Albert Canal, De Beukelaer-Pareinlaan
Something old, something new
HOESELT: Heritage in good hands
Integrating heirlooms into a contemporary modern interior may seem at first sight extremely difficult, if not impossible. The craftsmen at Atelier Vanduca will demonstrate some practical examples of how inherited furniture and art objects can be given a new interpretation in a modern and rustic interior.
Atelier Vanduca, Tongersesteenweg 163
LEUVEN: Jewels of health care
This exhibition of old medical instrument illustrates some of the most interesting and important inventions and discoveries that have revolutionised health care throughout the ages. Find out about the people who played key roles in their discovery and how sometimes not everything went according to plan.
Museum Histaruz, Kapucijnenvoer 35
LOCHRISTI: Floriculture through the generations
Discover the history and evolution of East Flanders’ floriculture – the cultivation of flowering and ornamental plants for gardens and floristry. Through a guided tour, objects and interactive material, you will learn about the challenges that floriculturists have faced through the years and their contemporary problems when considering the succession of their businesses.
Lochristi Floriculture Museum, Zaffelare-Dorp 83
MECHELEN: Treasures past and present
Galerij CG displays a selection of what people inherit from their ancestors and what they in turn give to future generations. Explore their gallery of the “missing links” in Mechelen’s furniture history and admire the heritage of Art Deco furniture. Bring along pictures of your own treasures – even on a tablet, phone or memory stick – and Galerij CG’s experts will try and tell you all about them.
Galerij CG, Sint-Janstraat 9
RIJKEVORSEL: 550 years of milling knowledge
Milling has been conducted in the Kempen for over 550 years, with this knowledge carefully passed down through generations. Discover the secrets of the miller’s trade in this exhibition in one of the remaining mills in the area. Learn about the miller’s secret language, how windmills were used to broadcast messages and why the miller was frequently the most important man in the village.
Stenen Bergmolen, Looiweg 33
ZONNEBEKE: Decoding the Front
During a guided tour around the exhibition Decoding the Front, you can learn about communication during the First World War and what techniques have been passed down to today. The exhibition reveals soldiers’ letters, explains the use of pigeons and dogs during the war and the role of radio and telegraphy at the front.
Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917, Berten Pilstraat 5A
Heritage Day, 26 April, across Flanders
photo: The Het Woutershof Museum in Heusden-Zolder
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