D4.1 European Identity, Belonging and the Role for Digital CH
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This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement no. 612789 D4.1 European identity, belonging and the role for digital CH Partner responsible for deliverable: SPK Deliverable authors: Monika Hagedorn-Saupe, Katerina Charatzopoulou, Swenja Wirtz (SPK) Amalia Sabiescu, Neil Forbes, Tim Hammerton (COVUNI) Valentina Bachi (PROMOTER) Saskia Konniger, Wayne Modest (RMV Leiden) Thomas Werner (ROSTOCK) Hemmo Bruinenberg, Lotte van Leengoed, Janine Prins (WAAG) - Subject to final approval - 1 RICHES. Deliverable 4.1 European identity, belonging and the role for digital CH Statement of originality: This deliverable contains original unpublished work except where clearly indicated otherwise. Acknowledgement of previously published material and of the work of others has been made through appropriate citation, quotation or both. 2 RICHES. Deliverable 4.1 European identity, belonging and the role for digital CH 3 RICHES Deliverable D4.1 European identity, belonging and the role for digital CH TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................... 5 2. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 8 2.1 ROLE OF THIS STUDY IN THE PROJECT................................................................................ 9 2.2 METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH ......................................................................................... 9 2.3 STRUCTURE OF THE DOCUMENT ...................................................................................... 12 3. CONSIDERATIONS ON EUROPEAN AND COMMUNITY IDENTITIES AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO CULTURAL HERITAGE .................................................................................................. 14 4. ROLE OF DIGITAL CULTURAL HERITAGE FOR ENHANCING A EUROPEAN IDENTITY .............. 18 4.1 VIEWS ON EUROPEAN IDENTITY AND CULTURAL HERITAGE .............................................. 18 4.2 ANALYSIS OF SELECTED CULTURAL HERITAGE WEBSITES AS TO THEIR POTENTIAL OF CONSTRUCTING A EUROPEAN IDENTITY ........................................................................... 21 4.3 USER RESPONSE TO THE SELECTED WEBSITES: DIGITAL CULTURAL HERITAGE PRACTICES WITH THE POTENTIAL TO PROMOTE A EUROPEAN IDENTITY ............................................. 31 4.4 ON THE POTENTIAL OF SEMANTIC TECHNOLOGIES AND LINKED OPEN DATA FOR EUROPEAN IDENTITY/IES ................................................................................................................... 43 4.5 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS .................................................................................................. 55 5. ROLE OF DIGITAL CULTURAL HERITAGE PRACTICES FOR EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES .......... 59 5.1 CASE STUDIES WITH SELECTED EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ............................................... 59 5.1.1 THE ROMANI COMMUNITY IN COVENTRY ........................................................................ 60 5.1.2 THE PROTESTANT COMMUNITY IN ITALY AND THE CASE OF THE WALDENSIAN CHURCH ... 90 5.1.3 THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IN ROSTOCK .......................................................................... 107 5.1.4 SURINAMESE COMMUNITIES IN THE NETHERLANDS ....................................................... 113 5.1.5 MAROKKO.NL ................................................................................................................ 124 5.1.6 THE SPANISH-SPEAKING COMMUNITY IN BERLIN ........................................................... 143 5.2 SUMMARY OF THE CASE STUDIES’ FINDINGS .................................................................. 164 6. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................. 166 6.1 RESULTS AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES ............................................................................. 168 6.2 SUMMARY .................................................................................................................... 171 REFERENCES ......................................................................................................... 171 LIST OF TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS .................................................................... 179 APPENDIX. DOCUMENTARY MATERIAL ................................................................. 180 4 RICHES Deliverable D4.1 European identity, belonging and the role for digital CH 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report outlines the results of a qualitative study that examined the importance of (digital) Cultural Heritage for identity-building processes within European communities and its role for the development of a European identity. European identity as a unifying factor should not be seen as a way to transcend other identities - individual, ethnic, local, national, and community identities - but as an opportunity to acquire a sense of belonging to a greater community on the continent, a ‘community of culture united in diversity’. The Identification with Europe and a sense of belonging is also based on values that teach people to live together, to respect their differences whilst searching for elements of unity. At first, the report provides an analysis of the opportunities offered by the availability of large amounts of digital content of the European heritage, published by institutions or cultural authorities. The research examines digital practices to identify the characteristics that can support the strengthening of a European identity, which methods are tangentially less suitable for this purpose and what the challenges, limits and future perspectives of the interaction with digital technologies are. Moreover, this study explores diverse European minority communities and their relationship to Cultural Heritage itself, analysing how they represent, preserve and transmit their heritage in digital format to keep alive a sense of belonging with their home countries or wider communities. The potential of digital technologies is examined to enable them to reflect on their own particular cultural identities and to engage critically with mainstream Cultural Heritage. Methodologically, the study was informed by desk research, analysis of Cultural Heritage websites and empirical research carried out through interviews, a multinational focus group and survey as well as six case studies with European communities in the UK, Italy, Netherlands and Germany. Key Findings Role of digital Cultural Heritage for enhancing a European Identity The aim of this part is to explore the ways in which large volumes of digital cultural content can facilitate the construction of a European identity and strengthen a feeling of belonging to a Europe of cultural pluralism. For this, an analysis of five Cultural Heritage websites offering curated European Cultural Heritage content has been undertaken: Europeana – www.europeana.eu Europeana 1914-1918 – www.europeana1914-1918.eu Europeana 1989 – www.europeana1989.eu Euromuse – www.euromuse.net Inventing Europe – www.inventingeurope.eu Additionally, exploratory research among twenty European citizens of different nationalities, age and gender was undertaken. Of utmost significance for the European citizens that took part in this research was the representation of all European people and cultures on the websites that have been presented to them: European digital Cultural Heritage content should be inclusive and reflect cultural pluralism through a network of interrelated identities and their interactions. For all respondents, European Cultural Heritage is intrinsically related to language diversity. There is a lot still to do for multilingual access and multilingual content that would reflect European cultural diversity with digital Cultural Heritage and foster a better understanding of the commonalities and differences among European cultures. 5 RICHES Deliverable D4.1 European identity, belonging and the role for digital CH This research has also revealed that there is a need for better mediation and contextualisation of the content as well as further participative offers. Moreover, the findings reveal a trend towards a more personal and lively connection with Cultural Heritage. Although the majority of the respondents were interested in Cultural Heritage objects from the collections of museums, fewer than half of them considered that this was giving a sense of belonging to Europe. On the contrary, individual testimonies of historical events were more likely to awaken a feeling of European belonging among all age groups. It is also necessary to explore new ways to mediate content by making best use of novel ideas and innovative technologies, and also to connect digital Cultural Heritage with living heritage practices, especially for younger audiences. Moreover, the strategic use of semantic and linked data technologies can facilitate access to European Cultural Heritage and can enhance digital practices that could foster a sense of European belonging among people of diverse origins. In the framework of European Cultural Heritage digital applications, these technologies enhance access and discoverability of content and support language and cultural diversity. By linking to external resources, they provide rich documentation and contextual information or background information about Cultural Heritage objects in an innovative as much as cost-effective way.