VU Research Portal Chosen Legacies Egberts, L.R. 2015 document version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Link to publication in VU Research Portal citation for published version (APA) Egberts, L. R. (2015). Chosen Legacies: Heritage in the Construction of Regional Identity. General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. • Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal ? Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. E-mail address: [email protected] Download date: 02. Oct. 2021 1 INTRODUCTION 14 - CHOSEN LEGACIES - 15 - INTRODUCTION - The interest of geographers in regions surprisingly, it often displays an am- in the discourse of such disciplines France and the Euregio Meuse-Rhine has always been accompanied by an biguous character, as it is involved in as geography, history, heritage – whose territory extends to three awareness of many aspects of globali- discourses which are plural and con- studies, archaeology, anthropology countries (Germany, Belgium and the sation and modernisation. Moreover, textual.2 and sociology. Taking most of this Netherlands), as they both have a the development of geography as an In scholarly discussion, as background into account, I want to strong presence in historical studies academic discipline is closely related well as in spatial planning, govern- explore the triangular relationship on the Carolingian era. I analyse how to the question of how regions have ance and politics, heritage is inextri- between the concepts of region, heritage from this period has played been perceived, as regions were the cably intertwined with regional iden- identity, and heritage, which I will a role in the formation of the iden- principal subject of early geograph- tity. The frequency with which these do in the course of seeking an an- tities of these regions in the recent ical researchers. After having lost its concepts are jointly applied suggests swer to the main question posed by past and how it continues to do so importance as a central concern of that their relationship has been thor- this book: today. geography in the 1980s, the region oughly studied and extensively ana- re-emerged in the course of the lysed both in theory and in case stud- What is the role of heritage in the 1990s as a key concept in the social ies. However, despite the apparently regional identity construction of regional identities? region sciences, as well as in spatial plan- self-evident way in which these no- ning, administration, and politics. tions are combined, the understand- This resurgence should be under- ing of the role of heritage in the con- In order to get a clearer view identity stood in the context of accelerating struction of regional identities is still of how heritage works in the con- processes of cultural and economic in its beginning stages. Clearly, the struction of regional identities, I globalisation, joined by an economic relationship between heritage and re- have chosen to explore this field by regionalism focussed on the speciali- gional identity requires considerable approaching it from three different sation of regions within a worldwide further exploration. angles, each of which is presented in network and on their marketing. The its own chapter. Initially, however, I heritage concept is now applied to many dif- survey the various positions in the ferent spatial scales, including su- Main question academic debate on the role of her- Figure 1.1. Heritage and regional identity pranational areas which are spread itage in the construction of regional over several different countries. It is Long before the concept of region- identities. also employed as a way understand al identity came to be widely used, After laying this theoretical The second perspective em- rapid, spatial transformations, such it was common practice to relate foundation, my first perspective is ployed here is the examination of the as shrinkage, industrialisation or ur- historic places, landscapes and other to focus on the role of heritage from role of heritage in a dynamic, urban banisation.1 elements of heritage to regions as one particular period in different re- network that has been conceived as In the last three decades, well as to the identity of individu- gions in present-day Europe, in order a region for a only relatively short region and identity have been joined als or groups of people. And each to see how similar heritages change time. I focus, in particular, on how to create the concept of regional of these three concepts contributed and take on different meanings in the heritage is appropriated to shape an identity. It is an essential element in to complex discourses that span course of centuries of appropriation identity for a new region and how the renewed interest in regionalism multiple fields of research. Their and re-interpretation. Early medieval competition between various herit- and occupies an important place in positioning, application and inter- heritage proved to be a suitable point age themes and forms of authenticity various disciplinary discourses, par- pretation has changed in the course of departure for this purpose. I stud- interferes with the overall process of ticularly in geography. Perhaps not of time and reflect larger changes ied two regions in depth – Alsace in unification within the region. My case 16 - CHOSEN LEGACIES - 17 - INTRODUCTION - study in this instance is the Arnhem The remainder of the book Euregio Meuse-Rhine, which are both The book concludes with Nijmegen region, in the eastern Neth- embedded in the process of Europe- Chapter 6, where I offer general con- erlands, a highly dynamic, quickly My book consists of four essays, anisation. After introducing the cen- clusions. Taken together, these con- urbanising, polycentric region which preceded by this introduction and tral problem and aims of the chap- stitute an answer to the main ques- is actively searching for ways to bind followed by a brief concluding chap- ter, I present the broader European tion that I formulated above. I also its two main cities together, and is ter. Each essay is developed inde- context in which I discuss medieval argue there that although the con- using heritage as one among them. pendently of the others, but all are heritage. An historical outline of ear- cept of regional identity has been ex- My third approach is dia- centred around the role of heritage ly medieval Europe and the analysis tensively explored in recent decades, chronic. It is focused on the Ruhr in the construction of regional iden- of its heritage in today’s Alsace and its relationship to the manifold ways area, which is a good candidate for tities. They also have similar, rather Meuse-Rhine constitute the bulk of of dealing with the past needs much this purpose, since it has been con- tightly structured introductory sec- the chapter.3 further analysis and theorisation. ceived as one entity for over a cen- tions in which I present their rele- Chapter 4 is centred on her- tury and has gone through immense vance to the whole, their research itage and regional identity in the structural change. The evolution of questions, and their connections to rapidly urbanising region of Arnhem the role of heritage is particularly current theory. Nijmegen. An introduction and an interesting in this case, because it is Chapter 2 is a theoretical ex- historical overview are followed by the chief symbolic vector of the new ploration and discourse analysis of re- an analysis of how various heritage regional identity that took form af- gional identities and heritage. Before themes are being employed to brand ter the closure of the coal mines and examining the relationships between the region as a whole – as well as in- steel industry, a process which be- region, identity and heritage, I first dividual parts of it – through web- gan in the late 1950s. Much has been consider each of these three concepts sites and through institutional and written about industrial heritage and separately. Then, after briefly sur- governmental policies. The chapter the identity of the Ruhr region, but veying the history of the use of the concludes with a study of four differ- few attempts have been made to sur- concept of the region in geography, I ent spatial planning projects in the vey the changes in the memory of the introduce the notion of identity and region, in all of which heritage and industrial era and its changing role show how it has been applied to spa- spatial notions of identity play an im- in the construction of a new region- tial contexts. Next, I discuss the com- portant part. al identity over the last five decades. pound concept of regional identity. I Chapter 5 focuses on heritage Furthermore, since most of the writ- position heritage as one of many ways and memory in the Ruhr region of ing on this topic has been available of dealing with the past – and here I Germany. After a brief introduction only to those able to read German, I discuss this concept as part of a broad- sketching out its industrial history, I hope my analysis will, among other er memory complex.