Sharing the past

As early as the nineteenth century, elements of the past were brought to the present and positioned as heritage by means of walking trails, exhibitions and stagings, and they have been ever since. This process takes place through formal and informal collaborations between museums, heritage organizations, schools and local governments. In these collaborations, the desire to convey historical knowledge and insights takes a prominent place. But there are other interests too, like reaching and serving a wide audience and the protection of identities presumed threatened. Besides, heritage evokes emotions. The question arising is how these agendas, views, missions and emotions interrelate, how they affect the several heritage programmes and, first and foremost, what implications this may have for education and transmission.

In this inaugural lecture, I argue that it is important to research these collaborations from a network perspective. A wider knowledge on this subject could promote the quality of education programmes. A network perspective would make us more aware of the layered character and the dynamics that characterize the world of heritage. It will provide us with a better understanding of the ways in which heritage comes about, how it is made, how it is put in a box for protection, and how it is commented upon, or, in other words, how heritage can become the object of creating, crating and commentating.