On 11 May, the second edition of the National Action Days for Resilient Heritage kicked off at the KB (National Library of the Netherlands). The action days are organised to raise awareness about the safety and preservation of Dutch cultural heritage. During her opening remarks, Wilma van Wezenbeek, Director General of the KB, expressed her concern about the declining centralised protection of heritage in the Netherlands.
According to Van Wezenbeek, the democratic power afforded by our cultural heritage is now under pressure in two ways. Van Wezenbeek: "The threats to which our heritage is subject have significantly changed and increased in recent years. Sabotage of vital infrastructure, cyber attacks and even targeted destruction are the new reality. Alongside this, our country is currently making political choices that undermine the resilience of our heritage. You protect heritage not only by securing it from the outside, but also by prioritising it from within. This requires seeing it as a core investment in democracy."
Read Van Wezenbeek’s full speech (in Dutch) here.
Gatherings throughout the Netherlands
During the National Action Days from 11–13 May, cultural institutions across the country organised gatherings to draw attention to the protection of Dutch cultural heritage. Download a programme of activities here. At the KB, The Hague Prevention Network is organising a fire-rescue exercise in collaboration with the Mauritshuis Museum, the KB and the National Archives. The action days are organised annually by UNESCO, Cultural Emergency Response and Blue Shield Netherlands.
The resilient and robust heritage expertise page has more information about how we work on the resilience of our heritage at the KB. .
