{"id":47854,"date":"2026-08-31T11:10:29","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T10:10:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=47854"},"modified":"2026-08-31T11:10:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T10:10:29","slug":"ihbc-features-heritage-from-the-global-doorstep-breathing-new-life-into-sacred-spaces-in-rotterdams-innovative-approach-to-religious-heritage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=47854","title":{"rendered":"IHBC features \u2018Heritage from the Global doorstep\u2019: Breathing new life into sacred spaces, in Rotterdam\u2019s innovative approach to religious heritage"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"File:Pauluskerk<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

image: Pauluskerk, Rotterdam by AgainErick, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From historic churches and community storytelling spaces to innovative museum projects and grassroots cultural initiatives, Rotterdam welcomed 20 participants of the European Heritage Hub\u2019s Peer-learning Visit from 18-20 June for three days of exchange, discovery and reflection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The European Heritage Hub writes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hosted by the Municipality of Rotterdam and organised in collaboration with Hub partner Eurocities, the visit brought together city representatives, heritage professionals, policymakers and cultural practitioners from across Europe to explore how heritage can strengthen social cohesion, support urban transformation and foster community participation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discovering Rotterdam\u2019s \u2018unseen heritage\u2019
The programme opened with a welcome from Martijn van der Mark, Senior Policy Advisor for the Creative Industries and Media at the City of Rotterdam, and Anouk Estourgie, Cultural Historian and programme maker, Cultuur & Vliegwerk, alongside members of the European Heritage Hub team. Tanja Mlaker, Director of Cultuur Eindhoven, served as the Peer-learning Visit expert and facilitator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Participants then embarked on a special city tour led by Man met Vleugels (\u2018Man with Wings\u2019), exploring places and stories that reveal a lesser-known side of Rotterdam\u2019s heritage through poetry, music and live illustrations created during the walk. Traversing the city centre from the Erasmus statue to Pauluskerk, the walk highlighted how layers of memory, architecture and community life contribute to Rotterdam\u2019s identity. The day concluded with the official opening of the Heilige Huisjes (\u2018Holy Houses\u2019) festival at Pauluskerk, followed by a networking dinner that enabled participants to begin exchanging experiences and ideas from their own cities and regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018This festival was founded to reconnect the religious heritage of the city a little bit better to modern life and also with creative and cultural partners partners in the city, and to see if we can let people rediscover heritage in new ways,\u2019 said Sander Ummelen, Founder of Heilige Huisjes. A full interview about the Heilige Huisjes festival can be listened to on NOS Radio 1 Journaal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reimagining heritage through technology and storytelling<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second day of the visit focused on innovative approaches to heritage interpretation and public engagement. At the historic Laurenskerk, participants were welcomed by Director Elles van Veghel, who introduced the multimedia experience \u2018365 Steps Through Time\u2019 \u2014 transforming the church tower into an immersive public attraction, combining technology, storytelling and historical interpretation to connect visitors with Rotterdam\u2019s past in new ways. After walking the 365 stairs to the top of the tower, participants enjoyed a 360 degree view of Rotterdam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Holy Houses: Heritage as a shared community resource<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The programme then turned to the origins and ambitions of the Heilige Huisjes festival. At Steigerkerk, Leontine Meijer van Mensch, Director of Museum Rotterdam, presented plans for the church\u2019s future role as the home of the city collection and a new cultural anchor for Rotterdam. The venue also holds symbolic importance as the place where the Heilige Huisjes initiative first began. \u2018I am so happy that I am able to be the director of a start-up museum that wants to work together with the inhabitants of Rotterdam to rethink what a city museum should or should not be about. And to do that in a former religious building at the heart of where Rotterdam was founded is incredibly powerful,\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then Iris Pennock, who works at the monuments and cultural history office of the Municipality of Rotterdam, shared how religious heritage sites can be reactivated as spaces for dialogue, creativity and community use.  Sander Ummelen gave a presentation on the background of the Heilige Huisjes festival, which started in 2021 to bring together a new network of faith communities to have a city-wide conversation about the role and future of places of worship in Rotterdam, and now is a cultural festival taking place in June each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discussions highlighted the importance of partnerships between local authorities, heritage professionals and citizens in ensuring the sustainable future of historic buildings. Participants exchanged perspectives from across Europe, reflecting on shared challenges and opportunities in managing heritage sites that continue to serve contemporary communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stories, migration and communities on Katendrecht<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The afternoon shifted focus to Katendrecht, one of Rotterdam\u2019s most culturally diverse neighbourhoods. At Verhalenhuis Belv\u00e9d\u00e8re \u2018House of Stories\u2019), participants enjoyed a lunch prepared by one of the restaurant\u2019s rotating chefs \u2014 which changes on a weekly basis \u2014 serving as a reflection of the diverse communities that have shaped the history of Rotterdam and can be found today in the city. Then founder of Verhalenhuis Belv\u00e9d\u00e8re, Linda Malherbe, introduced the organisation\u2019s mission of bringing people together through storytelling, cultural exchange and community-led initiatives. Located in a neighbourhood shaped by migration and maritime history, the centre demonstrates how heritage can emerge from lived experiences as much as from monuments and collections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An excursion around the Katendrecht peninsula offered participants the opportunity to explore the area\u2019s rich social fabric, including a visit to the Verhalendepot, a dynamic collection of stories, art and heritage from the people of Rotterdam. Through encounters with local initiatives and narratives, participants gained insight into how community storytelling can strengthen belonging and preserve diverse cultural memories. Later, author Ellen Schindler presented Metro 010, a graphic novel that explores Rotterdam\u2019s historical development and future aspirations. The discussion illustrated the potential of creative formats to engage new and younger audiences with urban heritage. The day concluded with a community dinner at Verhalenhuis Belv\u00e9d\u00e8re prepared by guest chefs from the Volkskeuken initiative. The gathering demonstrated how food can act as a powerful vehicle for cultural exchange and heritage transmission, bringing people together across backgrounds and generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From inspiration to action<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the final morning, participants gathered for a replication workshop designed to transform inspiration into practical action. Through facilitated discussions, they reflected on the projects, methods and approaches encountered during the visit and explored how these could be adapted to their own local contexts. The session encouraged participants to identify concrete next steps, strengthen international connections and consider how people-centred heritage practices can contribute to more inclusive and resilient communities across Europe. Tanja Mlaker offered some final reflections about successful grassroots heritage initiatives: (1) Start small, (2) Stay flexible, (3) Make connections and (4) Be and remain authentic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, the Rotterdam Peer-learning Visit demonstrated the richness of heritage when understood not only as historic buildings and collections, but also as stories, relationships and everyday experiences. From innovative interpretation projects and revitalised religious spaces to community storytelling and intercultural exchange, the programme showcased how heritage can serve as a catalyst for participation, dialogue and urban renewal. This perspective is reinforced by the Rotterdam Heritage Agenda 2023-2027, which frames heritage as a valuable asset for connecting the places, stories and communities that have shaped the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As participants returned to their cities and regions, they carried with them new ideas, partnerships and inspiration \u2014 continuing the European Heritage Hub\u2019s mission of connecting people and practices across Europe through heritage. The next Peer-learning Visit is planned from 4-6 November 2026 in Lisbon, Portugal, with focus on the \u2018Memories of Lisbon\u2019 practice. The call will open in July via the Hub\u2019s website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

image: Pauluskerk, Rotterdam by AgainErick, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons From historic churches and community storytelling spaces to innovative museum projects and grassroots cultural initiatives, Rotterdam welcomed 20 participants of the European Heritage Hub\u2019s Peer-learning Visit from 18-20 June … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[6,40,30,99,29],"class_list":["post-47854","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ihbc-newsblog","tag-building","tag-community","tag-environment","tag-europe","tag-heritage"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47854","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=47854"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47854\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47855,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47854\/revisions\/47855"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=47854"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=47854"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=47854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}