Utrechtse Erfgoeddag
A thought-provoking event about the binding power of heritage.
The binding power of heritage
The annual Utrecht Heritage Day is organized May 7 by Landscape Heritage Utrecht and Utrecht University. Against the backdrop of five years of World Heritage status for the Roman Limes and the Dutch Water Defence Lines, this sixth edition focuses on the future of our heritage and its binding power.
De Utrechtse Erfgoeddag 2026 is a thought-provoking event about the future of our heritage and its binding power: how can heritage professionals, students, and volunteers face the future? What are the major challenges? Which technological innovations are on the horizon, and what opportunities and threats do they present? How can we give concrete meaning to the principles of the Faro Convention in an increasingly polarized world?
Topics
- The Dutch Water Defence Lines: UNESCO World Heritage as a reminder of a war that never came;
- Artlab: digital methodologies, citizen science, and the future of heritage;
- The new generation of heritage professionals: what the latest cohort of students and professionals have to say about the future of heritage;
- The Faro Convention - what now? The importance of multiple perspectives.
Event details
- Location: University Hall, Utrecht
- Target audience: Heritage professionals, students, and heritage volunteers
- Time: The morning programme (conducted in Dutch) will conclude with lunch
- Admission: Free of charge; registration required
- Registration via thee Landschap Erfgoed Utrecht website (in Dutch)
Programme
The Dutch Water Defence Lines: UNESCO World Heritage as a reminder of a war that never came
On the origins of UNESCO, World Heritage, and the growing awareness among policymakers and the public that “what is valuable is vulnerable.” What have been the outcomes of 50 years of UNESCO? How has thinking about heritage protection changed over the past decades? Scholars, musicians, HKU students, and former guest editors of The Story of Utrecht share their visions for the future.
Artlab
Art historian Sanne Frequin (Utrecht University) takes us on a safari through digital methodologies, citizen science, and the future of our heritage.
The youngest generation
Students and early-career professionals present their research, offering a glimpse into the heritage of the future.
The Faro Convention - now what?
The Netherlands has signed the Faro Convention—but what comes next? How can heritage professionals and volunteers give shape to the heritage of the future, with much more room for alternative voices and perspectives? A panel discussion including former guest editors of The Story of Utrecht.
Presentation of the Utrecht Heritage Award 2026
Participants of the Heritage Day will vote to determine which of the three finalists wins the Utrecht Heritage Award 2026.