PhD | Low Saxon heritage in the Netherlands: exploring the relationship between intangible rural heritage, identity, power and belonging.

PhD | Low Saxon heritage in the Netherlands: exploring the relationship between intangible rural heritage, identity, power and belonging
PhD candidate: Mariska van der Velde
Institution: University of Groningen
Supervisors: Clemens Six, Maarten Zwiers

What do people in the Dutch Low Saxon (Nedersaksisch) area see as their heritage? What does this mean for the Low Saxon people, and what can this tell us about our broader understanding of the concept of heritage? Heritage can give us insight into topics such as identity, power and politics. Why do people designate certain practices as ‘heritage’? Which modern values are reflected in the items and traditions that are deemed heritage? And who gets to decide what counts as heritage in the first place? And what happens if people disagree or do not want to conform to others’ understandings of heritage?

Within discussions on heritage, especially in Europe, little attention has been paid to intangible rural heritage. Therefore, through both interviews as well as a co-creation project about Low Saxon Heritage, I firstly intend to explore what Low Saxon heritage entails. Secondly, I am curious to see how rural heritage is similar/different to other types of heritage. Lastly, this research might offer new insights into contemporary situations on the Dutch countryside