Roman heritage as national and international heritage
Most people know that the Romans considered a big part of the Netherlands part of the Roman Empire in the first centuries of our calendar. The UNESCO already recognised its value in 2021, when it included the Lower Germanic Limes, the border of the Roman Empire in the Netherlands and western Germany, on the World Heritage List. In recent decades, archaeological and historical research has yielded a wealth of new knowledge and insights about the Roman period in the Netherlands. Furthermore, it has constantly become clearer how Roman culture influenced our history and current society, and actually still does. In order to continue this research, pool relevant knowledge and expertise and embed it in a sustainable manner, train new specialists and make research accessible to a wide audience, there is an urgent need for an interdisciplinary and inspiring institute that unlocks knowledge about the Roman period in the Netherlands. This urgency is only getting stronger now that budget cuts at universities are also strongly affecting the cultural sciences and it is becoming increasingly difficult to train new experts in archaeology.
The translation of all this (scientific) research is important in order to inform a wide audience about this period in our national history and the role that the Romans played in shaping our contemporary world. UNESCO's recognition of the importance of the Netherlands’ Roman past underlines the responsibility of science, policy and society to safeguard this knowledge in a sustainable manner, to unlock it and translate it to a contemporary context. However, the accessibility and timeliness of the available publications is limited. As a result, scientific knowledge is slowly getting lost, but there is also more to be done when it comes to using Roman stories in museums and other recreational and educational activities.
A centre that connects, produces and translates knowledge
To realise these plans, Radboud University has joined forces with the municipality of Nijmegen to appoint a duo of pioneers to further explore and establish a Knowledge Centre for the Roman Netherlands. Dr Saskia Stevens (Radboud University) is an archaeologist and ancient historian, project leader of the research project Constructing the Limes, and also affiliated with Utrecht University. Ilona Haas (municipality of Nijmegen) is senior policy-advisor archaeology and programme manager of Romans in Gelderland for the Green Metropolitan Region of Arnhem-Nijmegen. They collaborate with Valkhof Museum/Kam Museum, the Green Metropolitan Region Arnhem-Nijmegen, Gelderland province and the Dutch Limes Collaboration (NLS). The centre focuses on policy-makers, educational institutions, archaeological companies, museums, researchers and amateur archaeologists.
Stories that connect
“This national knowledge centre provides a unique opportunity to connect all forms of knowledge about the Roman period in the Netherlands,” Saskia Stevens says. “That way we can develop and tell the story of the Romans in the Netherlands together.”
Ilona Haas adds: “Municipalities and provinces value the careful handling of Roman heritage. The centre makes scientific knowledge accessible and applicable in stories that are recognisable to the public.”
Looking ahead: structural collaboration and innovation
A concrete example of the added value of the knowledge centre is the facilitation of structural collaboration between knowledge institutions, governments and commercial archaeology. Think of joint research projects, shared databases and public-oriented initiatives. The task of the pioneering duo is to draw up a plan for the sustainable organisation and funding of the Knowledge Centre.