| Eline B.J Amsing |
Figure 1. Archaeological Park Matilo (Buro JP)
Participation in heritage management is not (yet?)
common in the Netherlands, but this topic has
gained more attention in academic research in
the last few years (Duineveld 2007; Duineveld
et al. 2008; Groenendijk 2015; Van den Dries
2014). From the literature, it seems that there is a
value-centred heritage management and policies
that stimulate participatory governance on the one
hand, and the current practice in archaeological
heritage management on the other. Although it is
known that we have an interested and supportive
audience (Van den Dries 2014), more understanding
of the values attributed to archaeological heritage
by different groups of stakeholders is needed for
sustainable heritage management and effective
community engagement.
For my master thesis in heritage management
(Amsing 2015) I intended to identify for what
reasons archaeological sites are valued and what
the interests are of the stakeholders involved.
Which values are prioritised by those in charge
and what are the thoughts of stakeholders about
this? I evaluated this for two case study projects,
Archaeological Park Matilo in Leiden and Castellum
Hoge Woerd in Utrecht. I chose these case studies,
because they both concern archaeological site parks
in the Netherlands situated in the middle of lively
neighbourhoods. Also, in both projects a range of
stakeholder groups were involved and both sites are
part of the Roman Limes, which is on the World
Heritage tentative list.
p. 38 | VOL III | INTER-SECTION | 2017
The case study projects
Archaeological Park Matilo in Leiden, which
protects the archaeological remains of the listed
monument of the Roman castellum
1). The idea of the city council was to incorporate
the archaeological monument in a park, a green
area where people from the socially very different
neighbourhoods of Roomburg and Meerburg could
meet and recreate. Besides, it was hoped that the
history of the site would add identity to the new
neighbourhood of Roomburg, and that it would
attract tourists to visit Leiden and Matilo too
(Gemeente Leiden 2008 & 2009; Bureau Buiten
2012; Provincie Zuid-Holland 2014).
The archaeological site of De Hoge Woerd is situated
in the relatively new city district Leidsche Rijn,
West of Utrecht. The site is listed as a monument
since the 1960s as it consists of a Roman castellum
from around 50 CE on a meander of the river
Rhine. The reconstructed castellum forms a park,
a museum (developed by the municipal Heritage
Department), a restaurant, a city farm and a theatre
(Projectbureau Leidsche Rijn 2007). Castellum
Hoge Woerd opened in August 2015.