European Heritage Label
The European Heritage Label is an initiative of the European Union. It is awarded to heritage that is of great value to European history and culture.
The label aims to increase mutual understanding between European citizens. In addition, it gives Europeans, especially young people, more insight into European history and the common cultural heritage.
The Maastricht Treaty was awarded the European Heritage Label in 2018, at the request of the Province of Limburg.
The European Heritage Label is a special honor. In addition to the Maastricht Treaty, only four Dutch locations have acquired the label: Kamp Westerbork, Het Vredespaleis, de Koloniën van Weldadigheid en Museum Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder.
The podcast Europa om je heen takes you to locations with the European Heritage Label in the Netherlands.
INTANGIBLE HERITAGE
Organizations that receive the European Heritage Label are tasked with keeping the story behind the heritage object alive.
In the case of the Maastricht Treaty, this is not easy. After all, this is not about material heritage, such as a building, a camp or a collection of banners. Such ‘physical’ heritage is relatively easy to present or make accessible to a wide audience. The Maastricht Treaty is intangible heritage. It was given the label because of its content: the influential agreements that the EU member states reached in Maastricht in 1992, and the ideas behind them.
Thanks to SEM’s versatile research and education programme, the European Commission designated the Maastricht Treaty as an exemplary European Heritage Site in 2020.
Research and education
To make this special intangible heritage ‘tangible’ and transparent, the Province of Limburg decided to collect historical information about the creation and impact of the treaty. The Province placed this task in the hands of Studio Europa Maastricht in 2018.
Researchers from Maastricht University collect and make accessible historical documents about the treaty and its background in a special Europe Archive. They also record the testimonies of politicians, civil servants, bankers and economists who played a role in the development of the treaty and its elaboration.
The archive and the stories of those involved are made accessible to a wide audience. The new insights that the researchers gain during their work are processed into attractive educational projects for young and old.
NETWORK
Together with the Province of Limburg, Studio Europa also participates in networks of European Heritage label holders in the Netherlands and Europe. Knowledge and experience are shared in these networks.
