Oral
history
projects
In honour of the 30th anniversary of the Maastricht Treaty, Studio Europa Maastricht is working on two oral history projects.
Oral history is a form of historiography based on interviews. Historians interview people about their recollection of a specific event in which they were involved. This could include important political events, such as the establishment of treaties, but also experiences from daily life, such as the festive decorating of a shop or café in honour of the 1991 Maastricht European Summit.
Political oral history project: The Netherlands, Europe and the Maastricht Treaty
What happened behind closed doors at the Government on the Maas on 9 and 10 December 1991? Which government leaders dominated the European Summit? How were the deals made? Who were the winners, who were the losers? These are some of the questions we seek answers to in our political oral history project.
We are asking these questions not only to senior politicians and diplomats but also to bankers, economists, lobbyists, journalists and opinion leaders. Our focus is primarily on the Dutch side of the story, but we also want to hear what relevant actors from our neighbouring countries—Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, France and the United Kingdom—have to say.
Public oral history project:
Mestreech ’92
We are also collecting the stories of ‘ordinary’ residents of Maastricht and Limburg—because all the memories of the 1991 European Summit and the signing of the treaty in 1992 are cultural heritage, also those of the general public. They teach historians how a local community responded to an event of global importance.
Were you a chauffeur for government leaders during the European Summit? Did you take part in the farmers’ protests? Did you play a role in this special event as an entrepreneur or with your association? Did you, perhaps as a civil servant, contribute to the preparations? If so, please contact us. You can do so via the website of Mestreech ’92 (in Dutch). Check out the first anecdotes and share your story, too!
