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Logo of the municipality of Heerlen
Logo of the municipality of Heerlen

Heritage Year

Heritage Year 2025

The Year of Heerlen Heritage is halfway through. In the first six months, the counter has ticked 80 projects, and this number will undoubtedly double before the year is over. In this theme year, Heerlen's heritage from Roman times, the Middle Ages, the mining past and the transition years will be (re)experienced.

Activities in August

The month of August is just around the corner. This month, too, there is plenty to experience as part of the Year of Heerlen Heritage. These include walks where the mining past comes back to life. The outdoor exhibition My Tattoo moves to Heerlerheide this month. Breakdancers from all over the world are coming to Heerlen to show off their dance moves during The Notorious IBE and Cultura Nova is also starting this month with brand new activities. 

Continue on this page to read interesting articles about Heerlen through the ages. 

Future activities  

Below is a current overview of events and activities that shape the Year of Heerlen Heritage. Making the past visible and experienceable in the present is the common thread running through the program. This page is updated weekly. So check back regularly for the list of activities. 

View the program ↓

The Heritage Year program

  • Roman villas in Limburg

    Date:   to

    Location:
    The Find (Raadhuisplein 20, Heerlen)

    The traveling exhibition Roman Villas in Limburg lands for its final stop in Heerlen. Here you will admire archaeological treasures that provide an intimate glimpse into life on Roman estates in Limburg.

    Exhibition

  • Photo exhibition: My Tattoo (location: Hoensbroek)

    Date:   to

    Location:
    Gebrookerplein, Hoensbroek

    For the Year of Heerlen Heritage, photographer Wouter Zaalberg and lyricist Leonie Kohl have put together a special open-air exhibition. In My Tattoo, individuals who have a deep connection to Heerlen's mining past are portrayed.

    Exposition

  • From MY shaft to MY Museum (Saturday 2 August)

    Date:  

    Location:
    Dutch Mining Museum

    During this walk the guide takes you back to the time of black gold. You start where the MINE era ended and end in the Dutch Mining Museum where you discover the different facets of the colorful mining past.

    Guided tour
To the total program overview

Articles

Grant application 

Do you have ideas that fit the Heritage Year? If so, you may be able to get a grant. Let us know what your idea is. Every Heerlen resident can participate. You can organize something on your own or together with an association, neighborhood organization, school or company.

Grant application

What is heritage and why is it important?

Heritage is often described as our legacy of the past, by which we live in the present. We pass this legacy on to future generations so that they too can learn from it, admire it and enjoy it. Heritage, then, is something you inherit. It contributes to your identity and connects the community. It tells something about where we come from, who we are, and how we develop. 

There is intangible heritage and tangible heritage. What is the difference?

  • Intangible heritage is heritage that cannot be touched, for example, traditions, stories, songs, rituals, languages and knowledge about ancient trades and crafts.
  • Material heritage can be touched, such as buildings, works of art and collections. Material heritage is again divided into two groups, these are movable heritage and immovable heritage. Movable heritage is movable and immovable heritage is not.

Examples of heritage include:

  • Roman bathhouse is the oldest stone building in the Netherlands
  • Developments and construction projects in Heerlen for growth and diversity of the city
  • Traditions, music and dance

What kind of initiative can I suggest?

Come up with a good idea that focuses on Heerlen's heritage and connects to the themes: Romans, Knights and Robbers, Mine Age, the Transition Years and the Future.

We call on you to spotlight your version of Heerlen. Think of family stories and anecdotes, a piece of music or your opinion about our Heritage in a debate. But also, for example, an event. Think of a dance battle in the former mine shaft, a story contest, a gabber party in the Royal or a historical walk in your neighborhood. Above all, let your creativity speak!  

Which cultural and heritage institutions are participating?

In SCHUNCK, Parkstad Limburg Theater, De Nieuwe Nor, Kasteel Hoensbroek, the Roman Museum, the Dutch Mining Museum, Filmhuis De Spiegel and the Cultuurhuis Heerlen, the story of Heerlen in 2025 comes to life. But also during our events such as the Week of Amateur Arts, Cultura Nova, Booch! and, for example, Schrit_tmacher. And educational programs for schools are also coming. These will follow around September.

Can I get a grant for an activity?

Yes, you can. There are two options. Grant for: 

  • an activity up to 1000 euros 
  • an activity between 1,000 and 5,000 euros. 

View application information.