Loss in Translation

Religious heritage has long been within the scope of academia, but very little research has been conducted on the heritagization of Catholic monasteries. This is remarkable considering the longstanding historical presence and social impact of these institutes that, in recent times, have also become well-visited spiritual centers and much-cherished heritage objects.

This book addresses this lacuna. It does so through examining the heritagization process of De Heilige Driehoek (The Holy Triangle), a religious site comprised of three living monasteries in the south of the Netherlands. Ever since the turn of the millennium, the monastic communities living there have increasingly experienced the involvement of heritage groups. In this dynamic, the distinctive religious tradition of the monastics has led to a distinctive heritage perception of the area; one in which the spiritual and historical values of this tradition are recognized. However, as these values are translated into a secular heritage discourse, the question arises how this translation relates to the self-understanding and needs of the monastics.

The aim of this book is to conceptualize through a historical lens the evolving and differing ways in which the different parties involved envision the meaning, potential, and nature of the monasteries. This study shows the struggle of heritage groups with creating a compelling narrative for their intended audiences and the often problematic impact this has on religious communities. In doing so, it offers a new perspective on the complicated relationship between religion and heritage

Table of Contents

Table of figures

Introduction

Part 1. Historiography

1. Historiographic debate
2. The return of monastic presence
3. Change

Part 2. Heritage

4. Conceptualizing Heritage
5. Religious Heritage
6. The heritagization of De Heilige Driehoek

Part 3. The monastic communities

7. Religious ideals in a secular world
8. Tensions

Conclusion

Acknowledgements
Appendix
Bibliography

Wouter Kock holds a BA (Utrecht University) in history and a research MA (cum laude) in Religious Studies (Utrecht University & Bergen University). During his studies, he has developed an interest in the ways people engage with, think about, and experience the past. He wrote his MA thesis about the heritagization of Catholic monasteries for which he received several awards.

Since 2022, he works as a PhD researcher at Radboud University, at the faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies. There, he conducts historical and ethnographic research on the simultaneous heritagization and re-religionization of Catholic monasteries, with support of the NWO programme PhDs in the Humanities.