Ruïne van de kerk te Vlierden 1890 - 1920

This photograph of the Ruïne van de kerk te Vlierden was created by an anonymous photographer working for Monumentenzorg. This image is of particular interest to cultural historians because of the way it intersects with ideas about heritage and preservation. The fact that it was commissioned by Monumentenzorg, a Dutch heritage organisation, suggests a desire to document and perhaps protect historical sites. Consider the time it was made. What was the prevailing attitude to historical monuments? Was there a growing sense of national identity that led to more interest in preserving the past? We can see here a ruin, a damaged relic of previous years. Churches were key institutions, particularly in rural communities. This image perhaps speaks to the diminishing influence of religion in Dutch society, but also to new ways of relating to the past. To understand the image more fully, it would be useful to examine the archives of Monumentenzorg, and to explore broader histories of Dutch heritage and the preservation movement. The meaning of art changes through time as culture and institutions evolve.