Gedeelte van Kasteel Doornenburg 1903

This photograph shows a section of Doornenburg Castle, and was made by the Dutch office for Monuments and Historic Buildings. Castles like this are often viewed as symbols of national heritage, offering a romantic vision of the past. But it's worth asking: who decides what constitutes heritage, and what social functions does it serve? In the Netherlands, as in other European countries, conservation efforts gained momentum in the late 19th and early 20th centuries amid rising nationalism and anxieties about modernization. What aspects of the past were seen as worth preserving, and which were overlooked? This image reflects a selective view of history. To understand the image fully, we might delve into archives and institutional records, exploring the criteria used to identify and preserve monuments. We can better understand the values that shape our understanding of the past, and the role of institutions in shaping collective memory.