Heritage policy

In its cultural policy, the Netherlands sees heritage as a complex and broad phenomenon with many facets and forms of representation, which:

-      offer insight into the history of the Netherlands and its influence on today’s society;

-      are a reflection of Dutch art and culture;

-      provide clarity regarding social relationships past and present between genders, rich and poor, young and old and different classes;

-      show the richness of Dutch history and Dutch technical aptitude, and how this relates to other countries.

The Dutch national institutions each hold the key a part of this heritage, whether this is preserved on paper or fabric, is material or non-material; and actively disseminate their knowledge and expertise. These institutions are: the Nationaal Archief (National Archives of the Netherlands), Erfgoed Nederland (Netherlands Institute for Heritage), the Instituut Collectie Nederland (Netherlands Institute for Cultural Heritage) and the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed (Department of Cultural Heritage). The Netherlands Institute for Cultural Heritage is soon to become part of the Department of Cultural Heritage.