The Netherlands Cultural Heritage Agency (Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed)#

The Cultural Heritage Agency is part of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science the Cultural Heritage. The Agency is a research institute and centre of excellence on monuments, historic buildings, archaeology, landscape, and fine and applied arts. The government incorporates the Agency’s specialist knowledge into legislation and rules designed to protect and develop the heritage. We are also charged with implementing and enforcing the Monuments and Historic Buildings Act, taking action where necessary when the heritage is threatened.

In our role as a government agency, we maintain an overview of the cultural heritage throughout the country, including the legislation governing it. We tell the stories behind our cultural heritage and advise national, regional and local authorities, museums and other heritage organizations in their decision making. The Agency facilitates an infrastructure for heritage organisations to connect and exchange data and knowledge on cultural heritage. We also make a valuable contribution to international cooperation in this field through the exchange of knowledge and information.

Organisation

• The RCE, created in 2006 by the merger of the National Service for Archaeological Heritage (ROB) and the Netherlands Department for Conservation (RDMZ), joined in 2011 by the Netherlands Institute for Cultural Heritage (ICN) , is part of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.
• It currently has approximately 350 staff.
• The Agency is housed in an impressive new building in Amersfoort designed by Spanish architect Juan Navarro Baldeweg, which was officially opened by HM Queen Beatrix in June 2009.

Mandate

• The RCE is the national centre of expertise on archaeology, the built heritage, cultural landscape and arts.
• Besides producing knowledge and issuing grants, the RCE uses its statutory mandate to preserve and develop the national heritage.
• The RCE operates in three areas – research, practice and policy – having input at the earliest possible stage of each process. Knowledge and inspiration are key.
• The RCE advises on over 60,000 scheduled historic buildings, 1500 archaeological monuments, 400 urban and rural conservation areas and eight UNESCO World Heritage sites. The Netherlands also has 40,000 municipal monuments and historic buildings. In total, the country has over 100,000 protected monuments and buildings, representing 1.5% of all its built structures. The RCE manages the State art collection, comprising some 100.000 items. At the moment there are 9 World Heritage sites in the Netherlands.
• The RCE awards grants under a six-year conservation scheme for all groups of scheduled monuments and historic buildings protected under national legislation, except for residential properties whose owners qualify for a low-interest loan from the National Restoration Fund.
• The RCE has a restoration budget of € 100 million and an operating budget of € 30 million.

Procedures

• In the late 1980s, central government devolved many of its responsibilities to local authorities. Since then the RCE has acted as an advisory body, and local/provincial authorities are responsible for enforcing and implementing the Monuments and Historic Buildings Act.
• Over the past 20 years the designation of ‘recent’ monuments and historic buildings (from 1850-1940) has been completed. The backlog of restoration work has been reduced to the desired 10% ‘stock in hand’.

Changes

• In November 2009 parliament endorsed culture minister Ronald Plasterk’s new policy for the modernisation of heritage management in the Netherlands. The new policy has three pillars. Firstly, the cultural heritage will become an important factor in infrastructural and land use planning, and will be considered in municipal zoning plans. Secondly, regulations are to be simplified and, finally, there will be a greater focus on redeveloping empty buildings. The RCE will have a threefold role in this third pillar: guiding other partners, ensuring thorough feasibility studies are performed and providing financial support for measures to protect buildings from the elements.
• The new policy involves several changes: a shift from the sectoral approach to a more integrated approach. In other words: from object-oriented heritage management towards area development, and from conservation to development. The ‘new’ authority has abandoned its defensive stance in favour of a proactive approach (from mistrust of owners and local authorities to trust, and early involvement in the process). The Agency is a force for development.

Vision

We are closely involved in listing, preserving, sustainably developing and providing access to the most valuable heritage in our country.

We are the link between policymakers, academics and practitioners. We provide advice, knowledge and information, and perform certain statutory duties that have been assigned to us.

The Cultural Heritage Agency is at the heart of heritage management in the Netherlands.

For more information see: Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed