Beringen (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – 4 heritage groups in Beringen-Heemkunde Beverlo, Citévolk Spreekt Beringen-Min, Heemkunde Kiosk Beringen, and Erfgoed Beringen will unite in the old casino hotel rooms. Alderman Esmeralda Meyen supports this collaboration to preserve Beringen’s culture, with renovations planned to create archives and meeting spaces.
In Beringen, Belgium, 4 heritage groups will work together in one location. These groups are Heemkunde Beverlo, Citévolk Spreekt Beringen-Mijn, Heemkunde Kiosk Beringen, and Erfgoed Beringen. Each group in Beringen helps keep the city’s culture alive.
Heemkunde Beverlo studies Beverlo’s history and shares it through events and a magazine called Erfwacht. Citévolk Spreekt Beringen-Mijn collects stories and photos from the mining area. Heemkunde Kiosk Beringen shares positive news about Beringen, Koersel, and Paal in their magazine.
How will Beringen’s heritage groups unite to preserve culture?
Erfgoed Beringen works to protect old buildings in the city. Officials mentioned that these groups can share their knowledge and resources by joining together, making it easier to keep Beringen’s history safe. They said working together has been difficult, but it is a big step for the city’s heritage.
Beringen wants great things from the teamwork of 4 heritage groups. They plan to bring these groups together in one place to work on projects that help keep Beringen’s culture alive. According to Beringen first, they need to make renovations to create a suitable space. These changes will ensure the new location meets the needs of each group and has shared areas for better cooperation.
One key change is a large archive space. Each group will have a section to keep their historical documents, photos, and records safe. This area will protect items from damage caused by humidity and light.
The building will also have meeting rooms for discussions and community events. There will be storage for exhibition materials and artifacts. They mentioned that these improvements will help the groups work together and support the whole community.
“There will also be meeting rooms and storage spaces for the exhibition materials and collection items. The entire place will also be made accessible to everyone,”
The alderman added.
The plan to unite them started in 2014. They first wanted to move into the old town hall. However, the town hall was demolished in 2017. They then looked for a new place. In 2021, they chose the old hotel rooms of the casino. It was hard to get everyone to agree. Each group has its way of doing things. Finally, they found a way to keep their identities while sharing a space and working together.
“The plans date back to 2014. The first proposal was to bring the local history societies together in the old town hall in the centre of Beringen,”
Says alderman for Culture and Heritage Esmeralda Meyen.
