Contested and Controversial Heritage
Louise de Bethune contributed a chapter to the book Betwist en beladen erfgoed (‘Contested and Controversial Heritage‘), pubished by LeA. In Dutch
Art and cultural heritage are more than beautiful objects in museums. They provide a home in a turbulent world, a mirror of our society, and a source of empathy and understanding. Yet heritage can also be contested. What represents beauty to one person may evoke memories of injustice for another.
In this book, a number of specialists from Flanders and the Netherlands discuss the legal issues that artworks and cultural objects confront us with. The overarching theme is divided into several subtopics, including a focus on restitution claims, collection management, immunity for temporary exhibitions, anti-money-laundering legislation, and the protection of heritage during armed conflicts. The book offers an instructive and comparative legal dialogue that provides mutual inspiration for solutions to similar problems.
De Bethune’s chapter is titled ‘Gedeelde archieven, collectieve rechten. In gesprek met de archivaris: begrijpen, uitleggen en herstellen* in het archief’ (‘Shared archives, collective rights. a conversation with the archivist: understanding, interpreting, and restoring in the archive’).
Bert Demarsin, Thomas Lefevre (eds.), Betwist en beladen erfgoed, 2026, LeA Uitgevers
With an introductory essay by Jan-Willem Verbeke. Contributions by Bert Demarsin, Emma Dhondt, Louise de Béthune, Marie-Sophie de Clippele, Anna M. de Jong, Amber Gardeyn, Jelle Jansen, Thomas Lefevre, Maxim Smets, Vincent Sagaert, Lise Vandenhende, Flore Vavourakis, and Auke van Hoek.