Mining Heritage in the Netherlands

On Friday November 20^th, a selection of films will be screened. Film makers and organizers of the Year of the Mines will be present on this day to talk about the movies and answer any questions. The films show the social and cultural life in and around the mines of Limburg, both before and after closure. This mining history lives on in many different ways. Awareness of both this heritage and the history of mining in Limburg is relevant to the broader discussions on underground energy sources in the Netherlands, such as coal and (shale) gas. What are the characteristics of this mining heritage and of the ways in which it is dealt with in the Netherlands?

The films and discussions will be in Dutch.

13:45 – Doors open

14:00 – 14:05 Welcoming speech given by Wayne Modest & Sabine Luning

14:05 – 14.35 Film “Steenkool: het zwarte goud” (with introduction by Eddy Appels)

By Ludwig Beck, 1925

This documentary about the coal mine ‘Willem Sophia’ at Spekholzerheide, Limburg, shows Dutch film history’s first-ever images of Dutch miners working inside this mine.

14.35 – 15.15 Film “De Laatste Koempels”

By Paul Enkelaar, 2005

A film about ‘De Hopel’, a miners-district next to the coalmine ‘Laura’ in Eygelshoven, Limburg. Old miners tell their stories about the mine in its glory days.

15.15 – 15.35 Discussion with the filmmaker: Paul Enkelaar

15.35 – 15.50 Short break

15.50 – 16.40 Film “Mijnstreekcomplex”

By Sergej Kreso, 2015

Young people from old mining-towns talk about their connection and experiences with the mining history of Limburg, and how this past has influenced their personal lives and identity.

16.40 – 17.00 Discussion with Milena Mulders, main character in “Mijnstreekcomplex”

17.00 – End of screening with drinks afterwards