How women formed, and were influenced by, the minescape in Limburg

In this thesis I am looking at how the mines in Dutch Limburg have impacted the lives of women in that region, and if this history is represented in the current mining heritage. Mining history has long been glossed over in the region, and for women’s heritage connected to mining this has been doubly so. Therefore, I aim to answer the question in this thesis: How did the minescape influence the wives of miners and their families during and after the mines were active, and how is this past reflected in heritage? To answer this I have looked at the concepts of gender relations and minescapes through the lens of heritage and collective memories, as this allows me to research the past. Because of this I have chosen to use interviews, observation, archival research and literary research as research methods. I have tried to show how different stakeholders had conflicting opinions about what the region’s heritage included. I found that the demolishment of the buildings happened during a...Show moreIn this thesis I am looking at how the mines in Dutch Limburg have impacted the lives of women in that region, and if this history is represented in the current mining heritage. Mining history has long been glossed over in the region, and for women’s heritage connected to mining this has been doubly so. Therefore, I aim to answer the question in this thesis: How did the minescape influence the wives of miners and their families during and after the mines were active, and how is this past reflected in heritage? To answer this I have looked at the concepts of gender relations and minescapes through the lens of heritage and collective memories, as this allows me to research the past. Because of this I have chosen to use interviews, observation, archival research and literary research as research methods. I have tried to show how different stakeholders had conflicting opinions about what the region’s heritage included. I found that the demolishment of the buildings happened during a time in which industrial heritage was a fairly new concept. I also found that to the mining companies, women were important facets in the process of producing coal. And they were willing to put a lot of effort and money into making sure women acted as useful as possible for this purpose. They did so by working together with the Catholic Church and the local and national government. The influence of the mining companies and their collaborators was felt in almost every aspect of women's lives. Therefore, while women’s tasks were similar to those of women in other parts of the country, they performed them slightly differently because of the conditions mining provided. Also, although the institutions influenced what happened inside the home, behind closed doors people still had room to act upon their own accord.Show less

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How women formed, and were influenced by, the minescape in Limburg