Unknown Nijmegen tells the stories that we have never heard before. This is because they were hushed up, because they did not make it into the history books, because they did not fit into the historical canon or because we weren’t aware of them. Some of these stories serve as remarkable footnotes to a rich history. At times, it was precisely these unknown stories that shaped the course of history.
Over the summer, ten heritage sites in Nijmegen were visited by different musicians, writers, documentary makers, poets and researchers. Guided by a research question from the location in question, these persons set to work on these stories, each in their own unique way, drawing on a range of resources. Some of these artists include writer Joost Oomen, documentary filmmaker Sinan Can, musicians Anneke van Giersbergen and Lakshmi, and investigative journalist Linda van der Pol.
A route through the past
Together, the results form a special route through our past. This will take you from the Limes (the Valkhof Museum and De Bastei), through the Middle Ages (Van Lymborch Brothers House and Saint Stephen’s Church) to the Second World War (the Freedom Museum and Infocentre WW2 Nijmegen) and past everything in between and beyond (the Africa Museum, Museumpark Orientalis, Radboud Heritage, Nijmegen’s Regional Archive and the House of Nijmegen’s History). In October, which is History Month, the stories will be presented during live performances on location and online.
Explore the bunkers on campus
On 21 October, Linda van der Pol will be discussing the traces of the Cold War that have been found at the university during a visit to an original atomic bunker and a walk through the underground corridors on campus. A limited number of places are available for the tour. Visitors will need to sign up in advance and can do so by clicking here.
Collaboration
Unknown Nijmegen is a shared narrative and joint programme content offered by Nijmegen’s heritage domain, and its cultural and leisure sectors. The initiative was born out of a common desire to showcase more collaborative programming, which is shared by the members of the Cultural-historical Platform Rijk van Nijmegen (CPRN) and the Municipality of Nijmegen. Unknown Nijmegen changes our perspective of our own history. It inspires ‘ordinary people’ to tell their stories and shows us that heritage is something that we create together. Unknown Nijmegen is made possible by the Province of Gelderland and the Municipality of Nijmegen.
For the latest news about Unknown Nijmegen and the full programme, visit ongekendnijmegen.nl.
This article is a translation of a piece that appeared earlier on Radboud Erfgoed.