Today: new calendar of the old mining basin

Can we approach remembrance culture in a different, more subjective, supported and future-oriented way? Martha Balthazar and Vivi Focquet spent two years exploring this question in the former mining communities of Limburg. This gave rise to the idea for a calendar. They worked with residents and artists with ties to the region to shape the days featured in it. 

The buildings, slag heaps, people and cafés, heavy industry and pine trees along the road: in the Kempen coal basin, almost everything is a reminder of the mining industry of the last century. Today, that history is mainly represented in museums, cultural institutions, political speeches, beer mats and tourist walking routes. This museum and tourist representation contrasts sharply with the festivals and traditions organised by the residents themselves: in this region, time does not stand still, it is actively kept alive.

"What or who should be remembered here?" was how their conversations usually began. This led not only to existing traditions, rituals and celebrations, but also to new days of remembrance. These days were as diverse as the region itself. Some were simply added to the calendar, others were accompanied by an action. For example, artist Gökhan Kızılbuğa, together with children from the Sledderlo neighbourhood, gave the nostalgic feast day of Saint Barbara, patron saint of mining, a new political meaning. Another day is dedicated to Stefan Popescu, the Romanian driver who, in 2023, after eight years of litigation, won his case against transport company H. Essers, which was convicted of social exploitation. We celebrated that day by distributing stickers.

A calendar is both an archive and a planner, a collection of memories and an invitation to shape the future. It measures time and is filled with days to celebrate, commemorate, mourn or honour, marking the passing and repeating of the years. At the same time, it literally puts things on the agenda: it passes on what we consider important to preserve and challenges future generations to rediscover that heritage time and again.

More information about the calendar and photos can be found here. The calendar is available free of charge, with any shipping costs payable by the recipient. Interested? Send an email with your address to [email protected]. 

Photos © Gökhan Kızılbuğa, Leontien Allemeersch