From 4 November 2021 to late March 2022, the exhibition ‘Colourful cultural heritage. On the splendour of flags and banners from Limburg’ will be on view in the exhibition space of the main administrative building of Maastricht University at Minderbroedersberg 4. 

The exhibition shows the bright splendour of flags and banners. Throughout the twentieth century, flags and banners were perhaps nowhere as popular within the Netherlands as in the Province of Limburg. Every self-respecting club or organization – from local brass bands to all sorts of sports clubs – had its own flag or banner, used as a proud sign for presenting itself to the outside world. A flag is a powerful symbol and represents continuity across the generations. The colourful cultural heritage of flags and banners from Limburg tells us a lot about the high degree of sociability in this traditionally Catholic province. Flags and banners also feature as major expressions of identity and as such they may also trigger strong emotions. 

Throughout the twentieth century, flags and banners were perhaps nowhere as popular within the Netherlands as in the Province of Limburg, where every self-respecting club or organization – from local brass bands and rifle clubs to all sorts of sports clubs and profession-related associations – had its own flag or banner. This is still the case today – a flag after all represents continuity across the generations. The colourful cultural heritage of flags and banners from Limburg tells us a lot about the high degree of sociability in this traditionally Catholic province. Taking active part in a community’s social life has long been strongly valued here. For most individuals, a club or organization of like-minded was the most logical context for engaging in local community activities.

The carefully crafted flags and banners in fact offer a wonderful historical glimpse of the great diversity of social life in this province. The exhibition also reveals the widely divergent styles of flags and banners over the course of the twentieth century. They were often produced in special embroidery ateliers, sometimes resulting in genuine masterpieces. 

The flags and banners on display, many of which reveal genuine craftmanship, also provide a nice historical look at the large diversity of cultural life in Limburg. The exhibition highlights the divergent designs of flags and banners, which over the course of the twentieth century were often produced in special embroidery studios. The collection contains several masterpieces.

The exhibition is part of the DRAPO project, initiated by the Centre for Social History of Limburg. The DRAPO project aims to display as many as possible banners and flags from Limburg in a digital public gallery. For more information, please visit http://limburgsevaandels.nl/galerij

Exhibition organization: Art and Heritage Commission, Maastricht University, and Centre for Social History of Limburg – Annemieke Klijn and Doortje Lucassen.