Heritage, conflict, and sustainable development in the LDE partnership
In the academic year 2025–2026, Leiden University, Delft University of Technology, and Erasmus University Rotterdam will launch a new interdisciplinary Thesis Lab Atlantikwall, as part of the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus (LDE) program Global Heritage and Development. This initiative offers master's students from a variety of disciplines the opportunity to work together on urgent issues at the intersection of heritage, conflict, sustainability, and social inclusion.
The Atlantic Wall as a heritage issue
The Atlantic Wall was a military defense system approximately 5,000 kilometers long, constructed by Nazi Germany during World War II, stretching from Norway to the French-Spanish border. Although much of this infrastructure has since disappeared, various elements are still visible in the landscape along the Dutch coast.
Dealing with these remnants poses complex questions for governments, heritage institutions, and communities:
- How do we relate to heritage that is burdened with a violent and politically sensitive past?
- To what extent does this heritage represent material and immaterial meanings for diverse groups in society?
- How can such traces from the past be integrated into contemporary spatial, cultural, and social contexts?
Central research question
The following central question is central to the Thesis Lab:
How can the controversial heritage of the Atlantic Wall contribute to a sustainable and inclusive future, and how can connections be made between diverse communities, stories, and objects from the past, present, and future?
This research question offers scope for a variety of approaches – historical, archaeological, planning, museological, social scientific, and policy-related – and invites students to contribute to the commemoration, reinterpretation, and repurposing of military heritage.
Interdisciplinary collaboration and participatory research
The Thesis Lab aims to create an interdisciplinary learning environment in which students, lecturers, researchers, and social partners conduct case-based research together. Students are encouraged to contribute methods from their own discipline, but also to actively collaborate with students from other fields. This creates a laboratory for knowledge exchange, co-creation, and reflection on the role of academic research in social transitions.
Partners and case studies
The Lab is an LDE collaboration between:
- Leiden University – Faculty of Archaeology
- Delft University of Technology – Faculty of Architecture and The Built Environment
- Erasmus University Rotterdam – Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communicationon
The substantive case studies and practical questions are provided by social partners, including:
- Municipality of The Hague
- Municipality of Leiden
- Erfgoedhuis Zuid-Holland (South Holland Heritage Center)
- Museum Atlantikwall
These institutions also provide substantive guidance, access to heritage sites, and contribute to the assessment of proposals and final products.
Purpose and impact
The Atlantikwall Thesis Lab is an example of academic education and research that directly addresses current social issues. It enables students to build bridges between the past and the future, between theory and practice, and between science and society.