| The starting point for Bureau Venhuizen was
to devise a continuation strategy for the phenomenon of the Limes in future
spatial developments. To this end, it was first necessary to ascertain
the qualities of the Limes and then, on the basis of shared qualities,
consider which future spatial developments might best encapsulate the
concept of the Limes.
Bureau Venhuizen’s view is that this is the effective wirkungsgeschichte:
things survive because they are reused. By taking an archeological principle
to solve a spatial planning issue, for example, as with a building consortium’s
unrealized plan to give the Roman Canal of Corbulo a new lease of life.
The proposal was to excavate the canal and use it as a tunnel for the
HSL, on top of which water would flow once again. The HSL line would be
constructed along the assumed course of the Roman canal, and its reinstatement
would remain as the icing on the cake. (The continuity, however literal,
could only be achieved by reducing the Canal of Corbulo to a straight
waterway between Rijswijk and Leiden, precisely the most difficult section
of the HSL route.)
Alternatively, this objective could also be achieved through the reapplication
of a domination strategy, in the same way the United States seems to almost
consider itself the modern-day heir of the Roman imperium sine fine. In
this domination without occupation, the cultural colonialism comprises
standardization, language transfer, propaganda and branding. Within this
framework, which the Americans govern but do not fill – just like
the Romans – there is still space for the regional culture.
Reusing landscape
In the context of survival through reuse, heritage and history are highly
appropriate for claiming space for a function that is considered to be
necessary in the future. History has resulted in a layered landscape in
which ongoing reuse is stacked on top of use. If you wish to respect this
whole pancake of history collated by the landscape in your future use
and, even more troublesome, would like to reflect it, you become ensconced
in a bran-tub of references and possible anchors. These data are often
contradictory.
Strategy: present-day significance of the Limes
Every decision to make a theme of a moment in history is in effect arbitrary.
The trick, however, is to find a credible legitimation for that arbitrary
choice so that it can be embraced by one and all.
That also applied for the Limes. In this proposal, the Limes was consciously
not treated as a phantom concept – so that (the significance of)
the Limes, of which there is almost no visible trace, might still have
an effect and be tangible in the present. That is why no attempt was made
to find references to the earlier significance of the Limes – whether
in a tourism context or not – such as cycling and walking routes,
theme-specific maps or historical reconstructions. These arise spontaneously
in the quest to corroborate and underscore the regional roots.
Bureau Venhuizen opted to go in search of a modern-day meaning for the
concept of the Limes which can be aligned and integrated with future spatial
developments. That search led to the following observations and conclusions:
History The Limes
was a large-scale network of defences that cut right across Europe. In
the Netherlands, the Limes was primarily characterized by waterways. This
water formed a natural boundary, but also provided connections for transport
– within the Empire and extending beyond its borders. The Romans
adapted to the dynamism of water, for example by settling only on higher
ground.
Archeology Archeologists
prefer to do nothing with the sites of archeological finds. Proceeding
from the idea that the future has the right to its own interpretation
and assessment of the past, many archeological remains are preserved in
situ whenever possible. The preservation and upkeep of this soil-bound
archive is likely the most important task for today’s archeologists.
Water has proven to be a good keeper for archeological finds: wood does
not rot under water and soil-packed structures remain intact.
Today The strategy
of the archeologists means doing nothing in spatial terms either. In view
of the current spatial planning in the Netherlands it is, however, extraordinarily
risky not to want to do anything. Areas must have an identity; otherwise
they are fair game for all-consuming planning. So also, and perhaps first
and foremost, if one does not wish to do anything or have anything done
at a certain site or area then one must come up with a strong concept
to safeguard it.
The recently launched national campaign ‘Nederland leeft met water’
(‘The Netherlands lives with water’) and the ‘Ruimte
voor Water programma’ (‘Space for Water programme’)
that it sprang from, focus attention on water management for the future.
Water must have more space in order to be kept manageable. Instead of
setting hard-and-fast boundaries, the landscape must be structured in
such a way that it shifts, as it were, with the dynamism of water. This
means restoring natural water courses, the abandonment of absolute control
of water-levels and, above all, setting aside large areas to collect and
retain water.
According to the Rijksdienst voor het Oudheidkundig Bodemonderzoek (ROB,
the State Service for Archeological Investigations) this means, on the
one hand, that archeological sites can be lost due to dike reinforcement,
lowering the flood plains and the reuse of old channels for bypasses around
towns and cities. On the other had, integral water management can also
prove positive for archeological sites. In particular, the extended retention
of water – saturation of the soil – can result in organic
remains being better preserved.
Europe has in a certain sense inherited the Limes as a spatial phenomenon.
Take, for example, the water management task which, just like the Limes,
is not restricted to the Netherlands. This means that there must be far-reaching
cooperation with other countries in Europe. One of Germany’s first
water retention areas was recently established in Xanten – which
also largely owes its profile to Roman history. The result is that the
Rhine in the Netherlands remains a few centimetres lower during wet periods.
The Netherlands was therefore more than happy to help finance this project.
Interlinking history, archeology and present-day reality creates a credible
legitimation for the choice of the Limes as a phenomenon that can be a
guiding force for future spatial developments. This is elaborated further
in the concepts of water storage and LIMEX.
Water storage
Bureau Venhuizen believes that the optimal updating of the Limes as a
cross-border archeological zone holds the key to the water management
task. If as many possible sites where archeological Limes remains are
suspected are set aside for water storage, then this precludes any development
in these areas. Secondly, potential archeological finds are preserved
by the water.
This underlies the Limes-Water Storage model, which does not have to be
limited to those areas along the Rhine where the original Limes are suspected
to have stood. ‘Limes’ sites could be considered present along
all the rivers where water storage is a new task. The Limes thus gains
new meaning and proves its vitality long after the disappearance of the
evidence in swampy peat-bogs. Could the Limes then become a symbol for
European unification?
The Archeological Monuments Map, a component of the Nieuwe Kaart van Nederland
(the New Map of the Netherlands) shows where the remnants of the Limes
coincide with the planned water storage areas. That is where the Limes
Water Storage model could be applied.
LIMEX It is evident
that development within these water storage areas is excluded, unless
it satisfies the criteria for continuity. For this task, a Limes-extra
programme could be initiated: LIMEX. LIMEX is a research project into
Roman settlement principles. The key issue is how local identity and uniqueness
can be safeguarded while applying generic principles, for construction
or otherwise. A number of specific competition briefs could result from
this programme.
The influence of the Romans in days gone by, as well as that of the United
States today, has also had an impact on spatial planning. The standardization
of architectural forms, the use of a construction grid, the pre-fab principle,
the VINEX residential construction projects, and the uniformity of city
centres and the suburbs [=countryside?] are ample evidence of this. How
to reuse these settlement principles so that it creates space for the
region-specific - in this case in the water storage area? After all, you
have to take the local identity seriously and use it to particularize
your universal framework. Furthermore, identity cannot be imposed, but
must evolve.
LIMEX thus emphatically avoids looking for illustrations of Roman presence,
instead focusing on the reuse of Roman settlement principles. For each
development task, one might consider the way in which these Roman principles
should be anchored in the programme of requirements.
One possible competition brief is how this theme might be translated in
both a dry and a wet LIMEX environment, seeing as the water storage model
results in dry as well as wet areas.
Conclusions For
Bureau Venhuizen the continuation strategy for the Limes phenomenon rests
in the link with the water storage programme. That strategy could be elaborated
in various ways, but will move between two extremes:
In a so-called ‘white approach’ the Limes can lend cultural
identity to the water storage programme. It thus gives a new meaning to
the Limes, which can extend far beyond the boundaries of the historically
true Limes site. Based on the archeological data, the water storage programme
can be managed and designed even more effectively.
Opposite this stands the ‘black approach’. The new Limes will
be shaped by the unavoidable conflicts of interest that will arise from
the implementation of the water storage programme. The archeological component
might be a means to smooth off the sharp edges of this difficult process.
Possible research tasks that might proceed from this strategy include:
1: Water storage landscapes
Is it possible from a cultural-historical angle – under the banner
of the Limes – to unite the various dynamics and interests along
the rivers, such as water storage but also, for instance, developments
in the field of transport, in a new organizational form?
2: LIMEX
How can spatial development based on historical principles be achieved
while respecting the unique qualities of the location in the water storage
areas?
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