Urban development in Ghent offers new opportunities for industrial heritage and the museum

Pieter Neirinckx, Marc Pinte

doi:10.37190/arc200106

Abstract

The subject of the article is the process of establishing, and the role of an industrial museum in the former port areas of Ghent. Although Ghent is located about 32 km from the coast, the city is a real sea port. The construction of the Ghent–Terneuzen Canal in 1823–1827 created a direct corridor to the North Sea. From the 19th century, large textile factories began to arise in and around the medieval city center, so that at the end of the 2nd half of the 19th century, Ghent became the most important industrial city of Flanders. This continued until the 1970 crisis. At that time, textile production was moved to countries with lower labor costs and factory buildings were demolished, but the old port basins remained. Port activities were moved north of the city to areas along the canal. The first Museum for Industrial Archaelogy was founded in this area. Fearful of potential loss of important industrial heritage, the small museum took over large steam engines and even port cranes. It gradually became understood that the collection of these large industrial objects in museum conditions is not easy. The Department for Urban Planning began the re-evaluation of the 19th-century industrial belt and the area of the old port. Currently, there is the integration of large technology objects (big stuff) with urban tissue and social life. The port’s heritage is raised to act as a visual and identity carrier, with a particular focus on port cranes. The cooperation between the Department of Urban Planning and the Museum of Industry offers the Museum the opportunity to go outside the walls of the museum to restore big industrial facilities (big stuff) to the old port of the city.

Full article view is only available on bigger screens.

2020

1(61)

DOI: 10.37190/arc200106

Introduction

Although the city is located 19 miles inland, Ghent

can rightfully call itself a sea port. The digging of the Gh-

ent-Terneuzen canal (1823–1827) to link the city to the

North Sea, and the construction of enormous textile fac-

tories around the mediaeval city centre, turned Ghent into

the most important industrial city in Flanders in the 2

half of the 19

century: the Manchester of the continent

(Fig. 1).

The economic crisis in the 1970s put a swift end to

that. Textile manufacturers shifted production to low-

wage countries, factories were demolished and the port

businesses abandoned the old docks and moved north of

the city. This was the setting in which the rst Museum of

Industrial Archaeology and Textile (MIAT), the forerun-

ner to today’s Museum of Industry, was founded in Ghent.

Concerned about the possible loss of important industrial

heritage, the small museum incorporated large steam en-

gines and even a port crane into its collection. It gradually

became clear, however, that integrating such large indus-

trial objects into a museum setting would not be without

its problems.

Like many cities in Western Europe, Ghent has been

in a constant state of change over the last few decades.

The population is growing and becoming more diverse.

Above all, there is a need for space. The Urban Develop-

Pieter Neirinckx*, Marc Pinte**

Urban development in Ghent offers new opportunities

for industrial heritage and the museum

Rozwój Gandawy i wynikające z niego nowe możliwości

dla dziedzictwa przemysłowego i muzealnictwa

ment Department has seen an opportunity here to restore

the value of the area of Ghent that includes the 19

cen-

tury industrial belt and the port. It is being turned into

a new urban neighbourhood where homes, workplaces

and leisure facilities are intermingled. Attention is being

paid to the environment, greenery, the water, cycling and

* The Museum of Industry, Ghent, Belgium.

** City Development and Spatial Planning Service, Ghent, Belgium.

Fig. 1. Sailing ships in the port of Ghent, circa 1880.

The opening of the Ghent–Terneuzen canal in 1827,

made Ghent directly accessible to sea-going vessels

(source: Archief Gent, SCMS_F0_2114)

Il. 1. Żaglowce w porcie w Gandawie, około 1880 r.

Otwarcie kanału Gandawa–Terneuzen w 1827 r. sprawiło,

że miasto stało się dostępne dla statków morskich

(źródło: Archief Gent, SCMS_F0_2114)

38 Pieter Neirinckx, Marc Pinte

the distinctive character of the surroundings. The historic

port heritage will have a place in this concept, shaping the

face and identity of the neighbourhood, with a particu-

lar focus on the port cranes. The cranes will dominate the

skyline of this redeveloped area of the city as witnesses

to its maritime past. What is more, they can be admired

in their original urban context. That will allow residents

and visitors to sample this heritage and will evoke the in-

dustrial past in the place where it once unfolded. In this

partnership with the Urban Development Department, the

Museum of Industry has been given the opportunity to

move beyond its four walls and bring back the “big stu”

to the port of Ghent.

Industry in Ghent and the port

In 1796, the Ghent native Lieven Bauwens (1769–

1822) successfully smuggled the parts and technology

needed for mechanical spinning from Great Britain to the

continent. The founding of the rst mechanised cotton

spinning mills symbolically heralded the rst industrial

revolution on the European continent, and with it Bau-

wens laid the foundations of a booming textile industry

in Ghent. In 1803 he declared: “J’ai créé un second Man-

chester”. The writer Alexandre Dumas had his doubts

when he visited the city and found that even the mediaeval

Castle of the Counts of Flanders in the centre of Ghent had

been turned into a factory.

The opening of the Ghent–Terneuzen canal in 1827 cre-

ated a direct link to the North Sea. Both the port activities

and the city’s emerging industry gradually moved from

the old city centre to the new Handelsdok, or “merchant

docks”. In mere decades, a concentration of large textile

factories and heavy industry grew up around the port

area and the north of the city, such as Charles-Louis

Carels’ “Constructiewerkhuizen”, later to become the

ACEC

. In 1857, that company was the rst to erect an

iron hand crane for loads of up to 15 tonnes.

At the end of the 19

century, the port was clearly

booming. Increasing trac and the transition from sail

to steam meant that a series of extensions were required

between 1880 and 1900 (Fig. 2). The excavation of the

Houtdok (1881) and Voorhaven (1886) and the widen-

ing of the existing Handelsdok (1893–1894) increased

the port’s capacity. Obviously, the docks and quay walls

were given the superstructure they required as well

Furthermore, the city authorities placed their trust in the

latest technologies. From 1904 onwards, virtually every

quay was tted with electric cranes. This contributed to

Ghent’s reputation as a port where goods were processed

quickly and cheaply, an important asset, because every

hour at the quay costs the ship-owners money. Tests con-

ducted in 1929 at the most important ports for iron export

clearly made the point: 1000 tonnes were loaded in ve

days in Ghent, eight days in Rotterdam and thirteen days

in Antwerp! [1].

The economic crisis of the 1930s and the violence of

the World War II were followed by an arduous period

of recovery. Moreover, both ships and goods processing

changed beyond recognition in the 2

half of the 20

cen-

tury. Unit loads, containers and roll-on roll-o replaced

the traditional break bulk cargo. Newer, bigger and more

powerful port facilities could only be installed along the

largest and northernmost docks at the seaport.

In 1975 there were still dozens of cranes along the old

docks on the Schipperskaai. Even the very rst electric

gantry crane was there, dating from 1904. But maintain-

ing them was a sore point. Soaring costs, the oil crisis, the

recession and changes in handling led to them falling into

disuse. Most of the cranes were dismantled. When the port

activities also left for good, what remained was a some-

what bare and desolate landscape.

The pioneer of industrial heritage

The discipline of industrial archaeology has its origins

in Great Britain, in the mid-1950s. In Ghent, it would be

another twenty years before the city and the university

undertook initiatives in this area. The economic crisis of

the 1970s was a catalyst for this change. It hit the Ghent

Charles-Louis Carels established an iron and copper foundry and

a workshop for steam engines and mechanical tools in 1838. Between

1874 and the World War I, the company on the Handelsdok produced

712 steam engines for customers in Europe and beyond. It even supplied

them to Argentina and China. Thanks to an exclusive licensing contract

with Rudolf Diesel, the company also started making diesel engines in

1902. Belgian and foreign investors, including Thompson-Houston, con-

verted the company into the “Société d’Electricité et de Mécanique”,

or S.E.M., in 1920. A mere fourteen years later, the other major steam

engine manufacturer in Ghent, Van Den Kerchove, joined the group

that would be completely absorbed into the “Ateliers de Constructions

Électriques de Charleroi”, or ACEC, in 1961. The latter ceased its activ-

ities at the Handelsdok in 2005.

Superstructure is the collective term for the cranes, warehouses,

railway tracks and other infrastructure that support the loading and un-

loading of the ships.

Fig. 2. Steam cranes unloading cotton bales, Ghent 1888.

Steam cranes were purchased in England from the Appleby company.

However, the combination of cotton bales and steam cranes proved

to be a risky venture and they were replaced in 1905 by electric cranes

(source: Archief Gent, SCMS_FO_6942)

Il. 2. Dźwigi parowe rozładowujące bele bawełniane, Gandawa 1888.

Dźwigi parowe zostały zakupione w Anglii od firmy Appleby.

Połączenie bel bawełnianych i dźwigów parowych okazało się jednak

ryzykownym przedsięwzięciem i zostały zastąpione w 1905 r.

przez dźwigi elektryczne (źródło: Archief Gent, SCMS_FO_6942)

UrbandevelopmentinGhent / RozwójGandawy 39

tex tile sector hardest, with a lot of manual work being

moved to low-wage countries. Even the UCO (Union Co-

tonnière), once a ourishing textiles group, fell on hard

times. The decline in transit trac, in the wake of the oil

crisis, also dealt severe blows to the port in Ghent. All at

once, Ghent found itself with a surplus of industrial equip-

ment. A museum was founded in 1978 at the city archive

to collect relics of Ghent’s industrial past.

It was some time before the Museum of Industrial Ar-

chaeology and Textile (MIAT), the forerunner to today’s

Museum of Industry, found a home of its own. What does

a collection of this kind entail? And where should it be

housed? Before an answer was found to these questions,

temporary exhibitions were held in various cultural and

historic buildings in the city. A home was nally found for

the museum in 1991, in the former Desmet-Guequier cot-

ton spinning mill on the Minnemeers in Ghent, where it is

still located today. The building is on the border between

the mediaeval city centre and the 19

century suburbs, in

the area that forms the transition between the city and the

port area.

Given the importance of the textile industry for Ghent

and the surrounding region, the museum concentrated on

that branch of industry when it built up its collection be-

tween 1978 and 1989

. In the 1990s, however, its focus

widened to encompass the material culture of industrial

society in broader terms. The expansion of the collection

was focused more on the acquisition of objects than on

the development of themes. Most of these objects were

acquired passively as donations, rather than by actively

purchasing missing links. Forty years of collecting has

resulted in a rich and diverse group of sub-collections,

covering the history of textile production as well as areas

such as printing, energy services, the metal industry and

machine construction [2].

Who takes care of the big stuff?

There are two separate Flemish ministries with the au-

thority to protect heritage. The Ministry of Environment

and Planning has the authority to protect monuments and

buildings (immovable heritage). The Ministry of Culture

has the authority to protect movable and intangible herit-

age. When it comes to preserving industrial heritage, this

articial division often provokes challenging disputes.

Is a stationary steam engine movable or immovable? Is

a gantry crane on tracks in the docks movable or immova-

ble? Are massive fermentation tanks at a brewery immov-

able by application? In short, who takes care of “the big

stu”?

In Belgium and Flanders, besides private collectors and

enthusiasts, it is mainly small, local organisations that take

care of the preservation and maintenance of large-scale in-

dustrial and technical heritage. The permanent sta who

look after the collections are often supported by dedicated

The museum houses the oldest spinning mule still in working or-

der. This semi-automated cotton spinning machine has been on the list of

Flemish Community Masterpieces since 2010.

volunteers, many of whom are retired [3]. The latter bring

their lifetime of accumulated knowledge from an active

career related to the subject of their current passion. They

are connected to a specic museum, location, installation

or type of heritage that they know through and through.

The commercial pool of restorers interested in large tech-

nology heritage is small. Commercial restoration of large,

working industrial heritage, such as stationary steam en-

gines, is almost non-existent. The lack of a commercial

option forms an obstacle to the further preservation, or

sustainable preservation of knowledge about the preser-

vation – and ideally the restoration – of large technology

heritage. This lack also complicates the redevelopment of

de-industrialized sites that have been abandoned for some

time. Private owners and project developers hesitate to

get involved, although they do react positively to the idea

of keeping the machines or installations on site. They en-

counter diculties in nding the right expertise, whether

in terms of project and nancial planning or appropriately

skilled manpower.

Adaptive reuse, or the appreciation of large technology

heritage in public space, changes over time. It tends to

be sensitive to trends, and if it is not thought through, it

may be poorly received by the public. This specically

applies to large machines that were not initially designed

for outdoor use. Erected at important road intersections,

they are intended as monuments or landmarks, promoting

an active industry by creating a link with a nearby city

or a long and glorious industrial history. Unfortunately

this “roundabout heritage” quickly deteriorates, due to an

under-estimation of the costs of periodic and long-term

maintenance, or because of vandalism.

Large technology heritage can also prove challeng-

ing for museums. The mere size of some of these pieces

means that they may literally weigh on the storage fa-

cilities. Stripped of their context or taken out of their

original environment, they tend to be dicult to integrate

into museum exhibitions or projects. This was the case

for a crane donated to the young MIAT during the period

when industry started moving away from the 19

century

port. At that time, in contrast to cities like London and

Antwerp, Ghent lacked a vision for port or maritime her-

itage. Moreover, the outside world experienced the sea

port of Ghent as a remote closed-o area with no real

link to the popular, mediaeval city centre. People only

went there if they needed to. Concerned about the possi-

ble loss of important heritage, the museum accepted the

gift of a crane from La Floridienne, a company trading

in fertilizers and chemicals. The “Titan” crane rests on

a high portal or gantry section, wide enough to allow two

railway trains to pass underneath, side by side. Origi-

nally commissioned by the city port authorities in 1925,

and constructed by the Antwerp company Titan Anver-

sois, the crane had had an active career on several quays.

However, an inspection revealed that the gantry section

had been damaged by years of exposure to corrosive fer-

tilizers. It was beyond restoration or repair, and scrapped

for safety reasons. A lack of funding and changes in pol-

icy meant that the original plans to erect the crane in the

museum garden, as an eye-catcher and a reference to

40 Pieter Neirinckx, Marc Pinte

the nearby port, had to be abandoned. To prevent further

degradation by the weather, the boom was dismantled

and the 12-tonne crane cabin hoisted up to the rst oor

of the exhibition building, where it is used as an audio

or projection room. It is an impressive way to let visitors

look inside a crane cabin without a steep and dangerous

climb, although it does take up a lot of space. Unfortu-

nately, the narrow doorway still makes access dicult for

people with a disability.

The old docks

and the cranes

Like many cities in Western Europe, Ghent is grow-

ing. It is expected to have a population of at least 269,000

people by 2030. Above all, there is a need for space. The

Urban Development Department sees an opportunity here

to restore the value of the part of the city that includes

the 19

century industrial belt and the port. This includes

the transformation of the three oldest docks in the port into

an attractive new urban neighbourhood. The total surface

area is approximately 414,000 m² (41.4 ha). Water alone

covers 13.6 ha. Up to 1500 new housing units should help

to remediate the city’s growing housing shortage. Oces,

recreation, shops and additional public services (an ele-

mentary school, day care centre, local library and com-

munity sports hall), the extension of the public transport

network, bicycle and pedestrian bridges and high-quality

public spaces are required to give a strong boost to the

surrounding neighbourhoods and the entire city [4]. In

addition to issues such as living, working, recreation, mo-

bility and nature, the necessary attention was paid to the

theme of heritage when the rst sketches were developed

in 2010. The plans included the preservation of many of

the typical port elements remaining, such as the tracks for

the goods trains and cranes, the bollards where the boats

were moored, a small submersible dock and two cranes

that are still in good condition.

The latter inspired the Museum of Industry to suggest

that the 1925 Titan gantry crane be integrated into the site.

This proposal was accepted, and in fact extended, by the

city’s Urban Development Department. Ghent is currently

building up a unique array of port cranes. The collection

spans more than a century of crane technology, oering

an overview of this industrial heritage that is both chrono-

logical and wide-ranging in terms of technology. The col-

lection brings together cranes from Ghent and other types

that once stood in the Handelsdok area. They will play

a leading part in the “Old Dockyards” urban development

project along the old docks. They dominate the skyline as

witnesses to the area’s maritime past, and in doing so they

restore a distinct identity and public interest to a part of

the city that had once lost its most distinctive features [5].

What is more, they can be admired in their original urban

context. The location of the cranes has been formally in-

cluded in all kinds of planning processes, forming the basis

for many urban planning decisions. The design, which is

sometimes referred to as the “kebab”, has been developed

around the stretch of water along the Handelsdok

. Built-

up areas and green zones alternate like meat and vege-

tables on a kebab stick. The cranes mark the transitions

between dierent zones. They also span the cycle paths

and footpaths.

The oldest crane in the collection is the hand-operat-

ed crane made by the Belgian rm Nicaise & Delcuve in

La Louvière (Fig. 3). It is a manual pivot crane on rails,

dating from 1871, which was used to hoist loads of up to

three tonnes. The city purchased it in 2017. It is a refer-

ence to the rst hand-operated iron crane at the Handels-

dok. The hollow, cast-iron jib is made of rolled and rivet-

ed plates. A decorative cast-iron ball acts as a moveable

counterweight.

The oldest electric cranes in the collection are locat-

ed in the Voorhaven area of the port. These two two-and-

a-half tonne electric Titan cranes, dating from 1905, are

the rst cranes that have been preserved in their original

location (Fig. 4). As rolling semi-gantry cranes, they are

attached to the front of two port warehouses dating from

1885–1886. Since 1996, they have formed part of the

protected cityscape “Tolhuis en Voorhaven”. Along with

the dry dock nearby, they constitute one of the most at-

tractive and homogeneous 19

century port landscapes in

Europe.

Only one Ghent city crane from the interwar period

has been preserved. It is the 1925 electric Titan gantry

crane, from the Museum of Industry’s collection. Besides

the crane itself, the museum will also supply the support

required for on-site restoration. It is intended to preserve

as much of the original material as possible from the roof

and wooden exterior facing. A study is underway to re-

construct the missing gantry section. The plan is to opt

The basic vision for the “Old Dockyards” project was developed

by the Dutch rm OMA (Oce for Metropolitan Architecture), https://

sogent.be/projecten/oude-dokken [accessed: 14.03.2020].

Fig. 3. The oldest crane in the collection is the hand-operated crane

made by the Belgian firm Nicaise & Delcuve in La Louvière.

It is a manual pivot crane on rails, dating from 1871

(photo © M. Pinte)

Il. 3. Najstarszy dźwig w kolekcji – pochodzący z 1871 r.

obsługiwany ręcznie dźwig obrotowy na szynach,

wykonany przez belgijską firmę Nicaise & Delcuve w La Louvière

(fot. © M. Pinte)

UrbandevelopmentinGhent / RozwójGandawy 41

Fig. 5. Three Peiner cranes from the 1960s and 1970s,

at their inauguration on the Schipperskaai, 2017 (photo © M. Pinte)

Il. 5. Trzy żurawie Peiner z lat 60. i 70. XX w.,

podczas inauguracji w Schipperskaai, 2017 r. (fot. © M. Pinte)

Fig. 4. Two two-and-a-half tonne electric Titan cranes,

dating from 1905, preserved at the Voorhaven (photo © M. Pinte)

Il. 4. Zachowane w Voorhaven dwa dwuipółtonowe

elektryczne żurawie Titan z 1905 r. (fot. © M. Pinte)

Fig. 6. The blue Titan crane made by the Boomse Metaalwerken

in 1973 stands on the quay at Dok Noord (photo © M. Pinte)

Il. 6. Stojący na nabrzeżu w Dok Noord niebieski żuraw Titan

wykonany przez Boomse Metaalwerken w 1973 r. (fot. © M. Pinte)

for a modern interpretation, with a recognisable new com-

ponent. The crane will also act as an ambassador for the

nearby museum, which has put great eort into saving it

from certain death.

A second interwar crane, dating from 1928, is the Stork

Nivelle gantry crane with an electric ACEC design. It was

bought from the Maritime Museum in Rotterdam (the Neth-

erlands) in 2018. The crane has been restored to working

order by volunteers at the museum in Rotterdam, who have

also given demonstrations of it working. Nevertheless, the

museum was ready to dispose of it following a collection

valuation process. Given the appropriate knowledge and

vision, this crane might provide the impetus for volunteer

activities in Ghent focusing on the city’s own crane col-

lection. Direct involvement of volunteers in this way may

enable new generations to create their own personal bonds

with this heritage, thus safeguarding the long-term future

of the Ghent crane collection [6].

The cranes from the 1960s push back the limits of

technology. Entirely in keeping with the spirit of the age,

they also have an aesthetic dimension. At rst glance, the

cranes appear to be purely functional, but details reveal

that attention was also paid to their design. The three

Fig. 7. The 60-metre high ST1 crane

made by the Boomse Metaalwerken,

a gantry crane for break bulk cargo dating from 1983,

the tallest in the landscape, weighing 370 tonnes on its own,

hoisting up to 35 tonnes (photo © M. Pinte)

Il. 7. Sześćdziesięciometrowy żuraw ST1 wykonany przez Boomse

Metaalwerken, suwnica bramowa do ładunków drobnicowych z 1983 r.,

najwyższa w okolicy, ważąca 370 t, podnosząca do 35 t

(fot. © M. Pinte)

42 Pieter Neirinckx, Marc Pinte

Peiner cranes on the Schipperskaai are good examples

from this period (Fig. 5). A counterweight to the jib, which

moves along with the load to be hoisted, and an integrated

counterpart to the operator’s cab create a lovely, slender

outline. The Peiners were popular after the World War II.

They were known for their simple, reliable mechanism

which is why they were also the most prevalent type.

The blue Titan crane made by the Boomse Metaal-

werken in 1973 stands on the quay at Dok Noord (Fig. 6).

It was owned by the Velghe company, and was the rst

landmark in the Handelsdok area to be saved in the nick

of time by the private project development at the adjacent

ACEC site in 2001. The crane was repurposed for use as

an oce and meeting space, and as such has almost sub-

consciously shaped the identity of the urban neighbour-

hood being developed here. Its position above the gravel

bunkers also provides a strong link to its past as a tool

for loading and unloading sand and gravel. This crane and

the private project have made the City of Ghent aware of

the port cranes’ signicance in the area to be developed.

The 60-metre high ST1 crane made by the Boomse

Metaalwerken, a gantry crane for break bulk cargo dat-

ing from 1983, is the tallest in the landscape (Fig. 7). It

weighs 370 tonnes on its own, can hoist up to 35 tonnes

and has 30 years of service at Euroports behind it. Its size

and position at the head of the area to be developed give

Sobemai

1988

Titan

Anversois

1925

Peiner

1966

Peiner

1974

Peiner

1960

Boomse

Metaalwerken

1973

Boomse

Metaalwerken

1983

Titan

Anversois

1905

Titan

Anversois

1905

Nicaise &

Delcuve

1870

Bovenloop

kraan

Scheepslift

De Pecker

1981

Bokkraan

Stoomkraan

Spoorweg

kraan

000m

010m

020m

030m

040m

050m

Hoogte (bij benadering)

-010m

20161214_AV_Overzichtskaart_8.dwg

Fig. 8. Overview with scale and implantation of the port heritage on the Oude Dokken and part of the Voorhaven

(by M. Pinte)

Il. 8. Zestawienie historycznych obiektów dźwigowych z przedstawieniem skali i rozmieszczenia na Oude Dokken i części Voorhaven

(oprac. M. Pinte)

it a considerable power of attraction. It is being tted with

a viewing platform to give visitors a panoramic view of

the surroundings (Fig. 8). A similar context has been cre-

ated in Bingen in Germany.

Last but not least is the impressive Sobemai crane,

dating from 1988, on the Kleindokkaai (Fig. 9). It is cur-

rently the youngest member of the Ghent crane collection.

This hydraulic equilibrium crane with a xed arm was

constructed under a Belgian patent. The load is not raised

using cables, but transferred on a rigid arm, which means

it requires less energy. The 150-tonne crane will serve as

a 3D grati artwork [7].

The entire project comes at a steep cost. The City of

Ghent is eligible for subsidies from the European ERDF

project for the purchase, transportation and installation of

the Sobemai and ST1 cranes, as well as restoration, the

construction of the viewing platform on the ST1 crane and

communication about the project

The European ERDF project (European Regional Development

Fund) aims to strengthen economic and social cohesion in the European

Union by ensuring balance between the regions. The ERDF’s activities

have been developed to limit economic, environmental and social prob-

lems in urban areas, with a special focus on sustainable urban develop-

ment. A minimum of 50% of ERDF’s funds are reserved for “integrated

actions” managed by cities.

UrbandevelopmentinGhent / RozwójGandawy 43

Fig. 9. The Sobemai crane,

dating from 1988 and the 1928

Stork Nivelle gantry crane,

against the background

of the power plant

Il. 9. Żuraw Sobemai z 1988 r.

i suwnica bramowa Stork Nivelle

z 1928 r. na tle elektrowni

Conclusion

Development of the area is currently in full swing and

the cranes are already doing their work, attracting atten-

tion from far and wide. They evoke curiosity, admiration

and a sense of connection. They encourage people to

explore the entire area. They are meeting places where

people arrange to meet up or bump into each other, form-

ing the ideal backdrop for pop-up summer bars and other

cultural activities. They represent a city with an industrial

past, a city of entrepreneurs and a pleasant place to live.

It is also thanks to the cranes that a new partnership has

been set up between the Urban Development Department

and the Museum of Industry.

References /Bibliografia

[1] Decavele J., De Herdt R., Decorte N., Gentopdewaterenennaarde

zee, Mercatorfonds, Antwerp 1976, 237.

[2] Neirinckx P., MIAT:fromclassicmuseumofindustrialarchaeology

topartnerinthereconversionofdeindustrializedsites, “Hors-Série”

2018, N° 1, 263–267, https://www.cilac.com/sites/default/les/pdf_

complet/actes_ticcih_2015_0.pdf [accessed: 14.03.2020].

[3] Viaene P., SavingandValorisingIndustrialHeritagewithLocalOr-

ganizationsandVolunteersinBelgium, [in:] Lin H.-W., Lin H.-Ch.,

Huang Ch.-M. (eds.), TICCIH Congress 2012. The International Con-

servation for the Industrial Heritage Series 2, Selected Papers of the

International Congress of the International Committee for

the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage, Chung Yuan Chris-

tian Uni versity, Taiwan 2013, 289–298, https://ticcih.org/wp-con-

tent/uploads/2013/10/Taipei2012SelectedPapersv9.pdf [accessed:

14.03.2020].

[4] Gentinfo, Nieuw Leven in de Oude Dokken, http://www.oudedok-

ken.be/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/DEF-brochure-ENGELS.pdf

[accessed: 3.11.2019].

44 Pieter Neirinckx, Marc Pinte

Abstract

The subject of the article is the process of establishing, and the role of an industrial museum in the former port areas of Ghent. Although Ghent is

located about 32 km from the coast, the city is a real sea port. The construction of the Ghent–Terneuzen Canal in 1823–1827 created a direct corridor

to the North Sea. From the 19

century, large textile factories began to arise in and around the medieval city center, so that at the end of the 2

half

of the 19

century, Ghent became the most important industrial city of Flanders. This continued until the 1970 crisis. At that time, textile production

was moved to countries with lower labor costs and factory buildings were demolished, but the old port basins remained. Port activities were moved

north of the city to areas along the canal. The rst Museum for Industrial Archaelogy was founded in this area. Fearful of potential loss of important

industrial heritage, the small museum took over large steam engines and even port cranes. It gradually became understood that the collection of these

large industrial objects in museum conditions is not easy. The Department for Urban Planning began the re-evaluation of the 19

-century industrial

belt and the area of the old port. Currently, there is the integration of large technology objects (big stu) with urban tissue and social life. The port’s

heritage is raised to act as a visual and identity carrier, with a particular focus on port cranes. The cooperation between the Department of Urban

Planning and the Museum of Industry oers the Museum the opportunity to go outside the walls of the museum to restore big industrial facilities (big

stu) to the old port of the city.

Key words: urban redevelopment, industrial heritage, movable cultural heritage, heritage conservation

Streszczenie

Tematem artykułu jest proces powstawania i roli postindustrialnego muzeum na dawnych terenach portowych Gandawy. Mimo że Gandawa leży

około 32 km od wybrzeża, miasto jest prawdziwym morskim portem. Wybudowanie w latach 1823–1827 kanału Ghent–Terneuzen stworzyło bezpo-

średni korytarz do Morza Północnego. Od XIX w. w średniowiecznym centrum miasta i wokół niego zaczęły powstawać wielkie fabryki tekstylne,

tak że pod koniec 2. połowy XIX w. Gandawa stała się najważniejszym miastem przemysłowym Flandrii. Trwało to do kryzysu z roku 1970. Wów-

czas produkcja tekstylna została przeniesiona do krajów o niższych kosztach siły roboczej, budynki fabryk zostały zburzone, pozostały stare baseny

portowe. Działalność „portową” przeniesiono na północ od miasta, na tereny wzdłuż kanału. Na opuszczonym terenie założono pierwsze Muzeum

Archeologii Industrialnej. Obawiając się potencjalnej utraty ważnego dziedzictwa przemysłowego, niewielkie muzeum przejęło duże maszyny pa-

rowe, a nawet portowe dźwigi. Stopniowo zrozumiano, że gromadzenie tych wielkich obiektów przemysłowych w warunkach muzealnych nie jest

łatwe. Departament Planowania Miejskiego rozpoczął rewaloryzację XIX-wiecznego pasa przemysłowego i terenu starego portu. Obecnie zachodzi

tu integracja dużych obiektów techniki (big stu) z tkanką miejską i życiem społecznym. Dziedzictwo portu jest podniesione do pełnienia funkcji

nośnika wizualnego i tożsamościowego, ze szczególnym skupieniem uwagi na dźwigach portowych. Współpraca między Departamentem Rozwoju

Miejskiego a Muzeum Przemysłu oarowuje temu drugiemu możliwość wyjścia poza mury muzeum, by przywrócić duże obiekty przemysłowe

staremu portowi miasta.

Słowa kluczowe: przebudowa miast, dziedzictwo przemysłowe, ruchome dziedzictwo kulturowe, konserwacja dziedzictwa

[5] Kingma J., Van Hoo G., Horizonsmetenzonderkranen.Hetver

anderendesilhouet van deNederlandsehavensenscheepswerven,

“Tijdschrift voor Historische Geograe” 2018, Vol. 3, No. 4, 283–293.

[6] Wain A., The impact of personal connections on future interest in

industrial heritage, “Hors-Série” 2018, N° 1, 301–306, https://www.

cilac.com/sites/default/les/pdf_complet/actes_ticcih_2015_0.pdf

[accessed: 14.03.2020].

[7] Pinte M., Neirinckx P., Kranen geven Gentse haven een gezicht,

“Erf goed van Industrie en Techniek” 2018, No. 2, 10–17.