Traditie onder vuur: Een analyse van het publieke discours rondom paasvuren in Nederland

Abstract

This thesis analyzes the different stakeholders in the Easter fire discussion in the Netherlands. Every year on Easter, big fires are lit in the east of the Netherlands. This thesis focusses on one specific Easter fire, the one in Espelo, a small town in the province of Overijssel. Within the township Rijssen-Holten there is a competition for the biggest and for the most beautiful Easter fire. The way the tradition is carried out today was invented in de 1960s. The tradition has been added to the Dutch list of intangible heritage in 2017 by the Dutch institution for intangible heritage, het Kenniscentrum Immaterieel Erfgoed Nederland. During the past years there has been a discussion in the Netherlands about the tradition and the consequences the emission of the high efficiency particulate air has for the environment and human health. The discussion about Easter fires in the Netherlands is part of a broader discussion about intangible heritage, nature and identity. This thesis shows the effects intangible heritage and discussions about intangible heritage have on the forming of an individual, local and national identity. It discusses the ostensible polarization in the Netherlands and the possible solutions for reducing conflict regarding intangible heritage. It focusses on the Easter fire discussion to answer a broader question about the influence of intangible heritage and conflict on the forming of a personal, local and national (cultural) identity in the Netherlands.