IN MEMORIAM: Adriaan Linters (1951-2025, Belgium)
Text prepared and read by Piet Jaspaert, Vice-President Europa Nostra (2019-2024)
Europa Nostra General Assembly, Brussels, 13 October 2025
Dear colleagues, dear friends,
I feel honoured to present this in memoriam in honour of Adriaan Linters, a pioneer of industrial archaeology in Flanders and Europe, co-founder and for 48 years, the face and driving force behind VVIA – the Flemish Association for Industrial Archaeology and former Council member of Europa Nostra, who passed away on 31 May 2025 in his hometown, Kortrijk. He was 74. His death marks not only the loss of a man with an exceptional track record, but also of a voice, a conscience and a lighthouse for the entire heritage sector. His legacy is monumental — his impact indelible.
Adriaan was an exemplary competent and visionary activist, a critical observer of the policies of governments and public authorities, a scientist who started from the reality on the ground and a volunteer among the volunteers. I quote Adriaan: “Shame is my motivation. The thought that our heritage would disappear without anyone feeling compelled to protect it is unbearable to me. Heritage cannot defend itself. It needs defenders.”
As a historian, Adriaan was convinced that the history of industry, technique and engineering contains solutions for today’s environmental problems, climate mitigation and socio-economic challenges. After the death of his beloved partner Claudine in 2001 his life-purpose was the future of his organisation VVIA and the defense of industrial heritage. His house got literally full to overflowing with an invaluable wealth of books, magazines, articles, documents, research, reports, files, analyses, pleadings… his living space became a scientific laboratory and library, an encyclopedia Tribute for and of European industrial heritage. In 2019 he and his organisation VVIA – Flemish Association for Industrial Archaeology were rewarded with a European Heritage Award / Europa Nostra Award in the category ‘Heritage Champions’. In 2024 he was rewarded with the Sarton-medal by the Universiteit Gent for his research work and lifelong commitment and investment in industrial archaeology.
Faced with limited mobility due to an unfortunate fall, ironically enough in Kortrijk Railway station, and aware of his unequal battle against the pancreatic cancer, he wrote shortly before his passing away an impressive reference article “Industrial heritage on a European scaffold” in which he tries to convince the industrial sector to pay more attention to European initiatives which can help raise awareness of the value of the sector. He did this on the basis of a comprehensive analysis of the way by which Europa Nostra over the past years has been paying growing attention to industrial sites by rewarding those that have been saved, renovated and reused in an exceptional way or campaigning for endangered ones.
In several of these cases Adriaan has been a key person, by fighting endlessly and unconditionally for their survival and reuse. The story of Kortrijk Railway station on page 8 of the booklet you’ll get at the end of the meeting tells only half of the story because meanwhile the end of the story has become a splendid example of the impact of Adriaan’s efforts. After the publication of the article, the complaint lodged by VVIA and DOCOMOMO against the building permit which allowed the station to be demolished led to its annulment by the court for permit disputes. Against all expectations the developers did not lodge an appeal and, on 10 September – sadly after Adriaan’s death – they published a press release announcing that, due to the exorbitant cost, they had opted for a new project based on preserving the current station and that it would be a realistic and feasible design that would respect the heritage value of the station. This was an absolute success for the industrial heritage sector, but also and above all Adriaan’s final victory.
His legacy is monumental… but what we will miss most is his commitment, his sharp mind, his drive… his stubborn belief that history matters.
His son wrote in his farewell message:
“He taught me to look — really look — at what others no longer saw. Old walls, machines, forgotten details and stories, but also people.
The world has lost a guardian of heritage.”
