Bulletin 40 | 2025 | CHrisis

The CHrisis Bulletin (Cultural Heritage in Crisis) explores the many facets of managing and protecting heritage in the wake of the July 2021 floods in Belgium. It addresses the impact of disasters on cultural heritage and the coordinated responses implemented for its protection and recovery. A key focus is the role of organisations in documenting and assessing damage, as well as in developing appropriate conservation protocols. The issue also examines specific treatments applied to art objects – such as liturgical textiles, ceramics, and metal artefacts – in order to better understand deterioration processes caused by water and mud. It sheds light on post-crisis support strategies for heritage sites and on efforts to strengthen future risk preparedness and management. Finally, it highlights the importance of intangible heritage in the processes of psychosocial reconstruction and cultural revitalisation after a disaster. Through an interdisciplinary and pragmatic approach, this issue offers a comprehensive overview of the challenges, methodologies, and responses involved in safeguarding heritage in times of crisis.

ARTICLES

Estelle De Bruyn and Anne–Catherine Olbrechts, From Lessons Learned to Integrated Crisis Management: The Impact of the July 2021 Floods on Belgium’s Cultural Heritage

Christina Ceulemans, Anne–Sophie Hanse and Vanessa Boschloos, Protecting Heritage: Blue Shield Belgium’s Response to Floods

Maura Moriaux, From Flood to Recovery: Coordinating Crisis Support for Churches in Need in Wallonia

Françoise Collanges, Assessing Damage and Measuring Impact: From Crisis to Recovery ˗ What Is Required?

Julia Wagner, Géraldine Bussienne, Francisco Mederos–Henry, Caroline Henry, Catherine Cools, Valentina Mazzotti and Anne–Sophie Barnich, Ceramics Affected by Floods: Insights from the First Response to Conservation Treatment

Elke Otten, Helena Wouters and Anne–Sophie Barnich, Flooded Archaeological Metal Artefacts: Damage Phenomena in Iron Objects from the Centre de Conservation et d’Étude (CCE) in Namur, Belgium

José Vetro and Julie Desarnaud, Post–Flood Recovery of Built Heritage: Modelling for Predicting Secondary Damage

Judith Goris and Griet Kockelkoren, Value and Significance Assessment of Liturgical Textiles

Laure Marique and Carla Zurstrassen, Revitalising the Bethlehem of Verviers: Interconnection between Intangible Cultural Heritage and Post–Disaster Recovery