What happens when we rebuild heritage after war—and who gets to decide what that rebuilding means? In ‘The Politics of Post-Conflict Heritage Reconstruction’, we explore heritage reconstruction not simply as the restoration of damaged monuments, but as a deeply political and social act. Destroyed heritage can represent erased histories, identities, and memories. Rebuilding can therefore help restore a sense of place, strengthen resilience, and enable communities to imagine a future after violence. Yet reconstruction is rarely straightforward. Governments, international donors, heritage experts, and local communities may have very different visions of what should be rebuilt, how, and for whom. Decisions about heritage are also shaped by competing political interests, institutional structures, and different understandings of time and recovery. Drawing on cases from across the world and spanning more than a century—from Ypres after the First World War to contemporary Ukraine—the book asks what we can learn from these varied experiences. Through comparative research, we identify best practices and norms for tackling heritage after conflict. What emerges from these very different contexts is not a universal model or a checklist for successful reconstruction. Rather, there are three things we need to take seriously: politics, time and local institutions. Ultimately, the book is not an argument against reconstruction. Quite the opposite. It is an argument for reconstruction that recognises heritage as a living social space, gives local actors a meaningful role, and allows recovery to unfold on its own, often contested, temporalities.

Arenberg Doctoral School is proud to invite you to Meet The Jury!

When internationally renowned experts visit KU Leuven as a member of a PhD Examination Committee, we like to seize this opportunity to give this expert a forum to a large audience. All members of Science, Engineering & Technology are most welcome to the Meet The Jury Lectures.

Prof. Gertjan Plets (University of Utrecht, Netherlands) will give a lecture on “Book Talk: The Politics of Post-Conflict Heritage Reconstruction”.

What happens when we rebuild heritage after war—and who gets to decide what that rebuilding means? In ‘The Politics of Post-Conflict Heritage Reconstruction’, we explore heritage reconstruction not simply as the restoration of damaged monuments, but as a deeply political and social act. Destroyed heritage can represent erased histories, identities, and memories. Rebuilding can therefore help restore a sense of place, strengthen resilience, and enable communities to imagine a future after violence. Yet reconstruction is rarely straightforward. Governments, international donors, heritage experts, and local communities may have very different visions of what should be rebuilt, how, and for whom. Decisions about heritage are also shaped by competing political interests, institutional structures, and different understandings of time and recovery. Drawing on cases from across the world and spanning more than a century—from Ypres after the First World War to contemporary Ukraine—the book asks what we can learn from these varied experiences. Through comparative research, we identify best practices and norms for tackling heritage after conflict. What emerges from these very different contexts is not a universal model or a checklist for successful reconstruction. Rather, there are three things we need to take seriously: politics, time and local institutions. Ultimately, the book is not an argument against reconstruction. Quite the opposite. It is an argument for reconstruction that recognises heritage as a living social space, gives local actors a meaningful role, and allows recovery to unfold on its own, often contested, temporalities.

Following the lecture, there will be opportunity for young researchers to interact with him.

• Venue: Sint-Niklaasstraat 27, room 2.11, 9000 Gent
• Date: 23 October 2026 – 11:15-12:15
• Prof. Gertjan Plets is visiting KU Leuven on the occasion of the PhD defence of Marie Nevejan