The eighth edition of Matrimoine Days will take place in Brussels from 25 to 27 September, with around 30 free events highlighting the women and minority groups who have shaped the city’s heritage.
The organisers announced the programme on Tuesday at Wiels, alongside the presentation of Heritage Days.
Through talks, guided visits, workshops and family activities, the event aims to bring greater visibility to people who have often been left out of historical narratives.
“Through its rich programme, Matrimoine Days help shine a light on, reveal and celebrate our heritage and our social gains,” said Apolline Vranken, co-ordinator of 'L’architecture qui dégenre,' the association behind the event.
This year’s programme will explore the work and legacy of lace-makers, factory workers, archivists, curators and artists.
Events include an urban walk in the Marolles district that will focus on Jewish women, and a visit to the former Forest prison, which will offer an opportunity to examine the links between gender and confinement.
The Matrimoine Days look at both the historical heritage of Brussels, including its architecture, sculpture, urban development and social history, and its contemporary artistic, political and feminist dimensions.
They also highlight the role of women and minority groups in the professions involved in creating, preserving and passing on that heritage.
This year’s edition will mark the 50th anniversary of the abolition of marital authority, a legal system that placed wives under their husbands’ authority, including in the management of the couple’s property.
The programme will examine the rights women have gained, as well as the ongoing struggles around financial independence, access to work and access to property.
“Financial independence lies at the heart of feminist thinking and has been part of our law for 50 years,” Vranken said.
Questions of property ownership and access to the professions connected to it will run throughout the programme.
