Marc Wingens
Marc Wingens is a Dutch cultural historian, heritage strategist and cultural leader specialising in community-based heritage, heritage networks and the strengthening of cultural organisations. As Director of Erfgoed Gelderland (Heritage Gelderland), he has dedicated his career to supporting heritage institutions, promoting collaboration and enhancing the social value of cultural heritage.
He studied Cultural History at Utrecht University and obtained his PhD from Erasmus University Rotterdam in 1994. After holding academic and research positions, including at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, he became Director of the Foundation and Cooperative Erfgoed Gelderland in 2006. The organisation serves as both a consultancy and cooperative network for approximately 260 heritage organisations in the province of Gelderland, including museums, archives, historical societies, intangible heritage groups and organisations working with archaeology, monuments and cultural landscapes.
Through his leadership at Erfgoed Gelderland, Marc has supported volunteer-driven heritage organisations through advocacy, knowledge exchange, capacity building and collaborative projects. He has also contributed to national and international heritage cooperation, including Dutch-German Interreg initiatives and current work related to the Lower Germanic Limes, strengthening cross-border approaches to heritage preservation and interpretation.
Marc serves as a Council Member of Europa Nostra and contributes to numerous heritage boards and advisory bodies, including OPEN, the national organisation for provincial heritage institutions, and the heritage platform of Kunsten ’92. He has extensive experience in heritage evaluation and recognition programmes, having served as secretary of the Gelderse Roos Prize for heritage volunteers since 2017, as a jury member for the Brabant Heritage Award and as advisor to the Mondriaan Fund (2019–2022).
Together with his husband Rudolf Burggraaf, he is also committed to raising heritage awareness among students of Dutch UNESCO schools, fostering a new generation of heritage-minded citizens.