Mariaberg looks different than it used to

Mariaberg

A Mural

“What are we supposed to do with that mural on the building? And what’s it got to do with Blauwdorp?” Some Mariaberg residents were a little sceptical when a new mural in the district was unveiled. “But once they heard the story behind it, they understood what it meant for the district. Some even saw themselves reflected in it. It was something quite special,” says Petra Debets (pictured left), community worker with the local wellbeing organisation Trajekt. She tells her story together with Chantal van Lieshout, a teacher and researcher at Zuyd University of Applied Sciences who studies community development – how people in a district build connections. “Mariaberg holds so many stories,” says Chantal. “How can we make sure those stories are preserved when the sense of community, the bond between people, comes under pressure?”

Stories

Chantal: “When an area changes, you build connections between people by bringing them together, by telling stories – and above all, by keeping those stories alive. We saw people cry when their old street was demolished. Everyone understood it had to happen, everyone saw the improvements, but there was still an emotional response. That made us even more determined: we had to do something with those stories. We needed to capture them.

Proud of Mariaberg

There’s a lot happening in Mariaberg to encourage connection and preserve local stories. One example is Gruuts: a project run by, among others, the Mariaberg neighbourhood network. The murals are part of this project too. Petra: “The name Gruuts, meaning ‘proud’, wasn’t chosen by accident. Residents are genuinely proud of their district.” Or perhaps more accurately, of their part of it. Trichterveld is very different from Blauwdorp, and both are distinct again from Proosdijveld, often simply referred to as Mariaberg. Petra: “The make-up of those neighbourhoods is changing as well. That’s part of the times we live in, but you can see that long-time residents sometimes struggle with it. They miss that familiar sense of togetherness they used to have. Holding on to those stories and that feeling is an important part of our work in the area.” “The murals help with that,” adds Chantal.

Holding on

As a researcher, Chantal has connected with many local residents over the years. “Through the Gruuts project, I’ve collected stories from people about the sense of loss they feel due to the changes in the district. They’re not opposed to change, but they want to hold on to what feels good for them.”

Connection

That’s why meeting other people matters so much. There are several places in the district where people can meet, such as De Inleup at the community centre. Petra: “There’s a woman from Iran who comes there regularly. Every morning she wakes up wondering whether her parents back home in Iran are still alive. She shares that story there, and other residents offer her support. When you see that she feels heard, you realise just how important De Inleup is to this district.”

The same goes for De Binnenloper: a new meeting space along the Blauwe Loper. Like the community centre, it hosts all sorts of activities: talks, a sewing group, a neighbourhood restaurant, a bread bank and a community reuse shop. Petra: “Some activities are completely led by residents, which is really special. When something works well, we often see new ideas emerging naturally from it.”

A QR Code

“Stories give a district its soul,” say Petra and Chantal. “They bring people together and create a sense of support.” 4 murals have already been completed, with another 6 to follow across the district. Soon, people will be able to scan a QR code to read the stories behind the murals.