I.B. Diercks

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Master thesis (1)

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Acknowledge

A strategy to break the silence, to learn from our history

Master thesis (2023) - I.B. Diercks , A.G.C. van Boeijen , W. Brouwer , Nick Ceton

In the six years I have been walking around in this faculty, I have gained theoretical
knowledge, but foremost gained practical handholds to design strategically. For this last stretch, I have defined a project brief with personal attachment, one that presents a complex problem that I wanted to find a solution for.

In collaboration with the Nationaal
Archief, I have enriched the current visitor journey of the ‘Centraal Archief Bijzondere
Rechtspleging’ (CABR) - an archive containing files of the more than 300.000 people who were accused of collaborating with the German occupiers, of joining the German’s armed forces, of treason or of membership of the NSB after the Second World War.

Specific chapters of Dutch national history have remained a sensitive topic. It has taken 150 years for our parliament and monarchy to apologize and ask for forgiveness for their role in the colonial past. It took the monarchy 75 years and two generations to speak about its role in the Second World War. To apologize, one needs to acknowledge something went
wrong. To acknowledge, one needs to know about what has happened and process this.

As I am a firm believer in that we can learn and grow from our diverse cultures and
historical backgrounds, I wanted to contribute to the perceived significance of history. To be able to acknowledge a part of one’s past, one needs to gain knowledge of what has happened, interpret, and process this. I have been driven to apply strategic design thinking and its principles into this historical context, to show and understand the added value.

The knowledge and experience I gained throughout my studies, enabled me to structurally analyze and enrich the visitor journey and create interventions that aim to support people in the exploration of their familial history. To support them to understand their ancestor’s role within the historical context, to give them support to process this information, and to give them handholds on how to share their insights with the generations that have come
after them.

Remaining silent is never the solution. Now, I place the ball in your court.