Who deserves the 2026 Heritage Award?
Every year, the Municipal Executive of Aalten presents the Heritage Award. Do you know of—or are you—an organization or individual in our municipality that is committed to preserving our heritage and that you believe is eligible for the 2026 Heritage Award? If so, we invite you to submit your nomination by June 1.
Photo: Nominees for the 2025 Heritage Award, winner Bert Stronks
Our municipality is home to many historic buildings and valuable artifacts that deserve to be restored to their former glory and preserved. Through the Heritage Award, the municipal executive aims to draw attention to these initiatives and provide a platform for the many large and small projects that contribute to the preservation of our heritage.
The winner will receive a check for €250 and a work of art valued at €350.
Who can you nominate?
You may nominate a natural or legal person who, on their own initiative and with great dedication and/or financial contribution, has restored or commissioned the restoration of a structure of historical value. Carrying out major overdue maintenance work that has prevented imminent deterioration is also eligible for this award. In addition, a person or organization that has made a significant contribution to heritage-related projects (such as the management of a historical collection or a historical publication) may be nominated.
How is the winner chosen?
You can nominate a candidate until June 1, 2026. The Environmental Quality Committee will then review all submissions and select this year’s nominees. The nominees will be announced in early July. This will be announced on social media and on these municipal web pages. The municipal executive will decide who will receive the 2026 Heritage Award. They will announce this during the “Heritage Award Ceremony” on September 3, 2026.
How do I register a candidate?
Please email your submission to gemeente@aalten.nl by June 1, 2026. Please include the following:
- - who you would like to nominate;
- - why this person or organization deserves the Heritage Award;
- - brief description of the work;
- - several high-quality photos of the property, person, or object(s).
Attend the ceremony
The 2026 Heritage Award will be presented on September 3, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. at the Koppelkerk in Bredevoort. You can register now to attend. Please visit aanmelden@aalten.nl and include your name, organization (if applicable), number of attendees, and phone number. The final program for the evening will be announced around August.
National Historic Preservation Day
During the “Open Monument Days” on September 12 and 13, 2026, many historic sites in the municipality of Aalten will open their doors to you. Are you curious about the beautiful heritage in our municipality? A list of the historic sites open to the public during this weekend will be published around July.
Do you know of a suitable candidate for the 2026 Heritage Award? Then submit your nomination! We’re really looking forward to seeing this year’s entries!