Limburg History Centre

The Limburg Historic Center is formed from the State Archives in the province of Limburg and the Municipal Archives of Maastricht. They form the administrative partners in the Joint Regulation RHCL. The RHCL is also the archive repository for the Province of Limburg.

‘crack in the wall’
It is impossible to miss the gigantic ‘crack in the wall’ in the monumental building of the Limburg Regional History Centre. It looks as though the stone window frames could fall down at any minute, were it not for the fact that the lower one is still anchored to the building on one side. The crack was created during major renovation works at the National Archives in 1994, and many people were against it at first. It has since become a permanent feature of the street.

The crack offers a glimpse into the historical activities that take place in the building, and the Latin proverb – NON SUM QUALIS ERAM, I am not what I used to be – – provides food for thought. Is this proverb about the building, perhaps? After all, the crack is relatively new, and the entire façade has already had several faces. Or is it about the archives, or perhaps even the onlookers themselves? Some stay a little longer, others walk on after having a quick look.