**The story of the Battle of the Golden Spurs: from Sunday you can experience this from the front row in the Church of Our Lady in Kortrijk. The city will be opening the ‘Belevingsmuseum Kortrijk 1302’ there. Thanks to an impressive projection and touch screens illuminating the battle from various angles, you will be catapulted back in time.**
The Church of Our Lady will retain its function as a church, but as the 1302 Experience Museum, it has acquired a special additional function. “Where better to tell the story of 1302 than in this church,” says Mayor Ruth Vandenberghe. “Close to the Groeninge field where the Battle of the Golden Spurs took place, and the place where, according to tradition, the Flemings hung 500 guilder spurs from slain French knights in the choir.”
The city invested 2 million euros in the Experience Museum, which was developed by CREATE.eu. Forget classical set-ups with boring information boards and display cabinets full of artefacts: the Belevingsmuseum Kortrijk 1302 is a museum of the future. The city of Kortrijk wants to reach everyone in an accessible way, including those who prefer to visit a classic museum.
The visit starts in the Counts Chapel, where a multimedia projection has been developed. This not only brings the story of the Battle of the Golden Spurs to life, but also of the run-up to it. Apparently, it all started in the ninth century, when the French king saw his daughter Judith flee to marry nobleman Baudouin.
According to the king, this Baudouin was not good enough for his daughter, but for the sake of peace and quiet, he allowed the couple a piece of his territory. Baudouin would become the first count of Flanders. The story, which you hear through headphones, was read by actors Chris Lomme and Dries Vanhegen, whom you may know as Patrick from telenovela Sara and as Kurt and Paul from Thuis en Familie.
**Rudi Vranckx**
After the projection, touch screens allow you to experience the story from the point of view of the French king, and from that of the count of Flanders. “A war is of course always a tale of two sides,” says Rudi Vandeputte, project manager from the city. “The truth lies somewhere in the middle. That is why we also had war journalist Rudi Vranckx report objectively on this battle.”
Some popular ideas are also explained: how it came about that the lion became the symbol of Flanders, for example, and from where that name ‘Guldensporenslag’ comes. “Because that is a name that was only given to the battle later.” And that ‘schild en vriend’ was used to recognise Frenchmen and to make them a head shorter when pronounced incorrectly is not correct. “It was actually the battle cry of the Flemings.
The showpiece is a coffin over 700 years old in which lifelike memories of 1302 have been carved. The chest comes over from Oxford and will be on display in the city for at least a year.
“It is a historic day today,” says alderman Axel Ronse. “As of today, we are playing with Kortrijk in the Champions League of the museum experience. We are bringing the story of 1302 to life in the most accessible way, because it is a story that everyone should be able to experience. This museum literally connects the past with the future.”
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**The story of the Battle of the Golden Spurs: from Sunday you can experience this from the front row in the Church of Our Lady in Kortrijk. The city will be opening the ‘Belevingsmuseum Kortrijk 1302’ there. Thanks to an impressive projection and touch screens illuminating the battle from various angles, you will be catapulted back in time.**
The Church of Our Lady will retain its function as a church, but as the 1302 Experience Museum, it has acquired a special additional function. “Where better to tell the story of 1302 than in this church,” says Mayor Ruth Vandenberghe. “Close to the Groeninge field where the Battle of the Golden Spurs took place, and the place where, according to tradition, the Flemings hung 500 guilder spurs from slain French knights in the choir.”
The city invested 2 million euros in the Experience Museum, which was developed by CREATE.eu. Forget classical set-ups with boring information boards and display cabinets full of artefacts: the Belevingsmuseum Kortrijk 1302 is a museum of the future. The city of Kortrijk wants to reach everyone in an accessible way, including those who prefer to visit a classic museum.
The visit starts in the Counts Chapel, where a multimedia projection has been developed. This not only brings the story of the Battle of the Golden Spurs to life, but also of the run-up to it. Apparently, it all started in the ninth century, when the French king saw his daughter Judith flee to marry nobleman Baudouin.
According to the king, this Baudouin was not good enough for his daughter, but for the sake of peace and quiet, he allowed the couple a piece of his territory. Baudouin would become the first count of Flanders. The story, which you hear through headphones, was read by actors Chris Lomme and Dries Vanhegen, whom you may know as Patrick from telenovela Sara and as Kurt and Paul from Thuis en Familie.
**Rudi Vranckx**
After the projection, touch screens allow you to experience the story from the point of view of the French king, and from that of the count of Flanders. “A war is of course always a tale of two sides,” says Rudi Vandeputte, project manager from the city. “The truth lies somewhere in the middle. That is why we also had war journalist Rudi Vranckx report objectively on this battle.”
Some popular ideas are also explained: how it came about that the lion became the symbol of Flanders, for example, and from where that name ‘Guldensporenslag’ comes. “Because that is a name that was only given to the battle later.” And that ‘schild en vriend’ was used to recognise Frenchmen and to make them a head shorter when pronounced incorrectly is not correct. “It was actually the battle cry of the Flemings.
The showpiece is a coffin over 700 years old in which lifelike memories of 1302 have been carved. The chest comes over from Oxford and will be on display in the city for at least a year.
“It is a historic day today,” says alderman Axel Ronse. “As of today, we are playing with Kortrijk in the Champions League of the museum experience. We are bringing the story of 1302 to life in the most accessible way, because it is a story that everyone should be able to experience. This museum literally connects the past with the future.”