should they be given monumental status?

More and more brown bars are disappearing from Utrecht. That is a sore leg for the PvdA. The political party wants the traditional brown café to be protected. The party would like to see the municipality map all brown bars and that the cafes can be given protected status.

The number of brown bars has decreased considerably in recent years. That’s a shame, says Romi Leever of PvdA Utrecht. “Old brown pubs with a rich history are closing, and there will be new hip places and shops from major international chains.”

The party therefore wants to give the brown bars monumental status. With this status, the bars are protected against external changes. The party wants the municipal council to map all brown pubs so that they can apply for monumental status. “It needs monumental status ensure that brown bars can continue to exist longer. “And that is important, because brown bars are part of our heritage.” says Leever.

Definition

The PvdA states that the brown pub is a café with ‘an authentic warm atmosphere. An (old-fashioned) decorated pub with brown wood and dim lighting. Above all, with its historic character and rich history.

The PvdA also wants the council to see whether the brown pub can be labeled as intangible heritage. The Netherlands Intangible Heritage Knowledge Center uses a definition of intangible heritage. This reads: “a living cultural expression or cultural activity that is continued by a succession of practitioners: from generation to generation and from person to person.”

Social function

In addition to a monumental function, brown pubs also have a social function, according to Leever. “Not only do they often have a rich history, but a brown pub is often also the living room of the neighborhood. If we lose places like that to yet another retail giant or international chain, we not only lose a pub, but also a meeting place.” According to her, the identity of the city should not be determined by who has the most money.

Other municipalities

Other municipalities already preceded Utrecht. Amsterdam had an initiative proposal last year adopted to designate brown pubs as heritage. Tilburg and Groningen also paid attention to the importance of the brown pub last year.