Sponges of culture. Past and present meanings, usages, and contestation of raised bogs in the Low Countries

This thesis project studies the history of human usages and perceptions of raised bogs in the historical Low Countries. It explores four main themes: (1) bogs as common lands (common-pool resources), (2) bogs as historical ‘natural barriers’ and borderlands, (3) long-term evolution of bog place meanings, and (4) cultural remains in present-day bog landscapes and how these can be managed. These four themes make up the central chapters of the thesis. Overall, the thesis project is characterized by an interdisciplinary approach on the intersection of landscape history, environmental history and cultural geography.