Brussels Internship: My experience working for the Future for Religious Heritage

As I headed to meet my coworkers on the first day of working for my internship, I got hopelessly lost in a maze of drab office buildings surrounding the European Parliament. Picture this, me a Junior at Furman frantically walking into buildings to ask in poorly pronounced Google-translated French “Where is Rue de Treves 67?!”. Thankfully I found a very nice woman (with a heavy German accent) in a nearby building who after a comical exchange was able to point me on my way.

Despite my rocky start, I was soon meeting my supervisor, Jordi, and my coworkers Jules and Maite, and we were quickly on our way to a nearby sandwich shop for lunch and introductions. Since it was a smaller office I felt like an essential part of the team and not just an intern, and I quickly dove into my work.

I am Max Dudley a Junior at Furman University and this past semester I had the opportunity to work for Future for Religious Heritage (FRH) an independent NGO that focuses on site preservation for religious and cultural sites throughout Europe. FRH was founded in 2009 with the goal in mind to organize those passionate about the continued usage and conservation of religious and cultural sites like churches, temples, and mosques. The founders noticed that across Europe, religious buildings were falling into disrepair or being increasingly used for purposes other than worship. Many reports such as a 2009 report published by the Cultural Heritage Agency of Sweden indicated that in the next ten years 1000 to 1200 churches would close their doors. By relying on donations, membership dues, and volunteer work FRH is able to maintain funding for struggling structures, provide support for understaffed property managers, and lobby for helpful development and restoration policies within the EU.

As part of my duties in the office, I conducted research for major projects, collected data on member’s contact info, and helped develop social media strategies to draw in new members. I also had the chance to work on Religiana, an online database of religious and cultural heritage sites throughout Europe. The database has basic info on the sites, their locations, and descriptions of each site’s history. While working on Religiana I researched many places of worship and learned quite a bit about the history of Judaism and Christianity in Europe. This knowledge served me well on Furman sponsored trips throughout Belgium as I was able to recognize some buildings I had researched such as the Portuguese Synagogue nestled in the diamond district of Antwerp, the Collegiate Church of Our Lady in Dinant, or the Mechelen cathedral (Enjoy some photos of these beautiful buildings below!). I have also begun an independent research project comparing the economic impact of religious and cultural sites in Europe with those in America.

Outside of the office I have had many exciting opportunities to learn around Brussels. I have attended meetings with members of the European Parliament and the European Commission, panels discussing the role of NGOs and their funding, and conferences on socio-cultural development within the European Union. I even had the chance to visit a fellow Furman student and attend a panel with them about the role of thinktanks in relation to NGOs at Bruegel. One of my favorite events I attended was a panel about the Green New Deal and sustainability in Europe a couple of weeks before Greta Thunberg came and spoke in Parliament. From these events, I expanded my international perspective and saw firsthand how different policies were handled between Europe and America.

Since the first day I have learned how to better navigate Brussels, speak confidently to Europeans (even if I still don’t know French), and I feel more prepared to work in an office environment. Through my work, I have learned to effectively communicate my ideas and have learned many cultural differences in Europe. I have also found a new passion in religion as my research sparked a curiosity that has since gone beyond my work. As I traveled with the Furman group I constantly stopped to take pictures of churches or buildings I previously only read about.

I was heartbroken to leave my coworkers behind and I still miss the sandwich shop where we ate for lunch each week but looking back, I am proud of the work I was able to accomplish and grateful for what I learned. I am still continuing my research and it will hopefully be published in early May. Keep following this blog for more of my exploits around Belgium and my thoughts on things like the American and European reactions to the COVID-19 crisis.

Top Left: Church of Our Lady in Dinant, Belgium

Top Right: Portuguese Synagogue in Antwerp, Belgium

Bottom Left: Me in the Grand Place of Brussels, Belgium