Welcome
LGOG was founded in 1863. It was then called ‘the Archaeological Society of the Duchy of Limburg’. Its goals were to “promote the national history of the Netherlands, especially the history of the province of Limburg, and to collect antiquities and remnants of arts and crafts which are to be found in the duchy”. In 1867, the name of the association was changed to ‘the Historical and Archaeological Society of the Duchy of Limburg’. In 1908 the name was changed once more to ‘the Provincial Historical and Archaeological Society in Limburg’. On January first, 1929, the association was merged together with ‘the Provincial Society for Historical Sciences, Language and Art’, which was founded in Roermond in 1893. The newly created association was named ‘the Historical and Archaeological Society of Limburg’ (LGOG for short). The association still bares this name today. In 2013 LGOG celebrated its 150-year existence. King Willem Alexander then gave the association the permission to use the predicate ‘Royal’ in its name. Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands is LGOG’s patroness.
LGOG operates in Limburg and its neighbourhood regions. The association has around 3.000 members, which are subdivided into ten geographical regions. Together these regions form the province of Limburg.
LGOG organizes several activities, such as lectures, (multi-day) excursions, study trips and congresses. LGOG has published several works: the yearbook Publications (since 1864), the historical and archaeological quarterly magazine De Maasgouw (since 1879), the series Werken (Works) (since 1956), the series Maaslandse Monografieën (Monographs from the Maasland) (since 1964) and incidental publications such as the trilogy Limburg. Een geschiedenis (Limburg. A History) (2015) and Geschiedenis van de literatuur in Limburg (History of the literature from Limburg) (2016). LGOG owns several extensive historical and archaeological collections, which have been housed in multiple museums and archives. These collections are available to the public for the purpose of research and education. In 1884 LGOG opened its own museum, the predecessor of the current Bonnefantenmuseum in Maastricht. Nowadays, the LGOG collections are housed at the Bonnefantenmuseum in Maastricht, the Limburgs Museum in Venlo, and at Centre Céramique and the Historical Centre of Limburg, which are both located in Maastricht.
LGOG has several sections and commissions. The sections all have their own area of research: genealogy, monuments and archaeology. The archaeological section (archaeological association of Limburg) was founded in 1975. Since 1977 it has its own magazine Archeologie in Limburg (Archaeology in Limburg). The genealogical section was founded in 1973. In the first year the section immediately set up its own magazine: Limburgs Tijdschrift voor Genealogie (Limburg’s magazine for genealogy).
The commissions develop specific projects about their own topic and organize activities. There are eight commissions. Their topics of research vary from religious history and natural history to entrepreneurial history and literary history. Some commissions are dedicated to other tropical areas, such as education or the organization of field trips.
The LGOG membership is available for individuals, but also for historical associations, companies and institutions. Everyone who is interested in the history of Limburg, regardless of what topic or area thy prefer, is welcome to become an LGOG member.