The international Mirror of Landscape Architecture: Dutch Relations with IFLA 1948-1960

In the post-war period, landscape architecture developed rapidly due to a broadening field of work, the establishment of educational programmes and official recognition of the profession. Nevertheless, landscape architects had to fight for the independence of their discipline. Strengthening international relations was a way to jointly represent the interests of landscape architecture, raise it to a higher level and exchange ideas. The establishment of the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) gave the profession more status. This paper discusses how landscape architects in the Netherlands thought about the necessity and benefits of international connections and their relationship with IFLA. Based on archival records and on national and international professional journals, it looks into the period from 1948 to 1960, starting with the state of Dutch landscape architecture up to the IFLA congress in Amsterdam. Nationally and internationally, landscape architects joined forces to position their discipline and to define its identity. At the same time however, they served as a mirror to one another to distinguish themselves. The way the Netherlands was represented at the IFLA congress in Amsterdam revealed how Dutch landscape architects wanted to be seen by their colleagues abroad and by other disciplines.