This self-guided course offers an introduction on the Bachelor-level on the theme 'cultural heritage' and is based on recent scientific discussions. It is organized around concrete examples, especially from the Netherlands, with focus on the criteria that are applied in the determination of the value of cultural heritage. It furthermore pays attention to the institutionalization of the heritage field, the role of the public, and the way heritage is used as an instrument in strengthening the cultural identity of a community. The course consists of four self-study modules, each of them is finalised with a self-test. It is designed as a digital course, i.e. to study from a screen with appropriate lay-out, length of texts and font sizes.