Provenance and Collection Research Digital

There are hundreds of thousands of artefacts in German museums that were brought to Europe during the colonial era as a result of wars, looting or trade. The history of these objects - where they came from, what they were used for and who once owned them - is often incompletely documented. This is where an interdisciplinary research team led by the historian Prof. Dr. Dagmar Freist from the University of Oldenburg, the provenance researcher Prof. Dr. Lynn Rother (Leuphana University of Lüneburg) and the computer scientist Prof. Dr. Sascha Koch (Jade University of Applied Sciences Wilhelmshaven/Oldenburg/Elsfleth) comes in. In the "Provenance and Collection Research Digital" (ProSaDi) project, the team is compiling this knowledge together with researchers from the so-called countries of origin for two different types of collection objects. It is also developing digital techniques to make the information on the collection objects easily and widely accessible. The Lower Saxony Ministry of Science (MWK) and the Volkswagen Foundation are funding the project for four years with almost €3 million as part of the "Science Spaces" programme.
people

Prof. Dr. Sascha Koch (head)

Prof. Dr. habil. Till Sieberth (head)

Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Dr. h.c. Thomas Luhmann (head)

Prof. Dr. Thomas Brinkhoff (head)

Funding source

zukunft.niedersachsen


Summary

For historical and cultural studies-based provenance and collection research, as well as for AI-based research and data modelling, dealing with gaps in tradition, uncertain data and the problem of data and knowledge bias is a methodologically unsolved epistemological, technical and practical challenge. This basic constitution is predestined for a collaborative research perspective as it is to be realised through the format of the Science Spaces Lower Saxony. Using the example of provenance and collection research on "displaced objects" from colonial contexts, the ProSaDi research area, consisting of history, cultural studies, media, engineering and geoinformation sciences, will develop and test previously unused possibilities for digital technical support of knowledge generation processes and prepare them for further use via relevant cultural data infrastructures. The involvement of partners from the societies of origin is essential.

By developing a complementary concept for research-oriented teaching at the interfaces of AI and cultural heritage, students will be trained in transdisciplinary modules and directly involved in research. The involvement of state museums, archives and the Provenance Research Network in Lower Saxony ensures that practical issues are also addressed and that the results of the Science Space can be used in museum and archive collections in the long term and applied in the field of education. The Science Space thus combines transdisciplinary research, the promotion of young researchers in the digital humanities, research-oriented teaching, transfer and modelling for the continuous process of digitally supported provenance and collection research. It is a model for digitised cultural heritage and eCritical Heritage using the example of provenance and collection research in Lower Saxony.

Network Partner

The management team of the joint project consists of Prof Dr Dagmar Freist (spokesperson, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, deputy: Prof Dr Julia Wurr), Prof Dr Lynn Rother (Leuphana University Lüneburg) and Prof Dr Sascha Koch (Jade University of Applied Sciences).

Further information

Project website: prosadi.de