Cataloguing and Digitisation of the \Oryktognostic\ and the gemstone collections of A. G. Werner (1749{1817)

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Gerhard Heide; Professor Dr. Jan-Michael Lange
• Subject Area: Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry
• Term: from 2012 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 203212518

For over 40 years Abraham Gottlob Werner (1749{1817) taught in the fields of Mineralogy, Geology, Mining Engineering and Metallurgy at the Bergakademie Freiberg. His scientific theories, findings and publications as well as his teaching had a tremendous influence on the forming and development of Geosciences and on parts of civil society, not least due to his numerous pupils. In the field of Mineralogy, Werner was particularly interested in the identification and classification of minerals which found expression in his mineral diagnostic book Von den äußerlichen Kennzeichen der Fossilien that was released while he was still a student. Of his original 9 geoscientific collections that were assembled for his teaching and research, only the Aeussere-Kennzeichen-Sammlung (External Characteristics Collection), the Systematische oryktognostische Sammlung (Systematic Oryctognostic Collection) and the Edelsteinsammlung (Gem Stone Collection) remain largely unchanged und preserved. These three collections of Werner are a unique objective documentation of the state of research of the field Mineralogy as well as of the findings of minerals and mineral materials from around 1800.With the already finished External Characteristics project and the here applied for follow-up project for the Oryctognostic and Gem Stone Collection these three scientifically valuable collections are being digitised and made accessible. We place particular focus on the acquiring of historic information, georeferencing of the localities as well as true-to-colour photography of the objects. The work on the External Characteristics Collection was completed: 617 minerals, rocks and fossils, 249 porcelain plates made from Meissen porcelain with colour application and 1161 crystal models made from lead, brass, porcelain and wood. The Gem Stone Collection with 1371 objects is planned to be completely digitised and made accessible as well. Of the Oryctognostic Collection that was comprised of 8043 objects in 1823 plans are to make a choice of 3 objects from every mineral type and variety that was listed or mentioned in Werners mineral system and collection to work on. Together with the colleagues of the Rock Thin Sections project, the Fossil Fuel Geology Collection project and the data base Project, we developed a data base structure for the recording of geoscientific collections. Furthermore, we compiled thesauri for the data fields, e. g. way of acquisition, preparation, related documents etc., as well as thesauri for localities, mineral classifications and the crystallographic description for the effective work with the data base. The web based, free access will be implemented via the data base system Aquila of the Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung.

• DFG Programme: Cataloguing and Digitisation (Scientific Library Services and Information Systems)
• Co-Investigator: Andreas Massanek