Historical survey maps and the comparative study of the functionality and morphology of urban space. Standardisation - Digital processing - Research

• Applicant: Dr. Angelika Lampen, since 2/2023
• Subject Area: Early Modern History ; Medieval History ; Modern and Contemporary History
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 465101944

In 2008, for the first time in history, more people lived in towns and urban agglomerations than in rural settings. Understanding the processes that have formed urban settlements is a profound research interest in history and geography. Historical maps are one of the main kinds of evidence to be used for research in past urban landscapes, especially large-scale survey maps from 19th century land taxation. Such cadastral maps need to be edited in a way that supports comparative analysis, but suitable data standards and the re-use of research data are unsolved issues. The HiSMaComp project pioneers an approach for future fundamental research on a European scale.The value of historic cadastral maps and some basic processing methods have been established by the Historic Towns Atlases (HTAs) currently edited in 17 active projects all over Europe in the International Commission for the History of Towns (ICHT). While such material is abundant for individual towns, there is a lack of comparative studies on their similarities and differences due to variations in map and data processing. Using case studies from Poland and Germany, HiSMaComp will establish a standard methodology for digital mapping, a model for comparative studies and processes for the publication of digital research data. Common origins, parallels in their development, typological similarities, and compatible sources make Polish and German towns an ideal object for such comparisons. Moreover, the cooperation draws on experiences and groundwork amassed by the German and Polish partners. The first aim of HiSMaComp is to digitally edit maps from three Polish and three German towns according to common standards using a Geographic Information System (GIS). The case studies represent three different town types: pre-modern metropolis (Warsaw – Magdeburg), medieval ecclesiastical town (Olsztyn/Allenstein – Ochsenfurt) and spa town (Inowrocław/Hohensalza – Bad Pyrmont).The second aim is to analyse the towns on the basis of the map geodata both individually and in a comparative setting. The historic map data in combination with other types of evidence (written records, archaeological data, modern maps) are interpreted on the basis of semantic concepts and vocabulary provided by a common ontology. The third aim of the project is the dissemination of the project results including the publication and long-term storage of the basic research. In order to make a lasting impact on the scientific community, the geodata will be published in accordance with the ‘FAIR Guiding Principles for scientific data management and stewardship’ (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reuse). Thus, HiSMaComp features a unique data-driven approach in basic research showcasing a major Polish-German cooperation, providing data standards as well as a digital publication gateway, all of which are to serve as a beacon for the international scientific community of HTA projects and Urban Studies at large.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Poland
• Partner Organisation: Narodowe Centrum Nauki (NCN)
• Cooperation Partners: Professor Dr. Roman Czaja; Dr. Radoslaw Golba; Privatdozent Dr. Tomasz Laszkiewicz; Dr. Aleksander Lupienko; Dr. Agnieszka Pilarska; Dr. Katarzyna Wagner; Dr. Pawel Weszpin´ski; Dr. Krzysztof Zwierz
• Co-Investigator: Dr. Daniel Stracke
• Ehemaliger Antragsteller: Professor Dr. Werner Freitag, until 2/2023