LOAC - Linked Open Architectural Collections. Cataloguing historical architectural collections and creating authority data

• Applicants: Dr. Hans-Dieter Nägelke; Dr. Irina Sens
• Subject Area: Architecture, Building and Construction History, Construction Research, Sustainable Building Technology
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 578813611

The TIB - Leibniz Information Centre for Science and Technology preserves the bequests of architects on a large scale. It is planned to make these collections available in digital form in the long term. The special holdings of the so-called historical architectural bequests (late 19th/early 20th century) can serve as a suitable use case for the development of an indexing environment not only due to its heterogeneous composition, but also thanks to its manageable size (c. 1,600 individual sheets, c. 130 collegiate notebooks, documents, etc.). This indexing environment is geared towards the digital recording of a mix of inventory types and can subsequently be reused for larger holdings. Tools developed in the DFG-funded GESAH and GESAH+ projects will be reused in the design of the cataloguing environment and adapted to the new material (Vitro software, GESAH Graphic Arts Ontology). In cooperation with the Architekturmuseum der Technischen Universität Berlin (AMTUB) selected bequests of Carl Schäfer, Paul Kanold and Messwarb are being examined in greater detail and placed in a cross-collection context. While Schäfer is present as a central figure in both institutions (TIB and AMTUB) with complementary materials, the Messwarb collection offers a unique case study for the genealogical and regional linking of architectural education, practice and documentation due to its four-generation legacy. By indexing the objects leveraging a Linked Open Data approach, the information can be found and linked across the institution and virtually bring together what was historically separated. One focus of the project is on the simplified integration of existing authority records and classifications, another on the creation of new authority records themselves, in particular the integration of a creation workflow into regular indexing work. In both cases, the aim is to make the solutions available for reuse in other cataloguing environments, which is why open development standards are intended to enable compatibility and interoperability. A Wikibase instance is planned for the provision of the building authority records, which is to be understood as a prototype and thus as a contribution to the development of a community-operated service. The visibility and reuse of the data will be ensured by transferring it to wikidata.org and ingesting it into the Gemeinsame Normdatei (GND) with the help of the GND Agency for Buildings (DDK Marburg). The project aims to gain relevant insights from the multilateral cooperation that can enrich the current discussion at national and international level on the standardisation and quality assurance of research data in the digital humanities.

• DFG Programme: Cataloguing and Digitisation (Scientific Library Services and Information Systems)