zhilingdong – Digital Palaeography

Presenting eManuSkript at DH2026

Written by Anastasia ZhiLing Dong, PhD candidate at Trier University

With the support of Digital Humanities im dutschsprachigen raum e.V., I was awarded with scholarship and had the privilege this year, as a researcher on the Emanuskript project, of presenting our project Emanuskript at the Digital Humanities conference in Daejeon, South Korea. The annual DH conference is one of the largest in the field, and DH2026 marked the 36th annual conference of the Alliance of Digital Humanities Organizations (ADHO).

Mini-Conferences and Networking

This year’s topics ranged from interdisciplinary cooperation such as sinology combined with digitalisation to digital teaching, digital palaeography, narratology and LLM and the application of knowledge graphs to historical data. Many DH enthusiasts are working relentlessly to push the field forward. The conference consisted of two days of mini-conferences prior to the three-day main conference.

During the mini-conferences, I also had the chance to learn about the Impresso project, hosted in Luxembourg, and to gain hands-on experience with the archival data the team not only has collected and digitalized but also convert the data to be searchable in a very systematic archive. Another workshop I had attended on the second day was especially exciting as it was focusing on the knowledge graph and the hands-on experiment. I was paired online with an American librarian, Kaylen Dwyer, and we exchanged ideas about her work on library networks.

Beyond the workshops, the breaks in between sessions were definitely a highlight of the conference, full of interesting conversations. For instance, I met Marcus Pöckelmann, a researcher passionate about medieval culture who hand-crafts many replica objects himself. After attending his presentation, we also discovered that he had used multispectral images from the University of Göttingen in his research in Berlin.

Emanuskript and What People Are Curious About

With the project concluded in April, we were glad to use the conference as an opportunity to promote the toolkit which designed not only to lower the barrier to learning palaeography for the general public, but also to give traditional scholars the right tools to work with increasing amount of the digitized manuscripts.

Kukjin Kim, Assistant Professor at the University of Siena, asked whether our tools could be used to study Italian manuscripts produced in the late medieval period or earlier. Since all our tools are open source, tools such as Fenius ,which require no further modification can be used to document the structure of a codex immediately. Layout recognition for manuscript leaves, however, may need an additional training phase to adapt the tool to the script in question.

Marco Civico , a researcher in language policy and the economics of multilingualism at the Economics, Languages and Education Research Group (ELF) of the Faculty of Translation and Interpreting (FTI), University of Geneva asked how the toolkit handles cursivity in historical scripts. Our palaeographer, Arianna Pastorini demonstrated her case study which she used data collected through Seshat for her study on quantifying ductus in early modern scripts. The discussion ranged from how such data could be better utilised to which statistical methods might be applied to it.

On My Way to Becoming a Digital Humanist

The DH conference was never just about presenting and advocating for what has already been done and studied; it is also an annual occasion to reflect on how we engage with the outside world and its changing circumstances.

The keynote speaker, Prof. Kim Hyeon, addressed how in the age of AI the guiding principle for humanists is the ancient Confucian wisdom 教學相長 (“teaching and learning advance each other”)[1]. In practical terms: by teaching AI, humanists simultaneously train themselves to think critically, act intentionally, and engage creatively within AI-mediated worlds.

During the conference, I also met many scholars working in highly specialised fields who had stepped outside their comfort zones to collaborate with people from other disciplines. A defining trait of the digital humanities community is that we rarely treat anything as a barrier or as impossible but we always find a way, enthusiastically, to realise our ideas.

Finally, I’d like to take a moment to express my gratitude for this journey. Thank you to the Emanuskript team for creating such a warm and friendly working environment, and to Digital Humanities im deutschsprachigen Raum e.V. (DHd) for the early-career fund that made this trip possible. It has been a wonderful learning experience.

[1] Full speech is available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok-V7MtHI7M

Binding It All Together – A Review of the 2025 Summer School in Digital Palaeography

Written by Phillip Landgrebe, PhD candidate at the University of Kassel.

From 10 to 22 August, the Summer School in Digital Palaeography took place at the University of Göttingen, bringing together postgraduate students from across the globe. The programme combined introductions to Latin book scripts, codicology, and manuscript description with the teaching of digital methods, tools, and approaches relevant to the study of medieval manuscripts. Some sessions were held in the Historical Building of the SUB Göttingen, where participants could work directly with manuscripts and gain insights into the application of multispectral imaging and digital microscopy.

Learning about multispectral imaging (Photo: Anastasia Zhiling Dong)

The Summer School thus fills an important gap. Traditional courses in palaeography or codicology typically devote little attention to digital components, while digital humanities workshops often do not adequately cover the essential knowledge of the auxiliary sciences of history. The concept developed by Dr. Anna Dorofeeva and her team addresses this challenge effectively, as evidenced by the large number of applications for the sixteen available places.

*The participants of the Summer School with Dr. Anna Dorofeeva and Anastasia Zhiling Dong (Photo: Yiyang Huang)*

The sessions were characterised by the instructors’ high level of engagement, who encouraged participants to experiment and interact thoroughly with the material. Complex topics, such as working with TEI-XML or understanding an IIIF manifest, were presented in a clearly structured way with numerous practical recommendations. The programme repeatedly offered revealing insights, for example, into how the measurement of pixel scales in manuscript images can aid in the identification of forgeries. Additionally, the hands-on creation of different types of bookbindings proved both instructive and enjoyable.

The summer course was particularly productive when theoretical input was combined with independent work on the materials. For instance, after an introduction to fragmentology, participants catalogued Göttingen fragment holdings using Fragmentarium. A later excursion to the Herzog August Library in Wolfenbüttel built upon this work, enabling participants to analyse previously unstudied fragments in manuscript bindings and document them in Fragmentarium again.

*Examination of manuscript fragments in the Herzog August Library reading room (Photo: Marie Ellen Smith)*

I would like to express my gratitude to the entire Göttingen team for the excellent organisation and the conducive working environment during the Summer School, which, both within and beyond the sessions, was marked by great helpfulness and warmth, providing all participants with an extraordinarily enriching experience.

Short Report on the Summer School in Digital Palaeography

Written by Käthe Sophie Hanschmann, PhD candidate at Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena

There are many good things to say about this summer school, especially regarding its thematic variety. We began with a general introduction to scripts, focusing on how to read and recognize them, along with an introduction to codicology. More importantly, the traditional lectures were complemented by practical exercises.

In the library session, we had the chance to sew quires, work with manuscripts, and analyze fragments, applying the knowledge we had gained earlier. We also enjoyed guided tours of the Göttingen State and University Library (SUB), its conservation department, and the Bibliotheca Augusta in Wolfenbüttel.

Personally, the highlight of the program was the overview of digital tools in palaeography. Many existing tools were completely new to us before joining the program. After several practical sessions where we could test the tools under expert guidance, it was inspiring to discover so many programs, methods, and ongoing projects.

The program as a whole was both enjoyable and intense. Fortunately, the welcoming atmosphere made it easy not to feel overwhelmed by the long days. Our lecturers skillfully managed the challenge of addressing participants’ different levels of knowledge and created a motivating learning environment. They carefully selected the manuscripts in the university archive that connected to our own research interests, allowing us not only to gain an overview of the wide field of digital palaeography but also to reflect on our individual projects.

I can therefore only say thank you and recommend this summer school to everyone.

Kaethe is currently pursuing her PhD at Friedrich Schiller University Jena, within the Research Training Group 2792 “Autonomy of Heteronomous Texts in Antiquity and the Middle Ages.”

San Michele Maggiore in Pavia

We did not confine ourselves to Vercelli during the spring school. On Tuesday, our steps carried us southward to Pavia, where the solemn stones of the Basilica of San Michele Maggiore rose before us. Unlike monuments well-documented online, this church keeps its treasures quietly within. Much of what follows was not drawn from books or articles, but from the living voice of Marco, our guide, who unveiled stories and details otherwise hidden to passing eyes.

Lombard Romanesque ( 568 – 774 AD )
The earliest phase of Romanesque architecture, often termed First Romanesque or Lombard Romanesque, emerged in northern Italy, parts of France, and the Iberian Peninsula during the 10th and 11th centuries. Characterized by its thick masonry walls, lack of elaborate sculptural decoration, and the rhythmic use of Lombard bands (decorative blind arches), this style contrasts with the more refined Romanesque forms that developed later. First Romanesque buildings typically employed roughly cut stonework, small, narrow windows, and unvaulted wooden roofs supported by simple truss, tie-beam, or king-post systems.

Although stone or brick vaults were experimented with during this period, their forms remained relatively rudimentary. These early structural solutions laid the groundwork for later innovations, eventually leading to the development of the pointed ribbed vaults that became defining features of Gothic architecture.

Brief history of San Michele Maggiore Church
662–671: The church was built at the desire of King Grimoald, dedicated to St. Michael, on the site of the Lombard Palace chapel.

1004: Destroyed by fire; only the lower part of the bell tower remains.

Early 11th c.–1130: Reconstruction.

1155: Frederick Barbarossa was crowned with the Iron Crown of the King of Italy in the Basilica of San Michele Maggiore in Pavia. As Holy Roman Emperor, he received this symbolic coronation at the church.

1489: Redesign of the vault by master architect Agostino de Candia, changing two grossly squared groin-vaulted spans into four rectangular spans; the structure was created by his father, Iacopo da Candia, a renowned master mason from Pavia.

1968: Precious silver artifacts of Ostrogothic manufacture were found beneath a tomb dated between the 11th and 12th centuries; these are now preserved in the Pavia Civic Museums.

Important spots in the church
The basilica is not just a relic of the past. It is a living monument that preserves layers of history.

Royal coronations: Several monarchs were crowned here, most famously Frederick Barbarossa in 1155, giving the church enduring political and symbolic importance.

Art beneath your feet: The altar floor features marble inlays representing the months of the year, a striking medieval attempt to bind the cycles of time to the sacred liturgy.

Romanesque atmosphere: Visitors can still sense the architectural austerity of Lombard Romanesque in its heavy walls, blind arches, and relatively unadorned interior, which together convey both strength and solemnity.

San Michele Maggiore embodies the essence of Lombard Romanesque architecture: robust, rhythmic, and foundational for the developments that would follow. From its role as the setting of royal coronations to its architectural experiments that paved the way for Gothic grandeur, the basilica stands as both a cultural treasure and a gateway into the medieval imagination.

Reference

Björn Weiler, Paths to Kingship in Medieval Latin Europe, c. 950–1200 (Cambridge University Press, 2021), https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009008853; Wikipedia, ‘San Michele Maggiore’, 26 March 2025, https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=San_Michele_Maggiore&oldid=254568277; ‘(PDF) Aesthetics of Romanesque Architecture’, ResearchGate, ahead of print, 5 August 2025, https://doi.org/10.5406/jaesteduc.55.1.0090; ‘Romanesque Architecture: The First Style of the European Age: Journal of the British Archaeological Association: Vol 170 , No 1 – Get Access’, accessed 21 August 2025, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00681288.2017.1366724.

A Short Journal about the Summer School – Digital Palaeography

Written by Denise Siyum, master’s student at Universität Hamburg

The program of the summer school is all about digital palaeography. The lectures cover a range of topics, from learning about the different hands and scripts of the Middle Ages to digital methods including HTML or MSI that allow a deeper investigation of the manuscripts, I learned a lot that I can also apply to my own research.

About this summer school

On Sunday, the day before the school officially began, we all met each other over dinner where we had the chance to talk and connect casually while getting familiar with the city. People came from all over the world, and everyone was friendly and open-minded, last but not least the organiser of the summer school, Dr Anna Dorofeeva. She made sure everyone felt included, also throughout the summer school, and that no one was left behind.

The main events of the school took place in the Institute for Digital Humanities, and usually the first half of the day was spent on lectures and exercises on palaeography in general, different scripts and introduction to digital tools. On Monday, we were introduced to the State and University Library as well as the Conservation Department before we head to lunch together in the Mensa. The afternoon was spent with presentation by us where we introduced ourselves, our research or our general background. This was really interesting as most of us had similar interests but were familiar with different methodologies.

On the following days, we regularly switched from the Institute to the library and back, getting to know MSI (=multi spectral imaging) technology, digitisation conventions, entry-level coding with HTML and CSS and early medieval scripts. Everyone also tried out their crafts ability in sewing quires together (supported sewing as well!). These practical parts of the school were really fun and helpful in understanding not only the structure of books, but also programming under supervision and getting the first gist of it.

On Friday, the end of the first week, we all became excited for our first hands-on research on manuscript fragments. Everyone was handed an unknown fragment and started researching. Anna and Mona Kirsch, the head of the collection, offered their help so it was a lot of fun and not just frustrating when you couldn’t decipher much of the script.

After this, we were glad to be out in the heated streets of Göttingen. It was a lot of information in this week, interesting and helpful, but still a lot to digest. The weekend was our free time, and many used it to explore the surroundings of the city (like the Harz region, good for hiking) or other nearby cities (like Hildesheim or Fulda).

The train ride to Wolfenbüttel– Discovering more manuscripts

Upon arrival, we were greeted with some refreshments, before we locked away our stuff and listened to an introduction about the library and its collectors presented by the head of the manuscript department, Dr Christian Heitzmann.

Afterwards, we spread out to walk around the small village that is Wolfenbüttel (beautiful Fachwerkhäuser!) where we had lunch.

Everyone was back on time for the manuscript session – some of us ordered specific manuscripts to look at, the others randomly chose one of the offered objects and started their research on them.

After working through the whole afternoon plus an additional half an hour, we were really tired and glad to walk to the train station to start our two-and-a-half hours journey back to beloved Göttingen.

Looking Back on the summer school

Dr. Dorofeeva was so kind as to shift the starting time of the next day half an hour back so that everyone could get enough sleep for the second week. It was again a mixture of the introduction of different scripts like Uncial and sessions about book bindings, book furniture, or digital tools like digital microscopy that allows a very close look at inks and parchment. The second week flew by so fast, and on Friday we were allowed to look at some precious objects that the library of Göttingen holds before we all had to say goodbye to Dr.Dorofeeva and her great team. It was a wonderful two weeks that taught us a lot.

The use of digital tools is a growing aspect in research and all the more important in palaeography, where computational methods could help identify local scripts and even more. The field is growing, and learning about digital humanities and methods is inevitable. The summer school and Anna Dorofeeva showed me just how important and gave a great introduction to a diverse field of possibilities that need further investigation to apply them to individual research.

I would highly recommend this summer school as it is intense, but it is so valuable, well-structured, and fun.

Unlocking the Past: A Journey Through Manuscripts and Digital Tools in Göttingen

Author: Davide Obili, PhD student at the University of Bologna

Attending the Summer School of Digital Palaeography in Göttingen was a fantastic experience, and I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in Manuscript Studies or Digital Humanities.

The programme offered a well-balanced mix of theory and practice, giving us a great introduction to the history of Latin scripts and the material aspects of the medieval book, as well as to a wide range of digital tools and methods for Palaeography and Digital Text Editing, which was exciting as it showed us new possibilities in the field. One of the highlights was getting to see and work withreal medieval manuscripts and fragments, both in Göttingen and during our day trip to Wolfenbüttel.

Anna Dorofeeva and all the other teachers were not only highly knowledgeable but also approachable and friendly, and the entire organising team was always available to help us, creating a welcoming and supportive learning environment. Meeting and connecting with the other participants was another great part of the experience, as it made the stay in Göttingen educational and fun.

It was an enriching experience, and I would recommend it to anyone considering applying for future summer schools.

Summer School of Digital Paleography

In the summer of 2023, Göttingen University hosted a 12-day summer school program dedicated to the study of digital paleography. This intensive program delved into various paleographical topics, offering participants a comprehensive exploration of Latin manuscript scripts from the medieval.

The curriculum was thoughtfully structured, with morning sessions focused on the history and transcription of Latin scripts, and afternoon sessions introducing participants to cutting-edge digital methodologies and tools. These included fragmentology, codicology, editing, cataloging, TEI-XML, and advanced imaging techniques such as hyper- and multispectral imaging.

The summer school provided a unique opportunity for participants to engage deeply with leading experts and professionals in the field, acquiring the latest knowledge and innovative approaches to the study of paleography.

Most of the sessions took place at the Digital Humanities department, where a typical day began with instructional lectures followed by hands-on exercises or samples for practice. This format ensured that the knowledge we learn was directly applicable to our research, aligning perfectly with the overarching goal of the program: to equip us with practical skills and insights that we could integrate into our academic work.

Dr. Dorofeeva, the head of paleography, led many of the sessions, guiding us through the major scripts to provide a condensed yet thorough overview of paleographical study. Her teaching style was highly interactive and we had a lot of chances to pose questions and to discuss several interesting topics. In afternoon sessions at the university library, she guided us in selecting specific scripts for individual research projects. In line with the program’s focus on digitalizing this discipline, we were encouraged to use digital tools to document and enrich the archival information of the manuscripts we studied.

Ms. Kipke, an expert in image science, delivered a captivating lecture on digital approaches to image analysis. Her research, which involves intricate details and complex methodologies, was nothing short of fascinating, and her presentation was exceptionally informative.

One of the highlights of the program was a session at the Göttingen University Library with Professor Winfried Rudolf. He gave an insightful lecture on insular scripts and granted us the rare opportunity to examine a writing sample from the university’s collection up close.

Overall, the summer school was an incredible experience, offering invaluable learning opportunities from top experts in the field. It was an excellent opportunity to acquire knowledge and skills that will undoubtedly enhance my research and further my studies in paleography.