1. Museumsportal and Digicult:
an interdisciplinary project of museums in Northern Germany
Frauke Rehder, Minerva Plus, Berlin

2. Schleswig-Holstein most northern federal state of Germany
located at the border to Denmark
between North Sea and Baltic Sea
circa 2,82 million inhabitents
lacking of economic infrastructure
rising importance of tourism
263 museums

3. What ist DigiCult ? DigiCult Museums SH is a pilot
projekt promoted by the EU
for digital retention and
publication of selected
inventories of museums in
Schleswig-Holstein.
It includes:
data collection
networking and thesauri
linked data inquiry and publication

4. Parameters Project executing organisation: City of Flensburg
Cooperation: 9 (+ 8) Museums, University of Kiel and other partners
Project financing: 50 % EU subsidies, 50 % own resources (staff appropriations)
project value: approx. 2 million Euro
duration: 1st Mai 2003 – 30th April 2006

5. Currently Participating Museums
Museumsberg Flensburg
Museen für Kunst- und Kulturgeschichte Lübeck
Kunsthalle zu Kiel (Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel)
Kieler Stadt- und Schiffahrtsmuseum
Dithmarscher Landesmuseum Meldorf
Computerschausammlung der FH Kiel
Geologisch- Mineralogisches Museum der CAU zu Kiel
Theatergeschichtliche Sammlung der CAU zu Kiel
Botanischer Garten der CAU zu Kiel
associated:
Altonaer Museum, Hamburg
Künstlermuseum Heikendorf
Dat ole Hus, Aukrug
Medizin- und Pharmaziehistorische Sammlung der CAU zu Kiel
Arthothekenverband Schleswig-Holstein, Eckernförde
Stormarnsches Dorfmuseum, Hoisdorf
Landesgeschichtliche Sammlung der Schleswig-Holsteinischen Landesbibliothek Kiel
Wenzel-Hablik-Museum, Itzehoe
Diese Mus. repräs. einen Querschn.… und spiegeln die Kulturlandschaft, angefangen Min..Lü..Kuhalle Lü

6. The project includes:
Setup a consulting centre for technical development and advice
Supply of hard- and software for digitizing the inventory of the participating museums (Dokbase, incl. ThumbsPlus)
Further development of software, esp. registration and publication databases
Help developing specific thesauri as network solutions by definition of standards, testing the including of national and international standards (SWD, Hölzl, ULAN, TGN, ICON CLASS)
Publication of information of the recorded objects in the internet via “Museumsportal Schleswig-Holstein” (
Multimedia support by the interdisciplinary multimedia centre (IZM) at the University of Kiel
Current courses to qualify the staff in the museums
Scientific monitoring and evaluation of the project (3 reports published)
National and international exchange of current developments and results
Collaboration with other partners (Tourism, Education)

7. DokBase concept DokBase.gd (data collection and collection management)
DokBase.xtree (Networking and thesauri)
Dokbase.meta (webbased Metadata, MySQL4 as Container for xml-data, to be used for Publication and DataExchange)

8. Structure of the database

9. DokBase Networking via Webservice

10. Status quo
ca Objects digitized, published on the Internet
Current digital registration in the Museums, partly transfer of former databases in DokBase.gd
New Server for all the DigiCult modules and the website including an CMS since february 2005
Multilingualism for supra-regional/international Exchange implemented on the new Server
development of data exchange structures between dokBase.gd, dokBase.xtree and dokBase.meta
public DTD since january 2005

11. DokBase.gd: application software for a cultural historical collection

12. Mineralogical Museum, classifikation for minerals by Hölzl

13. Dokbase.xtree
Webbased administrationtool for lists, classifikations, thesauri and further object data
Comparison with standardised data
in process: SWD (Schlagwort-Normdatei), IconClass, Getty ULAN (Union List of Artist Names)
intended: Getty AAT (Art- and Architecture Thesaurus), Getty TGN (Thesaurus of Geographic Names), AKL (Allgemeines Künstlerlexikon) ?
Access by the museums, the DigiCult consulting center and external users (differentiated access authorization)
controled vokabulary after Din 1463 (poly hierarchies, synonyms, connotations)
unique Digi-Id for every descriptor

14. DokBase.xtree: IconClass

15. DokBase.xtree: IconClass Maria lactans

16. Homepage Museums in Schleswig-Holstein www.museen-sh.de

17. Museumsportal: Collections

18. Link from data about an artist to search of literature via GBV

19. Biographie of Emil Nolde via Wikipedia

20. Practical Experience
Comparison with standardised data not on the focus of the participating museums
Only little acceptance of IconClass
Comparison with SWD only by DigiCult-Team
Classification of artistic styles is treated with reserve
altogether: least depth of classification, simple lists of notions prefered
Self-interest is of vital importance instead of common / international inquiry and publication
Control of vocabulary by the offer of standarsized data in a complex structure with a simple interface
Current advanced training and editorial support is necessary

21. Thank you for your attention!
Contact:
Projekt DigiCult Museen
c/o Museumsberg Flensburg
Museumsberg 1
24937 Flensburg
Tel. 0461/851203
Fax: 0461/852993
Frauke Rehder

22. Acknowledgements: Lütger Landwehr Gisela Lentz Britta Georgi
Axel Vitzthum