Woldan goes digital

The collection of the Viennese private scholar Erich Woldan (1901-1989) was during his lifetime probably the most comprehensive private compilation of old geographic books and maps in Austria. The objectives of the project are to start to digitize the more than 1700 cartographic objects of the collection and insert the data into a GeoNode (Geospatial Content Management System) oriented search system. The digital surrogates will reduce physical wear and tear on the original objects of great cultural value and enable an extended availability to the map-corpus for the scientific community and interested laypersons. For use by the scientific community and other target groups like map collectors or antiquarians we will produce high quality scans to make scientific comparability with maps in other collections and reproduction proofs possible.

Using the geocoded corner points the printed areas of the old maps will be visible on the surface of a recent digital map. The number of results can be minimized by matching various categories like chronologic or wideness borders.

The match itself gives information about author, title, printing year, scale, physical description, a scientific commentary about the object including known literature about it and a thumbnail to the original scan.

Additionally a platform for discussions about the historic assessment of these cartographic items will be included. This map-platform will offer the possibility of an integrated open discussion and multiplication of new information.