Uncategorized Archives - Digital Treasures

December 24, 2021December 7, 2021

The Holy Right Hand of Stephen I, King of Hungary

The Holy Right Hand is a Hungarian national and Catholic relic, which is believed to be the naturally mummified right hand of Stephen I, first king of Hungary, referred also as St. Stephen.

St. Stephen (in Hungarian Szent István) was born around 970-975 in Esztergom. He was a member of the Árpád dynasty, born a pagan but was baptized as a Christian. In 996, he married Gisela of Bavaria, sister of the future Holy Roman emperor, Henry II. After the death of his father, Grand Prince Géza, Stephen combated an insurrection led by his cousin, Koppány, who claimed the throne in accordance with Árpád succession rules. After defeating Koppány, Stephen was crowned as (the first) king of Hungary with a crown received from Pope Sylvester II.

His coronation took place around 1021 years ago, on Christmas Day in 1000 and it signified Hungary’s entry into the family of European Christian nations. Stephen treated the church as the principal pillar of his authority, dispatching missionaries throughout his realm, founding bishoprics and abbeys and making the building of churches mandatory. He died in 1038 and became Hungary’s patron saint.

The king’s naturally mummified right hand is one of the most significant Hungarian national relics, found when his stone grave was opened on August 20^th, 1083, in Székesfehérvár. (The identification mark of the right hand was the king’s ring, which adorned the hand.) The relic saw a few adventures in its time. During the Turkish occupation, it ended up in Ragusa (today: Dubrovnik, Croatia), where it was guarded by Dominican friars, attracting a growing number of pilgrims to the city.

Queen Maria Theresa (1717–1780), late successor of St. Stephen on the Hungarian throne, negotiated the return of the Holy Right Hand in 1771, offering to the historical city of Ragusa her protection against the threat of Russian invasion in return. In her charter decree, she set out how the relic, St. Stephen’s mummified hand is to be respected throughout the country.

During World War II, the Holy Right Hand was concealed – similarly to the coronation jewels – near Salzburg, in Austria. The relic arrived back to Hungary in 1945, and it has been on display in Saint Stephen’s Basilica in Budapest since 1987.

The charter issued by Queen Maria Theresa on 7^th August, 1772 in Vienna is a parchment volume, sealed with the greater Hungarian secret seal and consists of 10 pages. It is kept by the National Archives of Hungary, in Budapest (under the reference code HU-MNL-OL – C 90 – № 11).

The record is showcased in the first thematic exhibition of the European Digital Treasures project, entitled Construction of Europe – History, Memory and Myth of Europeanness over 1000 years.

Written by Dorottya Szabó
Senior Archivist, National Archives of Hungary

December 15, 2021December 15, 2021

Paleographical Volunteers for the National Archives of Hungary

In autumn 2021, the National Archives of Hungary announced a unique paleographical volunteering opportunity for the general public for the first time. Applicants were able to take part in an exciting 21^st century project full of modern challenges. Within the framework of the European Digital Treasures project, between 1^st of October and 15^th of November 2021 it was possible to participate in the daily, professional work of the Archives!

© Crowdsourcing by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Alpha Stock Images.

Using Artificial Intelligence, the transcription of the names of taxpayers on the census rolls of the free royal towns of the 1828 national census was completed in the summer of 2021. The Archives carried out a review of this transcription with the help of volunteers. Through this work, the handwritten text recognition capability of the software has been improved and the final results became more accurate.

After the publication of the call, the great social interest was evident in two days, registration had to be closed as the number of participants was completely full! During the crowdsourcing activity, altogether 70 enthusiastic volunteers working from all over the country and even from across the border provided assistance for the publication of a name-searchable database of the conscription.

Looking at the census samples made public by the archives, applicants could test their knowledge of palaeography and decide whether to participate. The approval and possible correction of the names transcribed by the algorithm could be done online from any location at any time during the six-week programme. Volunteers undertook to transcribe a minimum of 50 pages each, though many of them had processed significantly more by the end of the programme. Extra tasks were typically undertaken by more experienced family history researchers. The end result was 6787 pages checked by the volunteers. The Silver Generation was represented by 26 people, and the senior prize went to a 76-year-old lady, who transcribed 309 pages. A history teacher from the Trans Carpathian region alone checked 580 pages of County Ung of the conscription.

The algorithm and the validation software, which has an English interface, were developed by Transkriptorium, a Spanish IT company linked to the Valencian University of Technology. The volunteers were supported by archivists with an on-site demonstration, a downloadable palaeographic example book, discussions and numerous quizzes, puzzles and games to make their work even more enjoyable. A Facebook group was set up specifically for this purpose, where lively professional discussions and useful tips to help the work were exchanged.

As a token of thanks and appreciation, the Archives presented more awards than originally planned, given the large number of volunteers and the quantity and quality of their work. In addition to the grand prize of the DNA test, two online journal subscriptions and five European Digital Treasures prize packs were also given as special prizes. In addition, all participants received a commemorative certificate and a small gift.

After closing the online crowdsourcing activity volunteers responded to an anonymous questionnaire evaluating the programme, which they praised, and the vast majority of them said they would like to participate in similar activities in the future. This successful programme, which exceeded expectations, has many winners: the participants, the Archives and the Hungarian culture!

Written by Ildikó Szerényi
National Archives of Hungary.

December 8, 2021December 7, 2021

The British Empire and the Maltese Goat

The European Digital Treasures project aims at bringing increased visibility, outreach and use to European archival heritage, especially its digital versions.

Within this project, the National Archives of Malta and the Times of Malta, Malta’s largest media house, joined forces to develop Malta Hidden Treasures. This is a series of articles and video productions (uploaded on the paper’s online platform) inspired by records from the National Archives and from other archives.

The aim is two-fold: to allow readers to gain an insight into Maltese history, society through our archives and to develop the popular awareness of the archives.

The first production was published on Sunday 14^thof October and dealt with the dynamics of the impact of the British Empire and goats in Malta. These include considerations of health, war, nutrition, politics, and economics.

You may have a look at this production here: https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/maltas-hidden-treasures-when-the-british-empire-waged-war-on-the.914781!

Written by Leonard Callus
Head Office – National Archives of Malta.

December 2, 2021November 24, 2021

International Day for the Abolition of Slavery

December 2^nd is celebrated as the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery.
Although it seems a distant reality, the Global Slavery Index of 2018 reports that, in 2016, around 40.3 million people were in conditions of modern slavery, the vast majority being women (71%). Of these, 24.9 million were in conditions of forced labor and 15.4 million in forced marriages.

The historical process that led to the outlawing of human trafficking and slavery in the light of Human Rights was long and tortuous:
By the law of 1761, D. José, king of Portugal, declared free all male and female slaves brought from Asia, Africa and America that disembarked in Portugal.
This law did not translate, however, into the end of slavery, since, in addition to the existing slaves, there were also all those who were born of a slave mother and who, for this reason, remained slaves. Twelve years later, in 1773, a new law was passed, known as the Law of the Free Womb. It determined that children born to a slave mother became free and that all slaves whose great-grandmother was already a slave could be freed.

Law of the Free Womb available here: https://digitarq.arquivos.pt/viewer?id=4662389. This document integrates the Exhibition “The Construction of Europe History, Memory and Myth of Europeanness Over 1000 Years”.

Portugal, a pioneering European country in globalization, stands out for having had, during the history of its long colonial period, an important position in the global trade in slaves from Africa. Between 1450 and 1900, it will have trafficked around 11 million people.
In 1444, the first shipment of private initiative of 235 slaves from Africa arrived in Lagos, Algarve, probably giving rise to the first European slave market of the modern era. In mid 16^th century Lisbon, African slaves represented about 10% of its population.

Despite the 1761 law, the illegal entry of slaves from the colonies persisted. With the independence of Brazil, many Portuguese who brought their slaves returned to Portugal. Upon arrival in Portugal the slaves were to become free, but the king granted their owners a special privilege to keep them.
However, the 1761 law is a law of modernity that begins a slow chronology, made up of advances and setbacks, towards the definitive abolition of the slave trade and slavery.
Portugal was one of the first European countries to prohibit the entry of slaves, but also one of the last to abolish, in 1869, slavery in its colonies.

Maria Trindade Serralheiro (text) and Ana Fernandes (trad.)
Senior Technicians, General Directorate of Books, Archives and Libraries, Portugal.

November 26, 2021November 26, 2021

Opening of the exhibition “Exiles, Migration Flows and Solidarity” at the Documentary Centre for the Historical Memory (Spain)

Yesterday, 25^th of November, the second of the three transmedia exhibitions included in the European Digital Treasures project, “Exiles, Migration Flows and Solidarity”, was successfully opened at the Documentary Centre of the Historical Memory (Spain).

Manuel Melgar Camarzana. Director of the Historical Memory Documentary Centre.

Severiano Hernández Vicente. Deputy Director-General of the State Archives.

This exhibition analyzes how migrations and exchanges have contributed particularly to building cultural diversity in Europe through the documentary treasures kept in European archives. And it is the outcome of the European cooperation, a clear example of the combination of the capacities, heritage, diversity, value, and inspiration of all those who have made this project possible.

The narratives displayed here combine different technological tools that allow us to get to know our written past through multiple channels. Visitors can interact with: 9 original documents from 4 different archives, 21 facsimiles from 7 countries, 18 digital reproductions of documents from 6 countries, displayed in interactive booths, 1 quiz game for people who love challenges, 1 memory matching game to encourage observation, 1 infinite running game to reward speed by catching archival documents, 1 interactive RPG game to learn how to work on an archive, 4 augmented reality experiences to explore parallel worlds and videos presenting the project and its merchandising products!

Through the selection of 44 documents from the archives that participate in the project, European migrations are narrated from a historical perspective. In a Europe that is currently facing one of its most important migration crises, the relevance of this exhibition is key. The narrative has been structured through three thematic pillars: Work-related Migration; War- related Migration; Political Uprising, Turmoil and Persecution.

The stories combine different tools and technological solutions, with which the public will be able to access the written past through multiple channels that will allow them to experiment, play, learn and share, with that unique ability that documents have to tell personal stories (letters, images, boarding passes, visas, certificates, etc.) behind the European migration figures.

The opening was chaired by Severiano Hernández Vicente, Head of the Spanish State Archives, by María Oliván, Head of the Transparency, Document Management & Access to Documents Unit of the European Commissio, by Manuel Melgar, Director of the Documentary Centre of the Historical Memory, and by María Encarnación Pérez Álvarez, Government Sub-delegate in Salamanca. It was also attended by representatives of the University of Salamanca, of different archives of the province of Salamanca, by the members of the ‘European Digital Treasures’ project and a representation of the Spanish State Archives.

The exhibition can be visited until March 13^th, 2022 in Spain, with capacity restrictions and hygiene and safety measures established by health authorities to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Practical information: https://www.culturaydeporte.gob.es/cultura/areas/archivos/mc/archivos/cdmh/portada.html

Written by Spanish State Archives.

November 22, 2021November 22, 2021

Opening of the exhibition “The Construction of Europe” at the National Archive of Torre do Tombo (Portugal)

The transmedia exhibition The Construction of Europe: History, Memory and Myth of Europeanness over 1000 Years, included in the European Digital Treasures Project, was opened in Lisbon (Portuguese National Archive – Torre do Tombo) on the 17^th of November!

This exhibition tells the history of Europe and of its construction as a concept that has changed over time, questioning the possibility of creating a common perspective from which European history can be understood as a history shared by all its inhabitants.

The exhibition aims to show a construction of Europeanness so that today anyone – regardless of birth, origin, nationality, religion – can identify with it, assuming it and also considering their own identities as part of it. It is based on documents grouped in 4 ‘pillars’, examining the common history of Europe in the following aspects:

1- The Spirit of Europe.

2- The diversity of Europe.

3 – The Multiple Faces of Christianity.

4 – The Heritage of the Enlightenment.

The exhibition documents were selected and organized by technicians from the archives of the European countries participating in the project. A collective work of this type can give an idea of what Europeans, this time archivists and historians, think together about Europeanness. However, the selected documents not only testify to European history, but also, hopefully, provide the exhibition visitor or the catalog reader with an opportunity to create their own image of Europe and European history.

The narratives displayed here combine different technological tools that allow us to get to know our written past through multiple channels. Visitors can interact with original documents, digital reproductions, quiz and video games, augmented reality experiences to explore parallel worlds and videos presenting the project.

Among the treasures, are exhibited together, for the first time, from Torre do Tombo, the originals of the Apocalypse of Lorvão (1189. Registered in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register), the Jerome’s Bible (1495), Fragments of Medieval Love Songs (1280-1320) and the Charter of Law of Abolition of the Death Penalty (1867. European Heritage Label).

In digital format, will be exhibited, among others, the Application to Print Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes (1604), the Photographs from Fridtjof Nansen’s Polar expedition (1894), the Medieval Miniatures of the Manuscript Beatus of Tábara (10th century), the Privilege Charter of Břevnov Monastery (1224), a Royal Decree Regarding Witch Hunt (1617), a Masonic Certification (1766), from a Masonic Lodge, a Pro Finlandia Petition (1899), a Selection from Péter Szuhay’s Roma Collection (1908-1970), a photograph related with the Voting Rights for Norwegian Women (1902).

All these documents are also included in the exhibition catalogue, which can be consulted here.

Some members of the team of the European Digital Treasures project.

Written by DSIEQ/DGLAB.

November 18, 2021November 22, 2021

Opening of the exhibition “Exiles, migratory flows and solidarity” at the Archives House (Norway)

After more than two years of work in the preparation of the three transmedia exhibitions included in the European Digital Treasures project, on 12^th of November, the exhibition Exiles, migratory flows, and solidarity was successfully opened at the Archives House (Norway).

This exhibition is the outcome of the European cooperation, a clear example of the combination of the capacities, heritage, diversity, value, and inspiration of all those who have made this project possible.

The narratives displayed here combine different technological tools that allow us to get to know our written past through multiple channels. Visitors can interact with digital reproductions of documents from nine European countries, a quiz game for people who love challenges, a memory matching game to encourage observation, an infinite running game to reward speed by catching archival documents, an interactive RPG game to learn how to work on an archive, three augmented reality experiences to explore parallel worlds and two videos presenting the project! On display are also merchandising products created by professional designers, inspired by the documents presented in the Digital Treasures exhibitions.

The opening ceremony was led by the National Archivist of Norway, Inga Bolstad. Afterwards, Ole Gausdal, who has been responsible for curating the exhibition, did a guided tour for the guests.

The opening was attended by the General director of the Book, Archives and Libraries of Portugal, Silvestre Lacerda and the Deputy Director of the Spanish State Archives, Severiano Hernández and members of the ‘European Digital Treasures’ project from the National Archives of Hungary, Malta, Spain, Portugal and from ICARUS. From Norway there were many invited guests from the National Archives of Norway and local and regional heritage institutions.

The exhibition can be visited until January 30^th, 2022, in Norway. The same exhibition will open in Salamanca, Spain on 25^th November 2021. Later, in 2022, it will open in Hungary, Portugal, Malta, and Austria.

Written by the National Archives of Norway

November 4, 2021November 3, 2021

Burial is one of the earliest human activities!

Besides being an attempt to bring closure to the deceased’s family and friends and a manifestation of the desire to respect the dead, human burial practices are marked by the religious views of both society and the individual.

With the resurrection of Christ and a belief in the resurrection of the body at its core, Christianity has always ensured that the bodies of the faithful were treated with respect and buried them in a safe place. Christians had less need than their neighbours to appease their dead, who were themselves less likely to return as unhappy ghosts.

Sepulchral cell – National Archives of Malta.

In the second half of the first millennium, graves began to cluster in and around churches. This process shaped the landscape of Western Christendom, with the living and the dead forming a single community, sharing a common space. These developments unified western Europe more around shared rituals than common political structures.

The document shown here is the plan of a sepulchral chapel submitted by Emanuele Luigi Galizia in 1872, to be located at the Maria Addolorata Cemetery in Malta.

It shines a light on the evolution of burial customs in Christianity, in this instance the introduction of extra-mural cemeteries in mid-19th century Malta.

Unless death was due to a plague or contagious disease, the strong preference of the Maltese was for intramural burial in churches and chapels around their local area. The introduction of extra-mural cemeteries in mid-19^th century Malta created a great deal of controversy. The local church was vehemently opposed to both the principle of establishing burial grounds outside the confines of local parishes and the principle of multi-faith interment.

The impetus for change came from a scathing sanitary report on the health risk of continued burials in overcrowded harbour churches, along with the fact that the Protestant burial grounds had reached capacity. The issue was resolved in Malta with the promulgation of the Burial Ordinance in May 1869 prohibiting the burial of corpses within the five harbour cities (Valletta, Floriana, Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua), the most densely-populated areas of Malta. Addolorata Cemetery was opened around that date, growing over time to become Malta’s largest burial ground.

At first, the population refused to use Addolorata Cemetery. In fact, it would take three years before anyone was buried in this cemetery, that eventually became Malta’s largest.

Written by Leonard Callus,
National Archives of Malta

October 22, 2021October 22, 2021

A handful of memories of a revolution

The Hungarian national uprising began 12 days before Soviet tanks and troops rolled up on the streets of Budapest on November 4, 1956 and crushed the uprising for once and for all. Personal accounts are the stories we tell about our lives that usually portray a larger picture of a life in historical context. Every life has its share of joy and sorrow, victory and tragedy. Personal records, such as diaries can be goldmines of historical research. Diaries as such are documents that beside the unequivocal historical facts enlighten us of remarkable experiences and about the effects of important historical moments on people’s emotions in an intimate way and we are able to relive these moments from their perspective.

*Photo credit: Baranya County Archives of the National Archives of Hungary, Reference Number: HU MNL BaML XV – 46.*

In many ways, diaries and letters are similar: both are archived intimate writings of potential historical value. The following record, the diary of the Hungarian Revolutionary Dr. Ferenc Tésenyi was chosen to be part of the European Digital Treasures second Exhibition ‘Exiles, Migratory flows and Solidarity’.

Can you imagine grabbing a gun as a young pupil to fight for your freedom when a revolution hits in your country?

Well, for the students of the year 1956 in Hungary, when an uprising rose up against communist rule, the life-changing decision to become a fierce freedom fighter was a question of the nation’s life and death. Regarding one man’s impressions of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and its aftermath, the diary of Dr. Ferenc Tésenyi- who was 18 years old at this time – is a very important source. Tésenyi was a student in the city of Pécs and an active member of the revolutionary group called the ‘Invisibles of the Mecsek Mountains’. The ‘Invisibles’ were a group of armed freedom fighters that resisted even weeks after the defeat of the 1956 revolution, hiding in the mountains of the Mecsek Mountain, a mountain range in southern Hungary (Baranya region).

Tésenyi’s account shows us what it was like for the people who lived through the revolution. His entry for October 23, 1956, for example, records how police officers and officials of the State Protection Authority attacked him and other revolutionaries:

‘They were coming step by step, and when they were only 15 steps away from us, they nailed their bayonets at us and started running towards us. They were stabbing and beating with the stock of their rifles those who were standing in the front line, while they were trying to disperse us into the streets opening from the square. But they did it in vain, the people always returned to the square from the other side.’

In the entry for October 25, he notes the jubilation that accompanied the initial revolutionary victories:

‘[…] the red stars fell down from the theatre and the trade union centre, and they were replaced with Hungarian national flags. By this time, we were already about 40,000 people. At the main square, we sang the National Anthem, and then a loudspeaker spoke up: “My fellow Hungarians”, “my fellow citizens!” It was followed by loud applause, and then the police and the State Protection Authority both apologized…’

The ‘Invisibles’, after surviving many Soviet attacks in the mountains – many captured, some of them executed or tortured- had to flee their base. The Soviets were still on their trail, with no chance left, so at the morning briefing on November 16, everyone was acquitted of their oath and then told they had to head west. Finally at dawn, on November 22, some of the ‘Invisibles’ managed to cross the Hungarian-Yugoslav border at Bélavár (town in Somogy County).

Dr. Tésenyi escaped to Yugoslavia where he has been dispatched to Gerovo refugee camp (today a village in Croatia). He later went to high school in the Federal Republic of Germany before enrolling at the medical school of the University of Zurich, Switzerland. He graduated as a dentist in 1965.

In Tésenyi’s record (a volumed hardback diary on paper, containing 200 numbered pages, 86 pages were written) we can see a pencil drawing depicting the Gerovo refugee camp as it appeared in early December, 1956. At that time the place was surrounded by a double barbed-wire fence, and was overlooked by watchtowers and sentry boxes. It felt more like a Nazi concentration camp than a refugee camp.

In mid-May 1957 the watchtowers and the barbed-wire were removed but the camp still left a lot to be desired. Around 1,400 refugees were packed into buildings designed to hold 600 people. Some families had small rooms to themselves, but most were accommodated in a large common dormitory room along with the others. There was no dining hall at the camp. Some of the refugees made the choice to return to Hungary, others, like Ferenc Tésenyi, stuck it out, and were able to complete the journey to Western Europe or America in order to make a new life for themselves.

Written by Dorottya Szabó, senior archivist,
National Archives of Hungary and
Anna Palcsó, public education officer,
National Archives of Hungary

October 4, 2021October 4, 2021

EXTENSION of the EXHIBITION – European Discoveries: from the New World to New Technologies at Torre do Tombo National Archive, Portugal

The exhibition “European Discoveries: from the New World to New Technologies” at the National Archives of Torre do Tombo has been extended until October 30^th!

The initially scheduled exhibition (July 15^th to September 25^th) took place during most of the school summer vacation period and within some restrictions of access to cultural equipment imposed by the pandemic.

From October 1^st Portugal enters the third phase of the deconfinement plan. In this new phase we expect to receive more visitors, especially from school groups and also seniors whose associations are resuming their usual study visit schedules.

Video games & serious games, Arquivo Nacional Torre do Tombo.

This exhibition presents products designed to attract new audiences to the world of archives and to show the potential of the digital world, video games, augmented reality, serious games, in the dissemination of heritage.

Written by DSIEQ/DGLAB.