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Unia Europejska
European Union
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PL EN
Unia Europejska
European Union

Documentation and publication of spatial data using the Geographic Information System (GIS) as part of the project “www.muzeach”

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As part of the project “www.muzeach” (in museums), a Geographic Information System (GIS) is set to be implemented at the National Museum in Szczecin and Castle Museum in Łańcut, and the existing GIS at the Museum of King Jan III's Palace at Wilanów is set for an expansion.

The Geographic Information System is one of the ways of documenting and providing access to historic gardens and interiors of historic buildings along with their artistic design. The spatial database allows you to collect, store, and share ordered, logically structured data on museum resources, including various documentation and archival materials. Moreover, it enables integration of all the knowledge necessary to manage and maintain the historic space in good condition. The data is both spatial (two-dimensional and three-dimensional) and descriptive, which allows analyses and visualisations, monitoring and tracking changes over time.

The Museum of King Jan III's Palace at Wilanów was the first museum in Poland to use the Geographic Information System to such a wide extent. The processed data relate not only to historic architectural and sculptural objects located in the residence, but also decorations on the façades and inside the palace. As a result, GIS users can become familiar with artistic objects that are difficult to access during a site visit. Currently, the database on the website of the museum provides access to over 1,200 decorations on the facades of the palace and over 3,500 objects from 28 interiors. Each object has its own exhibit card with an image, a detailed description, and attached archival documentation. The data processed so far are available through the website: https://gis.muzeum-wilanow.pl. As part of the project “www.muzeach,” the expanded Geographic Information System is set to include historic decorations in the Palace.

November 2019 saw the completion of the first stage of measurement work. Thirteen rooms were laser-scanned at a scanning resolution of 2 mm. In addition, digital photos at 1 mm per pixel of the walls and ceilings of the rooms were taken, with mutual coverage of 60 to 80 percent. Two-dimensional images are overlaid on three-dimensional models obtained from laser scanning following specialised algorithms to produce orthoimages – colour images of the walls of the room presented in a perpendicular projection. Based on them, room decorations will be isolated and catalogued. Then, they will be made available via GIS together with the results of photogrammetric works.

The positive experience gained in recent years by the Museum of King Jan III's Palace at Wilanów in the field of collecting and sharing data in this system has allowed this method of managing historic substance to attract significant interest among other institutions.

The National Museum in Szczecin plans to use GIS to present its own resources in a slightly different manner, involving archaeological exhibits and former Pomeranian toponyms. In both cases, the spatial data is obtained mainly from maps and other archival documentation.

The collections of archaeological objects at the National Museum in Szczecin are distinctive both in terms of quantity and the enduring tradition of collecting the oldest cultural relics in the region. They include finds from accidental discoveries, excavation, and research conducted in Pomerania from the 1820s to modern times. A significant part of this resource is related to spatial data collected in the Archives of the Department of Archaeology. Information was usually preserved in record descriptions, notes, sketches, maps, research documentation, and literature, enabling the placement of the discovery of individual objects. For some of them, only an approximate location is noted (so-called loose finds – within the boundaries of a township), while for others, the data is more accurate, allowing for the identification of a specific place on the map on a scale of 1:25000, 1:10000 or more (objects discovered during excavations). Combining information about the object with the context of its discovery, including the location of discovery, belongs among the major tasks of ancient and modern archaeological museology, which is strongly associated with the conservation of pre- and early-historical objects and monuments, i.e. both historical hand-made objects and archaeological sites (former settlements, cemeteries, places of worship, production, etc.). The GIS system offers various possibilities of presenting archaeological sources along with the location of their discovery. This representation of archaeological exhibits in connection with even basic spatial data is a comprehensive solution integrating elements of the local cultural landscape. It is also a great educational and scientific resource. GIS also enables the visualisation of a variety of relationships between neighbouring objects, places, and areas by allowing for objects, places, or areas to be explored on a map. As part of the project, the first group of 400 objects is being prepared for access via GIS.

A large part of the documentation – lists and maps – with folk names for natural and anthropogenic physiographic objects, as well as inhabited and uninhabited places from the pre-war Pomerania (in general: from Lębork to Rügen) has been preserved in the collections of the National Museum in Szczecin. This is an original resource – a set of archives documenting the intangible cultural heritage of the region in terms of toponyms (Flurnamen Sammlung). The collection includes typescripts and manuscripts processed in the 1930s and maps with folk names. The documentation was prepared by the regional historians of the day as part of a programme for collecting Pomeranian toponyms, initiated by the linguist Dr. Robert Holsten.

Providing access to a part of the digitised resource related to spatial data will create the possibility of its wider use in research in various specialised fields as a study tool for specific disciplines of science, as well as, for instance. by local governments and for other purposes. It will also significantly complement the regional cultural landscape with components of non-material heritage.

The use of the Geographic Information System by the Museum of King Jan III's Palace at Wilanów to collect, store, and share data on museum resources has been an inspiration for the Castle Museum in Łańcut.

As part of the project, this institution has planned the construction of a Geographic Information System for the entire area (36.4003 ha) together with historic architectural objects – buildings, structures, and garden sculptures. Dozens of objects were selected to be introduced into the system in the initial phase. In addition, the spatial database will contain data on the historic interiors of the castle, which are perfectly preserved and constitute the main attraction of the museum. Among the decorative elements that can be admired during a visit are wooden, inlaid floors, stuccos, fireplaces, carved wall decorations, and panelling. The interiors also hold textiles, paintings, and wallpapers on the walls and ceilings of the rooms, as well as beautifully decorated doors, portals, supraportas, etc. Despite their uncommon beauty, these objects have not been individually processed yet. Thanks to the GIS map application, it will be possible to learn about decorations that are difficult or impossible to access for visitors, such as the Brenna Apartment, the View Room or the Grotto in the Tower.

The map portal created in the Castle Museum in Łańcut will increase the accessibility of the digitised resources, data, and metadata on various levels. Spatial data for the geoportal will be derived from a map of the area and architectural projections of the building storeys, as well as photogrammetry and orthoimages of the historic interiors.

Project co-financed from European Funds and from the funds of the Ministry of Culture and National of the Republic of Poland. The project is implemented under the Operational Program Digital Poland for the years 2014-2020, Priority Axis 2 “E-government and open government,” Action 2.3 “Digital availability and usefulness of public sector information,” Sub-action 2.3.2 “Digital availability of culture resources.”

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2020-07-28
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