06.02.2025
More than 5.000 historical animal observations from Bavaria now digitally accessible and analysable
In a collaborative project between the Chair of Computational Humanities at the University of Passau, the Directorate General of the Bavarian State Archives (GDA), the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the NFDI4Biodiversity consortium, historical animal observation data was processed for modern biodiversity research and converted into digital, georeferenced observation data. With AI support, a total of 5,467 datasets on historical biodiversity in Bavaria were created from over 500 handwritten pages. The project was officially completed in January.
Presentation and discussion of the project results, photo: General Directorate of the Bavarian State Archives
The data sets describe the time, place and habitat of the historical animal occurrences in a format that allows for detailed, computer-based scientific analyses. The data has been published by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), an international data centre that provides biodiversity data to the global research community on an open-access basis. In addition, the data has been integrated into the national biodiversity portal LAND (Living Atlas of Nature in Germany), which is curated by the NFDI4Biodiversity consortium. Comparative research on species diversity in Bavaria is now possible on the basis of the data. Changes in animal populations over time can also be derived. This supports the conservation of endangered species. The data collection in all 119 Bavarian forestry offices was commissioned by the then Crown Prince of Bavaria, Maximilian, in 1845.
At the project completion ceremony on 17 January 2025, the Director General of the State Archives, Dr. Bernhard Grau, thanked all those involved in the project and paid tribute to the fruitful cooperation. The collaboration of the various specialist disciplines had made it possible to make a 180-year-old treasure trove of data visible online and usable in a processed form for modern biodiversity research. As a representative of the Bavarian State Archives, Giada Matheisen described the historical source material and placed it in its historical context.
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Prof. Dr. Malte Rehbein, Chair of Computational Humanities at the University of Passau, and his team, represented by Bettina Haas and Tobias Perschl, emphasised the inestimable value of the data, which provides insights into species diversity around the mid-19th century. They emphasised that the sources provide insights into the historical perception of the environment and wildlife by humans and the impact of human changes to the landscape on the distribution of certain animal species. For example, the local disappearance of the otter (Lutra lutra) at the Upper Palatinate-Bohemian border near Vohenstrauß can be directly linked to the draining of the Pfrentschweiher.
The enormous potential for modern biodiversity research, particularly in the juxtaposition of historical and current data, was highlighted by ecologist Dr Thore Engel. Ricarda Huter, a master's student at the University of Jena, will start here and evaluate the mobilised historical data in her final thesis. She wants to use comparative analyses to examine distribution patterns and their changes and to investigate the question of possible influencing factors.
The digitised data from the 1845 survey is freely accessible via the database of the Bavarian State Archives, while the mobilised data set can be accessed on GBIF and LAND. Initial publications are available on Zenodo.
Image note: presentation and discussion of the project results, photo: General Directorate of the Bavarian State Archives
This text was machine-translated from German.
Professor Malte Rehbein
How can historical sources be digitalised and assessed with the assistance of computers?
How can historical sources be digitalised and assessed with the assistance of computers?
Professor Malte Rehbein has held the Chair of Digital Humanities at the University of Passau since 2013. He is a member of both the board of Digital Humanities in German Speaking Countries and the Scientific Advisory Board of Deutsches Museum.
