Medieval and early modern inscriptions crafted before 1650, in Latin and German language, situated in German-speaking areas are at the heart of this project. Inscriptions are significant and unique historical sources because they are often preserved in an authentic state and in their original setting. For the premodern era, script which was affixed to stone, wood, metal, glass as well as textiles or leather offers a significant enrichment to historical information written by hand or printed on paper and parchment. Likewise, most inscriptions are characterized by a wider and longer lasting public presence – a fundamental factor which influenced their design and production. This applies to inscriptions on funeral monuments, church bells and buildings as well as on church fittings such as altars, reliquaries, chalices, offertory boxes, pulpits and baptismal fonts.

The critical and commented editions do not only feature inscriptions which have come down to us in their original state but also those lost and therefore only known by means of older transcriptions or photographs. The focus of the edition lies on a letter-by-letter transcription of the originals which are often difficult to discern and decipher. The transcription is supplemented by a description of the artefact on which the inscription is placed. In many cases these artefacts are of high art-historical value. To give a complete picture, information regarding the original location and setting is also provided. These data contribute to an extensive understanding of text and object in time and space. All Latin, Greek and older German texts are translated, and various matters concerning the inscriptions and their support are discussed. Another essential aim of the project, next to the presentation of epigraphic texts, is to provide material for a paleography of inscriptions. By studying individual letter forms, the time of origin for undated objects as well as workshop networks can be reconstructed.

Since 2012, the project has been working with a revised concept for Germany. The goal is to make the cultural heritage as transmitted in inscriptions available by establishing corpuses as representative case studies of major issues of cultural history (e.g. imperial cities, residences, monastic landscapes).

The printed volumes of the series “Die Deutschen Inschriften” [German Inscriptions] not only provide important source material for scholars in many fields of the humanities but also appealing reading material for non-professionals interested in the history of their town or region. In addition, since 2009 more than 40 volumes and additional publications have been made available as open-access publications on Deutsche Inschriften Online (http://www.inschriften.net/), in a version enhanced by numerous images and continuously updated by addenda and corrigenda.

Persons

Deutsche Inschriften, Office Site Bonn
  • Dr. Sonja Hermann (Research Associate)
  • Prof. Dr. Klaus-Peter Wegera (Project Commission Chair)
  • Prof. Dr. Andrea Stieldorf (Office Site Leader)
  • Andreas Efing (Research Associate)
  • Jitka Ehlers M.A. (Research Associate)
  • Dr. Helga Giersiepen (Research Associate)
  • Olga König (Research Associate)
  • Dr. Ulrike Spengler-Reffgen (Research Associate)
  • Kristine Weber M.A. (Research Associate)
Deutsche Inschriften, Office Site Dresden
  • Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Huschner (Project Leader)
  • Prof. Dr. Hans Ulrich Schmid (Project Commission Chair)
  • Dr. Cornelia Neustadt (Research Associate)
  • Henning Ohst M. Ed. (Research Associate)
  • Martin Riebel M. Ed (Research Associate)
  • Dr. Sabine Zinsmeyer (Research Associate)
  • Lukas Rosenhagen (Research Assistant)
Deutsche Inschriften, Office Site Göttingen
  • Dr. Christine Wulf (Office Site Leader)
  • Dr. Katharina Kagerer (Research Associate)
  • Dr. Jörg H. Lampe (Research Associate)
  • Dr. Sabine Wehking
  • Katharina Hartmann (Student Assistant)
  • Kläre Seemann B.A. (Student Assistant)
  • Anna Weissmüller B.A. (Student Assistant)
Deutsche Inschriften, Office Site Greifswald
  • Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Eric Wagner (Project Commission Chair)
  • Dr. Christine Magin (Office Site Leader)
  • Mona Dorn M.A. (Research Associate)
  • Jürgen Herold M.A. (Research Associate)
  • Jonas Simon (Student Assistant)
  • Oskar Böhm B.A. (Student Assistant)
Deutsche Inschriften, Office Site Halle (Saale)
  • Prof. Dr. Hans Ulrich Schmid (Project Commission Chair)
  • Dr. Andreas Dietmann (Research Associate)
  • Dr. Franz Jäger (Office Site Leader)
  • Jens Pickenhan M.A. (Research Associate)
  • Thomas Rastig M.A. (Research Associate)
  • Andreas Klimm B.A. (Research Assistant)
  • Moritz Meierding (Student Assistant)
  • Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Huschner (Project Leader)
Deutsche Inschriften, Office Site Heidelberg
  • Dr. Jan Ilas Bartusch (Research Associate)
  • Prof. Dr. Steffen Patzold (Project Commission Chair)
  • Dr. Harald Drös (Office Site Leader)
  • Britta Hedtke (Research Associate)
  • Sara Brück M.A. (Research Associate)
  • Elke Schneider (Technical Associate)
Deutsche Inschriften, Office Site Mainz
  • Prof. Dr. Petra Schulte (Project Commission Chair)
  • Prof. Dr. phil. Klaus Herbers (Project Leader)
  • Dr. Rüdiger Fuchs (Office Site Leader)
  • Georgia Herrchen M.A. (Research Associate)
  • Dr. Susanne Kern (Research Associate)
  • Dr. Eberhard J. Nikitsch (Research Associate)
  • Dr. Michael Oberweis (Research Associate)
  • Astrid Garth (Technical Associate)
  • Thomas G. Tempel (Technical Associate)
  • Achim Rohweder (Student Assistant)
Deutsche Inschriften, Office Site Munich
  • Prof. Dr. Walter Koch (Project Commission Chair)
  • Dr. Christine Steininger (Office Site Leader)
  • Dr. Ramona Baltolu (Research Associate)
  • Dr. Tanja Kohwagner-Nikolai (Research Associate)
  • Mirjam Goeth M.A. (Research Associate)
Deutsche Inschriften, Office Site Vienna
  • Dr. Renate Kohn (Office Site Leader)
  • Prof. Dr. Andreas Zajic (Research Associate)
  • Mag. Gertrud Mras (Research Associate)

Contact

Arbeitsstelle Bonn
📧 inschriften[at]uni-bonn.de
Arbeitsstelle Dresden
📧 neustadt[at]saw-leipzig.de
Arbeitsstelle Göttingen
📧 inschriften[at]gwdg.de
Arbeitsstelle Greifswald
📧 cmagin[at]uni-greifswald.de
Arbeitsstelle Halle (Saale)
📧 jaeger[at]saw-leipzig.de
Arbeitsstelle Heidelberg
📧 Deutsche-Inschriften[at]adw.uni-heidelberg.de
Arbeitsstelle Mainz
📧 ruediger.fuchs[at]adwmainz.de
Arbeitsstelle Wien
📧 renate.kohn[at]oeaw.ac.at
Arbeitsstelle München
📧 ramona.baltolu[at]di.badw.de
Acronym
DI
Running time
1934-2030
Project type
Edition

Contact person for the academies' programme

Sebastian Zwies M.A.

Geschäftsstelle Mainz
Union der deutschen Akademien der Wissenschaften
Geschwister-Scholl-Straße 2
55131 Mainz

Tel: 06131/218 528-17
E-Mail: sebastian.zwies@akademienunion.de