Project for digitisation and online presentation of the "Gothaische Zeitung" started at the Gotha Research Library

The "Gothaische Zeitung", which is the only complete newspaper preserved in the Gotha Research Library, was the most long-lived of the newspapers published in the area of the duchy of Saxony-Gotha- Altenburg or the Gotha part of the double duchy of Saxony-Coburg and Gotha. With its orientation it survived the territorial restructuring and re-foundation of the Ernestine duchies in the first half of the 19th century and reaches until the end of the princely rule in 1918. It reflects to a great extent the social change and the development of one of the most important residences in the Central German and neighbouring North German area. It enables - not least in comparison with other press products and over a long period of time - multi-perspective research and new impulses, especially in the fields of social history, cultural history and political history.

The digitised material will be presented on the Gotha Research Library's instance in the periodicals portal Journals@UrMEL provided by the Thuringian University and State Library Jena (ThULB) and will be indexed with metadata in the union catalogue K10plus and the periodicals database (ZDB). The results will also be presented in the German Digital Library, the Europeana as well as in the emerging national newspaper portal and the digital culture and knowledge portal Thuringia. The project is based on the German Research Foundation's (DFG) rules of practice for digitisation. All project results will be freely and permanently accessible online (open access) and secured for the long term.

The research library preserves an extensive stock of press products published and printed in Gotha. They impressively demonstrate the role of the Thuringian royal seat as an important media location in Central Germany from the 18th to the beginning of the 20th century. As the historical state library of the territory of Saxony-Gotha-Altenburg or Saxony-Coburg and Gotha, the Gotha Research Library bears special responsibility for the collection of literature of the territory and on Western Thuringia. For ten years it has been undertaking extensive activities to make its large historical collections, which include the collection of historical literature of the Gotha territories, available for research in digital form.

The 21-month project, in which the research library is working closely with the ThULB Jena, is funded by the Thuringian State Chancellery with around 55,000 euros.

further information / contact:
Dr. Sascha Salatowsky
Phone +49 (0) 361/737-5562
e-mail: sascha.salatowsky@uni-erfurt.de