Courses
Autumn School of Photograph Conservation. Monochromatic Negatives - Identification, Preservation, Conservation
6th Nov. 2023 (9AM) - 11th Nov. 2023 (12AM). Lecturer: Janka Blaško Križanová and Kitti Baráthová. Language: English
In the framework of the ASEA UNINET Projects an Autumn School of Photograph Conservation will be held in St. Florian Abbey - we will be able to use the collections of St. Florian Abbey as a case study.
The course will include an introduction on the history of monochromatic negatives, their identification, preservation and basic conservation treatments. These photographic materials are highly susceptible, they can easily deteriorate under unsuitable storage conditions. Their correct identification and proper care are crucial for their future preservation.
Maximum 10 participants. No course fee! Detailed program and tools to bring with you will be anounced.
Registration at Patricia.engel@donau-uni.ac.at
Please wait for confirmation before you book your travel or accomodation.
Room for accommodation are held in hotel Koppler close to the monastery until End of September. Please make your researvation yourself at
office@gasthof-koppler.at.
Winterschool - Description of Medieval Book Covers
The European Research Centre for Book and Paper Conservation-Restoration and St. Florian Abbey offer a winterschool on the topic of "Description of Medieval Book Covers". The event takes place at the St. Florian Abbey (Stiftstraße 1, A-4490 St. Florian, Austria) from March 12, 2023 until March 18, 2023. For more information click here.
Krems Courses
Horn courses are now Krems courses
Some of us still remember the high-quality one-week courses delivered in Horn, Austria between 2011 and 2013 on selected topics in conservation of written heritage, such as parchment assessment, parchment making, analysis of dyes, conservation of globes, etc. About eight participants from all over the world (Australia, Japan, USA and, of course, from across Europe) came to the remote place of Horn to focus on a particular topic for one week. These “Horn Courses” were interrupted for a few years and will now resume in 2019. The first course will be a LIGATUS summer school. The second course, organized as a parallel event of the Ink Corrosion Treatment symposium ICC, will be dedicated to production, use and conservation of inks.
16-20 and 23-27 September 2019 Ligatus Summer School
The 2019 Ligatus Summer School will take place in Krems, Austria, in collaboration with the Danube University Krems and visits to the monasteries of Melk, Zwettl, Kremsmünster and St. Florian. The main purpose of the Summer School is to uncover the possibilities latent in the detailed study of bookbinding. Both courses offered in this Summer School look at bindings from different geographical areas and with a different approach.
For more information and online application see
https://www.ligatus.org.uk/summerschool/2019
Video Ligatus Summer School 2019
25 – 27 October 2019 Inks
The course will include the preparation of various inks: a soot ink, two iron gall inks (one European, one Oriental), a mixed ink and some other ink-like writing substances such as bister, etc. The inks will be prepared following the instructions of old texts, which either have been translated or are read in the original version (for example, old German). The risk of misinterpretation will be highlighted. The inks will be prepared of substances which will be collected by the participants or prepared during the course, in any case they will be natural substances rather than bought at a shop.
Please find more Information here.
Master of Arts
Interdisziplinary Methods in Graphic Art, Book and Document Conservation is now installed at University for Continuing Education Krems, Austria
Preserving our written and graphical cultural heritage is a complex challenge. The university course „Interdisciplinary Methods in Graphic Art, Book and Document Conservation“ is a timely and interdisciplinary answer to this challenge. Written and graphical cultural heritage are two central areas of identification and legitimisation of Europe´s society and civilisation. Proper comprehensive preservation of written and graphical heritage is essential. Continuing education on the proper protection measures as a task of society cannot be overestimated. Study with the university chair „Interdisciplinary Methods in Graphic Art, Book and Document Conservation“ to learn to develop concepts of written and graphic heritage preservation which are most appropriate in terms of the needs of the heritage items themselves, while taking into account people-related, economic, legal and societal aspects, as well as to lead in the implementation of such concepts, contributing to the preservation of our cultural heritage.Please find more Information here.
International Further Education courses/Summer School
Between 2011 and 2014- Parchment Assesment –. René Larsen, Dorte Sommer, Kathleen Muhlen
- Marbeled Paper – Ilse Mühlbacher
- Bosses and Clasps – Elisabeth Krebs
- Understanding of Parchment in the medieval Manuscript, Jiri Vnucek
- Understanding Asian Paper, Gangolf Ulbricht
- Understanding of European Paper, Gangolf Ulbricht
- Globe Conservation Course, Patricia Engel
- The Understanding and Analysis of Organic Materials in Art, Jan Wouters
- Zustand von Archivgut, Seminar veranstaltet vom Archiv der Zeitgenossen, 27.-28.11. 2014 Patricia Engel
- Archivgut Papier, Seminar veranstaltet vom Archiv der Zeitgenossen, 16. - 17.1. 2014 Patricia Engel
- Patricia Engel “Possibilities to Treat Ink Corrosion in a Bound Book”, Summer School in the Study of Historical Manuscripts, Universität Zadar, Croatia, Department of Library and Information Transfer, 26..-30. September 2011 http://ozk.unizd.hr/summerschool2011/
ERASMUS
ERASMUS at DUK
Front: Dr habil Mag. Patricia Engel; Vice Dean, Dr. Mag. Christine Grond, head of Archiv der Zeitgenossen; back: Julia Fandl; Tanja Johanna Cerny; Izabela Vajova; Magda Szymanska; Monika Dzik
photo Beatrix Vigne
There were three ERASMUS students and two FFG voluneers with us during the last months. Monika Dzik and Magda Szymanska, students from Akademy of Fine Arts Warsaw, study conservation majoring in books and graphic art, Izabela Vajova from Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava is student in chemistry.
Tanja Johanna Cerny is a student at the “Graphische Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt” in Vienna and Julia Fandl is a student at “Piaristengymnasium” in Krems.
The university students were primarily involved in our recent research project NanoKult
NanoKult,
The project
project,deals with the conservation of written heritage on wood pulp paper based on the use of nano-particles. To get an insight into the problem, various archives, namely with recent archival material were visited, for example, the Europa Nostra archive.
Europa Nostra archive,
The students were also involved in discussions about follow up projects and in communication with stakeholders.
The follow up projects should focus on addressing other major problems in conservation of archival heritage. Apart from the acidity of paper, another major problem in preservation of written heritage is ink corrosion. Therefore existing treatment methods were applied, compared and evaluated. Shortcomings were recorded and ideas for a mass treatment of iron gall inks were discussed.
Apart from technical aspects, these projects also have ethical aspects. There was a long discussion on material and conservation ethics.
Further topics of discussion during the ERASMUS studies had been:
- Preparatory work for an exhibition dedicated to the oldest paper mills in Austria to ne held in St. Pölten in October 2016 (in cooperation with Diocese Archive St. Pölten and the Austrian Academy of Sciences)
- Strategies for publishing a book about historical book binding techniques
- Implementing funding strategies for heritage items threatened by war
- Conservation of both the museum and the graphic works of Affandi in Indonesia (an ASEA UniNet Project of the European Research Centre in cooperation with Technical University Vienna)
- Describing and documenting first response action in cases of fire and flood-related situationsfor archives, libraries and collections of graphic art (preparation of an EU Erasmus bid)
- Theory in conservation and the minimal intervention principle
- Dealing with written heritage from concentration camps – preparation of a funded project.
The students worked at the Archiv der Zeitgenossen. Archiv der Zeitgenossen,
Finally, the university students cooperated with the school sudents Tanja Johanna Cerny and Julia Fandl in performing their research task, which allowed wider possibilities to gain more information out of paper heritage objects by not only digitizing them in visible reflected light but also in transmitted and raking light. Selected Peter Turrini correspondence was used as case study. Parameters appropriate for a quick survey even with low cost equipment for small archives were identified and reported. Features like water marks, mould structure and the like, especially damages and abrasions of the surface of the paper, can be made visible in transmitted light and raking light.
So far the following students have worked at our institution (you are also invited to come and we are looking forward to receiving your application).
ERASMUS- Izabela Vajova, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava (1st June - 1st Aug. 2016)
- Monika Dzik, Magda Szymanska, Akademy of Fine Arts Warsaw, (1st June - 1st Aug. 2016)
- Panagiota Tselepidou, University Ecclesiastical Academy of Thessaloniki (5th Oct. 2014 - 4th Feb. 2015)
- Karolin Kallas, Tartu Art College, (10th June - 10th September 2013)
- Marta Swieton, Nikolaus Kopernikus University, Torun (3rd June - 2ndSeptember 2013)
- Jiri Taleva, Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences (1st March 2013-2nd September 2013)
- Tina Bakovic and Ivana Galzina (15th April 2012 – 15th July 2012) topic Laser Cleaning in cooperation with Dr. Jörg Krüger BAM Berlin
- Emilia Domazet and Rafaela Burmeta from the University of Zadar ( 11th January 2012 – 15th April 2012) Armenian Paper in cooperation with Prof. Dr. Manfred Schreiner, Mag. Wilfried Vetter, Prof. Mag. Helmgard Holle (all Academy of Fine Arts Vienna) and DI Emanuel Wenger (Austrian Academy of Sciences)
- Cristina Cicero from „TOR VERGATA“ (Rome) (1st October 2012)
- Bogna Górniak and Marta Cieplinska, Nikolaus Kopernikus University, Torun (1st July - 31st August 2012)
- Shirin Jacoby (volunteer prior to university studies) (8th May 2012)