The Hornemann Institute's DFG-sponsered Project

Since december 2011 online: a specialized Wiki on the subject of “Salt-based Damage”

English version now online

As of the middle of February 2009, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) sponsored  project “Creation of an Online Information Structure Using a Specialist Wiki incl. a virtual research environment with repository on the Subject “Salt-based Damage” in the Research Field of “Conservation of Cultural Heritage”, in short the “Specialist Wiki Salt Damage” has started.

Salt damage is the most common source of damage to historical buildings, stone sculptures, murals, etc. but is also encountered in many new buildings. Despite comprehensive research in the last years, there are still distinct knowledge gaps so that in many cases not only laypeople but also specialists such as restorers, conservators, civil engineers, scientists or architects stand helpless before a damaged object. The problems are often very complex. Well-founded expertise is required to be able to select the necessary measures.

A specialist Wiki will be able to contribute to make the present specialist knowledge available to all free of charge in a competent and easy-to-understand manner.

At a specialist workshop of the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU) in Osnabrück on 19th February 2008, the about twenty participants from Germany and abroad agreed to compile a specialist Wiki  including a repository (article, data, diagrams, figures, etc.) to make current specialist knowledge available to all and to publish research results and practice know-how quickly and free of charge. This specialist Wiki, under editorial supervision, will be supported by an online communication and organization platform with interoperable Web 2.0 applications, such as blogs, forums, interactive calendars and tagging.

This group of specialists selected the Hornemann Institute of the HAWK to assume the specialist Wiki as it has a good reputation from its participation in national and international projects in the conservation of cultural heritage and its free online databases and non-commercial e-learning courses.

Anyone doing research or working in this field is welcome to join the research joint venture and to collaborate in compiling the specialist Wiki.

Click here to enter the German site: http://www.salzwiki.de/, click here to enter the English site: http://www.saltwiki.net/.

Salt Damage to Cultural Property (pdf, 528 KB)