Since 2016, the Research Centre for the Humanities (RCH) is implementing a large scale research project concerning the upcoming bicentenary of the Greek War for Independence (1821).
What is it?
A large-scale research project, aiming to the creation of a multi-layered digital platform about the 1821 Greek Revolution, dedicated to a/ the collection of various archival material concerning the era of the Greek Revolution and b/ the conduction of a series of new researches which promote modern scientific discourse and will be organized in a digital library.
The public will be able to access digitized versions of published or unpublished memoirs of the Fighters, studies about every-day life during the war, pieces of folk music of the era, works of art inspired by the Revolution, etc.
A Dynamic Digital Archive
The digital archive is powered by an open, multilevel database, which enables the organizing and classification of different kinds of material through its unified management. The important aspect of this side of the project is that the database was designed by historians, in close collaboration with archivists and computer engineers, with the express purpose of mirroring the prerequisites of the researchers engaged by the project and providing a user friendly environment. The design of the database is now complete, and the research staff is already in a position to fill in their data sheets.
A Digital Library
One of the main goals of the project is promote modern scientific discourse pertaining to the questions and issues raised by relevant historiography. The results of the researches conducted within the framework of the project will be hosted in this Digital Library.
Online Repository
Organizational infrastructure (databases) built on data related to the Greek Revolution of 1821, which will be accessible to visitors to the site. The related materials will be digitized and organized in databases. This organizational infrastructure will be dynamic in nature, enabling subsequent input of new material once the project has reached completion.
Website
This level involves the creation of a single environment for the presentation of the digital repository, which will enable link-up of its digital collections. The site will be designed to serve as a tool for managing the digital archive generated by the digital repository and also for research and education purposes.
Online Exhibits
With one of its key aims being to provide a vivid presentation and link-up with the material in the digital repository, the website will use state-of-the-art visual display of information: the online exhibits will propose use options for the materials and digital storytelling that will be both attractive and accessible to a wider public.
Transcription of documents through crowdsourcing
“The Greek Revolution of 1821: Digital Archive” will make a public call (both for researchers and members of the public in general) for participation in the transcription of archival documents via the relevant software, on the lines of international crowdsourcing programs. This option can serve as a valuable educational tool and basis for cooperation with international research bodies.
A Digital Humanities Project
In order to accommodate its research goals, this collective project which abides by the questions currently being discussed in the field of Digital Humanities, has designed a digital platform, which will accommodate a uniform taxonomy of different kinds of material (text, image, sound). This database will unify material which is currently being stored in disparate, often inaccessible places, that has been partly digitized but has not been adequately described and annotated.
At the same time, the project aims to secure the dissemination of new research through free access to the material mentioned above. More than just a database, the project will incorporate a number of digital applications, addressed to different audiences (e.g. digital narratives, digital exhibits and publications).
Aims of the project
The project’s main goals are:
To involve young Greek academics and researchers who hold doctoral degrees, so that they can continue their research work in Greece without having to go abroad.
To create a user friendly tool where archival material, research results as well as the songs, costumes and paintings of the period will be easily retrievable. This will greatly facilitate the study of related scholarly issues.
To develop an educational tool for both secondary school and university-level use that disseminates effectively the results of academic research.
To reach out to the international scholarly community, with the publication of the project in both Greek and English.
An important aim of the Scientific Committee is to provide new impetus for the public discussion of historical ‘certainties’ pertaining to the much discussed factors that led to the foundation of the Greek state.
Academic Committee
(Listed alphabetically)
Ada Dialla, Head of Academic Committee, Professor Modern & Contemporary European History, Department of Art Theory & History, Athens School of Fine Arts
Dimitris Dimitropoulos, Research Director, Section of Neohellenic Research, Institute of Historical Research, National Hellenic Research Foundation
Eleni Droulia, Head of the Library of the Hellenic Parliament
Thomas W. Gallant, Professor of Modern Greek History and Archaeology, UC San Diego
Maurizio Isabella, Professor of History, Queen Mary University of London
Yannis Kontaratos, Professor of Painting, Athens School of Fine Arts
Yanni Kotsonis, Professor of History (NYU), Jordan Center for the Advanced Study of Russia
Christos Loukos, Emeritus Professor of History, Department of History and Archaeology, University of Crete.
Constantin Tsoukalas, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the Faculty of Political Science and Public Administration, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. President of the Executive Board of the Hellenic Foundation for Culture.
Konstantina Zanou, Assistant Professor of Italian and Mediterranean Studies, Department of Italian, Columbia University
Scientific Executive Committee
Ada Dialla, Professor Modern & Contemporary European History, Department of Art Theory & History, Athens School of Fine Arts
George Kalaouzis, Computer Engineer, Department of Architecture, University of Thessaly
Ioulia Pentazou, Assistant Professor, Department of Culture and Creative Media and Industries, University of Thessaly (specialization in digital interactive and information design)
Eleni Stambogli, Historian, publisher
Despoina Valatsou, Dr. of History, University of Athens (specialization in Digital Humanities and Digital History)
Contributors
Academic Supervision: Ada Dialla Administrative Organization & Project Coordination: Despoina Valatsou, Athena Bozika Financial Planning – Sponsorships: Eleni Stambogli Research – Documentation of archival material: Anna Athanasouli, Eleni Bessa-Anagnostopoulou, Sakis Dimitriadis, Myrto Dimitropoulou, Olga Evangelidou, Michalis Festas, Stavros Grimanis, Sucru Ilicak, Giannis Karadimas, Anna Karakatsouli, Sotiris Koutmanis, Elia Kyfonidou, Leonidas Miras, Vassilis Papadopoulos, Dimitris Polychroniadis, Julia Saramiyeva, Haris Sarris, Marina Stolaki, Theodoros Theodorou, George Tsiaples, Anna Vakali, Stefanos Vamiedakis Database and Website Design: Ioulia Pentazou Website Art Design: Alexandros Psychoulis Database and Website Development: Yorgos Kalaouzis Translation: Michalis Sotiropoulos, Andrew Watson, John Davis Database and Website Editing: Kostas Polyzos Themes and Keywords: Ioulia Pentazou, Michalis Sotiropoulos, Anna Athanasouli, Stefanos Vamiedakis, Kostas Polyzos Publications: Eleni Stambogli, Athena Bozika, Yorgos Regkoukos, Pelagia Marketou, Evi Kalogeropoulou Schools Initiative: Ioulia Pentazou, Eleni Stambogli Photography – Digitization: Thalia Kympari Exhibition at the Benaki Museum: Alexandros Psychoulis, Giannis Arvanitis Observatory 1821: Despoina Valatsou, Kostas Polyzos
