5 Questions to...Marlen Börngen

25 February 2022

In the new episode of our series, '5 Questions to…', we talk to Marlen Börngen, a PhD student at both CSMC and TH Köln. She chats about her training as a conservator, the chances and challenges of doing a joint PhD programme, and a project in Georgia that might occupy her well beyond her PhD.

Marlen Börngen, please tell us a little about yourself.

I'm a paper conservator and started my career with an apprenticeship in bookbinding in Göttingen. After a one-year internship in Hamburg, I then studied paper conservation at the Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design. My first job after graduating was at Restaurierungszentrum Düsseldorf.

Currently, I am an Academic Associate at the Cologne Institute of Conservation Sciences (CICS) at TH Köln. In the book and paper conservation programme, I can work with emerging conservators, teach the basics in paper conservation, and motivate them to stay curious in their careers. Since February 2021, I'm a PhD student in a joint programme at CSMC and CICS.

Could you briefly outline the topic of your dissertation project?

The working title for my dissertation is ‘In-field profiling for the examination of manuscripts and the imparting of basic practical skills with the support of new media’. In Central Europe, there are professional training structures and teaching methods in conservation sciences, but they are not available globally. As a result, cultural heritage in some parts of the world is endangered due to a lack of trained personnel and funding for professional equipment. My study aims to empower library and archive staff in regions with basic or no professional training structures and limited financial resources. It addresses several questions: how can sustainable teaching techniques regarding the traditions on-site be conveyed in these regions, and what effective methods for examining manuscripts can be implemented on-site without expensive equipment? What are the prospects of a blended-learning concept, combining on-site and digital teaching, supported by digital learning scenarios, such as videos, learning platforms, or social media? And what is the definition of basic practical skills? Conservation students  should learn easy-to-use but effective analysis methods, such as microchemical tests, so they can develop procedures for examining manuscripts on-site without expensive equipment.

I consider myself lucky to be able to use the infrastructure and connections at both universities.

As you mentioned, you pursue your dissertation project at both CSMC and the Cologne Institute of Conservation Sciences. What does that mean in practice, and what are the advantages and challenges of a joint programme?

For conservators, it is not uncommon to do a joint PhD programme because there a very few universities where you can study conservation sciences. In my case, these are Universität Hamburg and TH Köln. where I have one supervirsor each. I am a member of the Graduate Centre at both institutions and enjoy the advantage of participating in both the doctoral colloquium at CSMC and the coaching programme at TH Köln. The TH also supports my doctorate financially with a scholarship. To be sure, sometimes it is a pity not to be in Hamburg and to connect with the other doctoral students there. But on the whole I consider myself lucky to be able to use the infrastructure and connections at both universities.

What is the connection between archaeometry and the conservation of manuscripts? What amazes you most about this and why?

Archaeometry and conservation should always go hand in hand. Conservators and natural scientists work closely together to understand the materiality of written cultural heritage. Knowing the composition of written artefacts, manuscript researchers can gain more insights and may help conservators to create conservation concepts. At the universities in Hamburg and Cologne, we are lucky to have many investigation methods available. In developing and emerging countries, this may not be the case. However, there are also more straightforward examination methods that can be used by trained library staff with a bit of practice. These include microchemical fibre analysis or multispectral analysis to make initial quantifications. The sizing type of paper can be determined with a simple microchemical detection test. This is a topic I would also like to include in my PhD thesis.

Where has your last PhD-related journey taken you, and what did you do there?

As we all know, traveling was a bit difficult last year. But in November 2021, we were able to go to Tbilisi, Georgia, to prepare a DAAD programme called ‘Ostpartnerschaften’. As part of this programme, our three-year project ‘Georgia – Codicology and Preventive Conservation’ will start in 2022. This project is exciting because a paper conservation study programme is currently being set up at the Tbilisi State Academy. An extended partnership with our colleagues in Tbilisi will foster a professional exchange employing blended-learning concepts. I am looking forward to this programme, which will accompany me throughout my doctoral studies and probably beyond.