ICDAR 2026Workshop on Computational Paleography in Vienna

25 March 2026

Photo: Hussein Mohammed

From 30 August to 4 September 2026, the 20th International Conference on Document Analysis and Recognition (ICDAR 2026) will take place in Vienna. The prestigious conference will once again host the Workshop on Computational Paleography, co-organised by Hussein Mohammed.

Computational paleography has rapidly evolved into a key meeting ground for the humanities and the sciences. By combining approaches from computer vision, instrumental analytics, and traditional paleography, the field is transforming how ancient handwriting and its material carriers are studied. Through digital imaging, data-driven analysis, and collaborative experimentation, computational paleography reveals new insights into the creation, circulation, and preservation of written artefacts.

This interdisciplinary perspective thrives on collaboration between manuscript scholars, computer scientists, and natural scientists. While paleographers bring expertise in scripts and historical contexts, computer scientists contribute powerful analytical tools, and natural scientists deepen understanding of the physical composition of artefacts. Such converging perspectives make it possible to explore ancient writing systems in ways unimaginable a decade ago.

The 4th Workshop on Computational Paleography will take place on 4 September 2026 as part of the 20th International Conference on Document Analysis and Recognition (ICDAR 2026), held from 30 August to 4 September in Vienna, Austria. It brings together specialists from these complementary disciplines to present completed and ongoing projects, fostering in-depth discussion and future collaboration. By linking diverse kinds of expertise, the workshop contributes both to the advancement of manuscript research and to a broader understanding of cultural heritage.

The event is organised by Hussein Mohammed, computer scientist at the CSMC and head of the Cluster’s Visual Manuscript Analysis Lab as well as the new Concepts and Methods Unit on ‘Digital Twins’ and the research project on ‘Spatial Reasoning for Manuscript Exploration’, and Isabelle Marthot-Santaniello from the University of Basel. Previous editions of the workshop were held in Lausanne (2021), San José (2023), and Athens (2024).

The Call for Papers is open, and submissions are accepted until 22 May 2026. For more information on the workshop and other events at ICDAR 2026, please visit the conference website.