Lettering a Port City – Inscriptions of the 20th Century in Hamburg
2021
RFB08
Collecting inscriptions had been a learned practice since the humanists’ preoccupation with antique inscriptions in the Renaissance. This practice brought about a long and rich tradition of archiving inscriptions from specific towns or regions in manuscripts or printed books. These documents allowed readers to map a city along its written artefacts. Inscriptions were seen as part of a precious local heritage – above all if the texts reached back to antiquity – and as an instrument for historical investigation. Modern epigraphy profited from these activities and has continued them until today. However, most of these collections end with the 18th century at the latest, many of them even earlier.
The aim of this project is to extend this tradition into the 20th century. This is not an easy task because the break with the long tradition of collecting inscriptions did not happen without a reason. Inscriptions in urban spaces now deal with new materials which have become prominent, like plastic in advertisements, neon signs, and more. Only a small number of written artefacts from 20th-century public areas survived into the 21st century. Consequently, building an archive of written artefacts in townscapes of the 20th century also means to record the story of the quickly changing character and the ephemeral quality of inscriptions, which is a central feature of the phenomenon. In the present project, Hamburg shall serve as a case study in order to explore preservation strategies for this heritage in a cooperation with the Denkmalschutzamt Hamburg.
People
Project lead: Margit Kern
Research Associate: Nikitas Karafotis