DARIAH Annual Event 2025: The Future of Digital Humanities in Göttingen

2025-06-21

DARIAH Annual Event 2025: The Future of Digital Humanities in Göttingen

From 17 to 20 June 2025, the prestigious DARIAH Annual Event 2025 took place in Göttingen (Germany). The Göttingen State and University Library was chosen as the venue for this event, gathering experts and enthusiasts of digital humanities from all over Europe, including representatives of PCSS. The first day was dedicated to internal DARIAH meetings, while the main part of the conference ran from 18 to 20 June.

The event’s theme was “The Past” encompassing a wide range of topics in digital humanities: from research into ancient cultures, to contemporary history. Participants were encouraged to utilize digital tools and methodologies to analyze, interpret, and present historical and archaeological data.

Among the topics discussed were: digital archiving and preservation, historical data analysis using Big Data and AI, virtual and augmented reality applications in a historical context, digital storytelling, spatial exploration of the past, text analysis, crowdsourcing in history, and reconstructing history using digital technologies.

PCSS participated in this event as a partner of the DARIAH-HUB project. Our specialists presented a demo of their solutions and took part in a poster session, sharing their latest achievements. Maciej Głowiak, Head of the New Media Department at PCSS, delivered a presentation related to the Heriforge project, emphasizing our Center’s commitment to the development of innovative technologies for cultural heritage and digital humanities:

— The Heriforge project’s name refers to cultural heritage and “a forge”. Just as a blacksmith’s forge is a place where metal is heated and hammered into tools, weapons, or works of art, Heriforge is a modern forge where raw cultural data is transformed with immersive technologies into exciting augmented reality experiences or digital reconstructions. This year’s conference theme is “The Past” while our work concerns “The Future” – namely how cutting-edge XR technologies can change our perception of cultural heritage. PCSS is the coordinator of the Heriforge project, which confirms the important role of our institution in the European ecosystem of cultural heritage and new technologies.

The image shows an indoor presentation setting, likely at the DARIAH Annual Event 2025, as suggested by the large screen displaying conference information. On the right side of the image, a wide projection screen prominently features the title "The Past" in large, stylized letters. Below this, it reads "DARIAH Annual Event 2025 | The Past" and specifies the location and dates: "Göttingen, Germany, June 17-20". The screen also displays several logos, including "DFG", "SUiS", and "DARIAH-EU", along with "Funded by the European Union". In the foreground, slightly to the left of the center, a man is standing and speaking, holding a microphone. He is dressed in a dark blazer, a light-colored collared shirt, and grey trousers. To his left, there's a podium or table with a laptop, water bottles, and two flip charts on stands. The room features light-colored walls with decorative wainscoting along the lower section, a wooden herringbone-patterned floor, and white ceilings. The lighting seems to be a mix of ambient room light and the illumination from the projector.
The image displays a grand library setting, dominated by a towering wall of bookshelves filled with numerous old books. The books are uniformly bound, mostly in shades of brown and natural leather, suggesting a collection of historical or classical texts. The shelves are organized into multiple tall, narrow sections. Below the main bookshelves, there are display cases with glass fronts, showcasing framed artworks or illustrations. From left to right, these include a colorful botanical illustration, a detailed drawing of what appears to be a plant or animal, another botanical drawing, and a detailed illustration of a rose. Flanking these display cases, on both the left and right sides, there are white busts placed on dark pedestals, adding to the classical and scholarly ambiance of the room. The walls are made of light-colored stone or masonry, further emphasizing the historic nature of the building. The overall impression is one of a richly stocked, traditional library or archive.
The image shows an indoor presentation. On the right side, a large screen displays a slide titled "Project in a nutshell" from the "HERIFORGE" project, whose logo is visible at the top left of the slide (a stylized "H" resembling a forge). The slide provides key information about the HERIFORGE project, including: * "Horizon Europe CSA project with R&I component" * "14 partners (Poland, Cyprus, Türkiye)" * "36 months (start Dec '24)" * "Network of 3 local ecosystems" * "Excellence hubs: Strategies, quadruple helix model and pilot applications" * "Cascading funding (FSTP) – open calls" * A website address: "www.heriforge.eu" Below this text, there are several large images on the slide, depicting various cultural heritage items, including what appears to be an ancient mosaic pattern, an amphora or large clay pot, a page from an old manuscript, a classical sculpture head, and a historical building. On the left side of the image, a man, likely the presenter, is standing in front of a white flip chart. He is wearing a dark jacket over a light shirt and is holding a small object in his left hand, possibly a microphone or a presentation remote. Part of an audience is visible at the very bottom of the frame. The room has light-colored walls with wainscoting along the lower portion.
The image shows a group of six adults, three men and three women, taking a selfie outdoors at what appears to be dusk or night. They are all smiling and looking towards the camera. In the foreground, on the right, a woman with glasses and long light brown hair is taking the selfie. To her left and slightly behind, another woman with long dark hair is smiling. Behind them, a man with glasses and short, light-colored hair stands in the center. To his right, a man with a beard and a khaki-colored shirt smiles. Further back and to the right, another man with short hair and a dark t-shirt is visible, and behind him, partially obscured, is another man with glasses. The background suggests an urban setting with buildings, possibly restaurants or cafes, indicated by tables and chairs with soft lighting. There's also a fountain visible on the right side of the background. The overall lighting is warm, emanating from the artificial lights in the background. In the top left corner of the image, there's a white logo with "PCSS" written on it. Along the bottom left of the image, there's a blue band with an orange graphic resembling a circuit board trace or connection.