Images have long played a central role as carriers of information in the documentation and study of cultural heritage. They serve, for example, for documentation and reconstruction, but also for analysis, interpretation, and communication. Digital images, captured with various sensors and from various platforms, significantly expand the range of possibilities for image-based research, for example in the context of remote sensing, 3D modeling, or spectroscopy.

The research field of Digital Imaging in the Humanities, represented by the chair, deals with imaging techniques of all kinds used in humanities research and with the computer-aided analysis of the resulting (digital) images. Examples of current research include archaeological remote sensing, the semantic analysis of digitized historical maps, and the 3D modeling of cultural landscapes. The chair’s team works closely with the departments of Art and Cultural History, Digital Humanities, Geosciences and Environmental Sciences, and Computer Science.