The HU’s collections portal and database (Cabinets of Knowledge)

The web portal maintained by the Helmholtz Centre for Cultural Techniques provides an overview of the collections of the Humboldt-Universität, as well as information on related activities, individuals and institutes.

Embedded in the portal is the cross-collections database Cabinets of Knowledge, which the Helmholtz Centre for Cultural Techniques began developing in 1999. It covers the historical and current collections of the Humboldt-Universität, the individual objects in the collections, relevant persons, and events, thereby establishing a nexus between the history of the collections and of the institution. The collections are presented as part of a university-wide network of knowledge.

The database’s unique features include a cross-collection thesaurus linking objects from different collections; its often impressively thorough data resources on each object; a term-search function that facilitates use for experts and non-experts alike; and the incorporation of former university collections. Additionally, documentation of the use of collection objects in projects, such as the major exhibition »Theatrum Naturae et Artis« (2000/2001), are accessible through the portal.

The database acts as a service tool for the Humboldt-Universität collections and simultaneously provides a digital knowledge-architecture interconnecting collections from different disciplines.

To the database