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The increasing digitisation of medieval sources worldwide, coupled with the advent of new digital tools and analytical methods for processing and analysing these materials, has opened new vistas for medievalists, compelling them to reconsider the potential of their discipline. This “digital turn” has given rise in the last decades to a new interdisciplinary field known as “digital medieval studies”.

While digital tools are invaluable for testing research questions, aiding in source
interpretation, and revealing patterns imperceptible to the naked eye, the current challenge in medieval studies is not primarily about creating ever-larger datasets or developing new digital tools, as important as these tasks are. The real challenge is to consciously blend traditional and digital approaches into a new practice of medieval history.

With this challenge in mind, this research seminar proposes various explorations into the history of medieval Livonia and beyond by integrating digital tools and methods with traditional approaches in historical scholarship. This seminar is part of a research project titled “Digital Livonia: For a Digitally Enhanced Study of Medieval Livonia” (funded by the Estonian Research Council, 2021–2025), aiming to connect scholars working on medieval Livonia who are interested in advancing digital history.

16 May 2025

10.15–10.30 | Marek Tamm (Tallinn University): Introduction to the seminar

Session 1
Chair: Gustavs Strenga (Latvian Academy of Culture)
10.30–11.15 | Marek Tamm (Tallinn University) and Hembo Pagi (Tallinn University): Building “Digital Livonia”: A web platform for the study of medieval Livonia
11.15–12.00 | Villu Kadakas (Tallinn University): Linking site-related sources in medieval Livonia: Castles, church parishes, manors, and Tallinn private plots via web mapping
12.00–13.30 | Lunch break

Session 2
Chair: Marek Tamm (Tallinn University)
13.30–14.15 | Rūta Bruževica (Tallinn University): From manuscript to visualisation: A digital approach to medieval Livonian craft statutes
14.15–15.00 | Nicolas Bourgeois (Université Paris 1): A semantic cartography of early Livonian chronicles: The application of NLP tools for the study of Central Middle Ages narrative texts
15.00–15.30 | Coffee break

Session 3
Chair: Anu Mänd (University of Tartu and Tallinn University)
15.30–16.15 | Hilkka Hiiop (Estonian Academy of Arts), Anneli Randla (Estonian Academy of Arts), Andres Uueni (Estonian Academy of Arts), and Hannes Vinnal (Estonian Academy of Arts): Bernt Notke’s medieval masterpiece: Balancing conservation, historical significance, and digital documentation
16.15–17.00 | Tiina Kala (Tallinn University and Tallinn City Archives) and Kaspar Kolk (Tallinn University and University of Tartu): Another Ex quo in context: Cm 16 from Tallinn City Archives
18.00 | Dinner

17 May 2025

Session 4
Chair: Juhan Kreem (Tallinn University)
10.00–10.45 | Johnny Grandjean Gøgsig Jakobsen (University of Copenhagen): Digitizing medieval monasticism: Two cases on the use of digital technology in mendicant studies in medieval Denmark and Scandinavia
10.45–11.30 | Madis Maasing (University of Tartu): Digital approach to the study of Livonian high clergy
11.30–12.15 | Kristjan Toomaspoeg (University of Salento): Livonia Pontificia: History, actual state and perspectives of the research
12.15–13.45 | Lunch break

Session 5
Chair: Tiina Kala (Tallinn University and Tallinn City Archives)
13.45–14.30 | Anu Mänd (University of Tartu and Tallinn University): Medieval Livonian inscriptions: Content, style, and perspectives of study
14.30–15.15 | Juhan Kreem (Tallinn University and Tallinn City Archives): Imaging seals: Artwork in the age of mechanical reproduction
15.15–15.45 | Coffee break

Final Round Table
15.45–17.00 | Medieval Livonia in the digital age: Progress, challenges, and prospects
Participants: Nicolas Bourgeois, Johnny Grandjean Gøgsig Jakobsen, Anneli Randla, Kristjan Toomaspoeg
Chair: Marek Tamm
18.00 | Dinner

For inquiries, please contact: Marek Tamm, marek.tamm@tlu.ee

Seminar is supported by Estonian Research Council grant PRG1276