Digital Lab: Christie's Unknown Notes - New Discoveries in a Forgotten Land Register
An almost unknown document from 1777, discovered in the University Library's collections, has provided researchers with new insights into Norwegian history, language, and place names. How can an old manuscript still generate new knowledge, and how can digital tools open up historical sources for researchers and the wider public?
Join us for an engaging panel discussion featuring researchers from the University of Bergen (UiB) and the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL).
Recently, staff at the University Library brought renewed attention to a little-known land register (matrikkel) from 1777 containing annotations by Wilhelm Frimann Koren Christie. The document has proven to contain far more information and significance than previously thought.
Over several months, Old Norse philologist Celine Weisenfeld, with support from Alexandros Tsakos, has examined the material and uncovered new perspectives on language, place names, property relations, and historical research.
How can sources like this help us understand the past? Why are they still relevant today? And how can digital methods breathe new life into historical documents?
In this open panel discussion, you will meet researchers from the fields of history, linguistics, and law. The conversation will be accompanied by images from the Special Collections and a small exhibition featuring the original land register alongside other rare documents from the University Library's holdings.