The Digital Tabula Imperii Byzantini (Dig-TIB) as a Contribution to World Heritage, lecture by Andreas Külzer, Mihailo Popović, Veronika Polloczek (Austrian Academy of Sciences), Redemptoristenkolleg Maria am Gestade, Vienna, March 22, 2018 6:00–8:00 pm

The devastating impact of wars on world heritage was discussed extensively after 1945. Scientific projects at the Austrian Academy of Sciences have a long tradition of contributing to the study of cultural heritage. Among them is the ÖAW long-term project Tabula Imperii Byzantini (TIB), which compiles a historical atlas of the Byzantine Empire, with special reference to the Balkan Peninsula and Asia Minor. On trips through the area since 1966, monuments and their (then) current state were documented by slides. This unique collection of Byzantine monuments is a rich cultural asset and a focal point of future research. The objective of the 17771 project funded by the Anniversary Fund of the Austrian National Bank is to conduct three case studies ["Cilicia and Isauria" (TIB 5); "Eastern Thrace (Europe)" (TIB 12); "Macedonia, northern part" (TIB 16)]. The project will consider them carefully through the prism of cultural heritage (before - after state). These case studies have been chosen because of the complex political-military situation in the Middle East affecting the monuments in situ (TIB 5) and because they include areas whose infrastructures are rapidly developing with lasting consequences for the landscapes of the past and for the respective monuments (TIB 12 and TIB 16). The three case studies will provide a structured and efficient workflow and follow best practices in the field of historical geography and digital humanities. This scientific lecture within the framework of the DPP Lecture Series will provide a first insight into the subject at the beginning of the project in March 2018.