Introductory Chapter: The Role of Digital Humanistics in Safeguarding Cultural Heritage

1. Introduction

Developmental technical and construction facilities in the history of the human epoch helped man in the person of the architect to establish basic architectural systems. Individual historical events were manifested in the construction and reconstruction of cultural monuments of that time. Several architectural constructions became strategic systems in the field of political, administrative, economic and cultural seat of the lordship and the entire region.

Virtual-visual history within the framework of digital humanities serves as an “explorer of the past”, in which historical testimonies, building elements from preserved source foundations are gradually recorded. Architectural monuments have a high historical, spiritual and esthetic value. Selected monuments of cultural heritage from all over the world are able to reveal to the public not only their history, their construction technology, location, but also their relationship with other architectural objects of the respective location. For this reason, it is necessary to have a “historical plot” that enables the issue to be presented not only in the form of a sequence of subsequent historical events but also to explain and emphasize contemporary situational moments. Although it seems that there are “just maybe” other general historical connections, the opposite is true, as the research reflects multiple answers to the questions asked, even parallel interpretations and hypothetical constellations of the studied issues of selected architecture in selected regions from Europe to Asia, or America, not forgetting the African continent.

The ambitious attraction of contemporary virtual-visual history is the more detailed construction of multi-dimensional models that also depict exterior spaces in relevant historical periods from relevant written and literary sources. These models (e.g. 2D, 3D as well as XD) are designed not only on the basis of knowledge of historical contexts but also reveal the then technical achievements of their time, which subsequently enable uncovering the mystery of the history of architectural systems.

The idea of the presented reconstruction models within the framework of virtual history is to respect the individual stylistic stages or the required architectural symbiosis for further study and establishing cooperation with other scientific spheres. The tendency of these models is to contribute to the preservation, preservation and possible restoration of this kind of cultural heritage also in the open online space.

Digital humanities is based on the interconnectedness of research in several spheres, e.g. history, archaeology, ethnology, museology, programming, work with graphic editors, etc., with the intention of not only increasing the quality of the study of art history but above all finding suitable prototypes for the protection of cultural heritage for the following generations.

Modern history is intended to be a “practical editorial encyclopedia” for independent study and basic empirical work with visual-virtual models of selected monuments of cultural heritage in the sphere of presentation, further scientific research and protection with the help of cyberspace.

2. Digital history

The new, digital history should serve not only in research, but also in the educational sphere. The combined procedure is chosen because it offers enough space to highlight the positive aspects of the research field, such as:

• analytical study of the history of selected objects in the original documents,

• supplementing the historical development with materials from secondary literature,

• creation of experimental visual models based on proven facts of history and contemporary architecture,

• the possibility of completing the created visual models with new virtual elements,

• by using the possibilities and procedures of modern and aerial archeology for the selected monuments, it is possible to verify the plausibility of all existing documentary materials and knowledge practiced from other scientific fields with the intention of more deeply documenting the structural side of medieval and modern society in the investigated territory,

• popularization of results with the help of elements of cyberculture,

• cyber–virtual protection of cultural heritage.

The key attributes remain the methodological combination of an analytical nature with the popularization of historical monuments based on reconstruction models processed in 2D and 3D, but also in holographic design based on the cooperation of several scientific departments.

As stated in the Venice Charter under article nine, “…in the case of hypothetical reconstructions, any work (recognized as necessary for esthetic or technical reasons) must, however, be distinguished from the old architectural composition and bear the stamp of current times” [1]. Authorities in the former communist countries of the Central European area is skeptical of such works, referring to the fact “…that reconstructions are based on acquired knowledge, in which history is not reversible. In addition, they point to the damage done to the original historical structures, especially in the area of the medieval and modern environment, to which the ideas of reconstruction have already been applied” [2].

The idea of reconstructive visual model experiments is to respect the individual stylistic stages or the required architectural symbiosis for further study and establishing cooperation with other scientific fields. The tendency of these models is to contribute to the preservation, preservation and possible restoration of this kind of cultural heritage. In these contexts, it is good to keep in mind the idea of Eugène Emmanuel Viollet—le Duc: “…restoration does not mean preserving, repairing, or rebuilding an object, a monument, but it means rebuilding it to the best possible perfection, in which it could not be at the appropriate time to exist…” [3].

Virtual reconstruction models capture architectural components that emphasize design, construction moments and stimulate thinking about new questions, hypotheses, such as:

• how the complexes were exposed,

• which was a model for builders and possible architects and an impetus for several reconstructions,

• determination and evaluation of the basic and specific components of architecture between individual stylistic periods, in which a probable view is revealed,

• innovative “realistic two- and three-dimensional forms of virtual entities” bringing special views even from the field of hypothetical structural development of architecture even after their demolition, extinction,

• two- and three-dimensional patterns can be compared in a national and international context.

3. Verification of historical illusions

The final form of the work is a summary of almost all available data. This work is characterized by the knowledge of historical evidence, the so-called traces of the reconstruction of the past. The diversity of all historical narratives and book accounts proves that many times there is conflicting information about selected architectural units. It is precisely these contradictory traces that need to be verified and the erroneous inaccuracies of “historical illusions” excluded. Methodological criticism of the available source base is an invaluable aid in eliminating older factual errors. The language structure of the work is based on the principles of comprehensibility and logical continuity of arguments from archival and oldest literary sources. Due to the investigated issue, the most important aspect [4] is the identification of complexes from the period of their probable creation to the era of their demolition or demise.

In the formulation of methodological problems, another, non-source base was also helpful, in which the generally accepted views of the laws of historical-evolutionary development were respected, not to mention the achieved results of the technical framework, which predetermine and open up the possibility of knowing the selected architectural systems [5, 6, 7].

The results led to a regional research method, that is, to the construction of a municipal model [8, 9, 10]. Today, it is necessary to take a chronological approach to the hierarchization and clarification of the historical chain of selected virtual entities, due to the discovery of new facts to uncover and explain the phenomena in the studied geographical environment. The existing construction-architectural details of possible today’s ruins are subject to the basic ones, i.e. generally accepted empirical—building data, corresponding to the principles of the context of the internal and external cohort of profile two- to three-dimensional pages (Figures 1 and 2) of newly reconstructed virtual images.

Figure 1.

Castle Slanec (author: Ladislav Župčán/Martina Župčánová).

Figure 2.

Castle Slanec (author: Ladislav Župčán/Martina Župčánová).

Basic factors play an important role in determining the assumptions of the form of work:

• respecting the laws of historical development,

• respecting the position and tasks of the investigated territory in the light of sources,

• respecting the general laws of architectural development,

• respecting the laws of a functional society in the selected territory in the then noble hierarchy [11, 12, 13].

These mentioned factors capture the historical reality and its portraits, not to mention the determination and differentiation of several parts of the structure carrying certain contours, for the objective content impact of the originality of the work [14].

In the entire work, the presence of a “historical plot” is necessary, enabling the presentation of the issue not only in the form of a sequence of connected historical events but also the explanation and emphasis of individual situational events. These are possible general historical connections reflecting more answers to the questions asked, even parallel interpretations and hypothetical constellations of the studied issue in selected regions. The choice of questions is based on the thoughts of the French historian, the founder of the Annales school, Marc Bloch, who claims that the questions must be “…extremely flexible, capable of adding more and more points over time and open to any surprise” [15].

The following tasks are indicated in the work schedule:

• creation of a detailed bibliographic list of the investigated site,

• the most accurate cartographic capture of systems in localities,

• in-depth research of available archival funds in terms of political and economic tendencies,

• analysis of preserved graphic materials (paintings, plans, engravings, graphics),

• analysis and revision of the acquired factography and proofreading of the disposition proportions of the obtained data.

The most significant investigated indicator is the object-residence, i.e. a specific building with its owners, individual development building sections of the structure with the definition of the territory—the land where the foundations are located, i.e. the remains of the architecture. The key is defining the initial relationships of architectural formations with their own regularities, namely: political, economic, cultural and social dispositions. Descriptive representation of the primary function of objects can declare or even isolate the position of structures in the national context, which evokes the effort to understand the actors of the time who were behind many architectural reconstructions of individually selected complexes [16].

In addition to historical themes, the concept of the work also covers other areas, such as:

• military (analysis of the defense mechanism of units),

• economic (analysis of economic parts of the object),

• economic (analysis of the financial situation of the owners),

• artistic—architectural (analysis of architectural and artistic details, analysis of preserved interior collections) [17].

The independent construction of the systems in the given space was influenced by two sets of criteria, namely:

1. The formation of one’s own territory, on which the foundations of the components are laid, is permanently influenced by the natural conditions affecting construction activities. Among the most important factors of natural conditions, we include the type of terrain, soil composition, forest segmentation and especially altitude. Within the natural environment, it is necessary to observe the applied changes of the human activity of transforming nature in the process of carrying out various construction activities. The formation of fortified formations and centers helps to advance and create the architecture of a higher kind. It is in this place that alongside historical research in the future, it is possible to overlap natural science and interdisciplinary subjects that are on the border of social and natural sciences [18]. The sense of interdisciplinarity respects the results of the “diffusion” of views from the circle of civil engineers, art historians, stone masons, economists and economic managers on the subject of architectural units in virtual form.

2. Another criterion is mutual social relations in the form of the cultural structure of the given territory, political-administrative units and economic-communication system, which had a significant impact on the development of the building construction of architectural units. When describing the arguments of social continuity, the knowledge of related scientific fields of history is also a decisive component, such as: ethnography due to the recognition of the ethnic origin of the systems together with cultural ideas (in the given locality in the form of superstitions, myths and legends), not to mention the ethnic origin and status of the owners at the time. Applying art science is important for more precisely assigning the period of the birth of new architectural details. The knowledge of this scientific field can be used especially in the analysis of artistic craft (stonework, carpentry, sculpture, painting) and the architectural character itself. For the investigation of the later period (from the second decade of the 18th century to the first decade of the 20th century), the analysis of drawings and graphics is also essential.

Historical linguistics is also of particular importance for understanding local nomenclature in individual historical eras. In older historical lexicons and chronicles, a lot of data on the investigated material culture of local conditions are recorded in names whose equivalents are difficult to recognize. In order to avoid possible mistakes, not only the oldest existing nomenclature is adopted but also younger equivalents. As Marc Bloch states, “…the studied documents tend to assert their own nomenclature. When a historian obeys this, he writes for everyone under the influence of a different time, otherwise he always thinks in the categories of his own time, even if he writes in different words…” [19].

The priority page of the so-called cultural structure is an examination of the language itself and the waves of migration caused by the economic acceleration of the entire region. The linguistic nature of the territory determined many times the name change of the investigated units, and often even today’s names are diametrically different from the original ones, or those recorded in later secondary sources. For that reason, it is necessary to point out their origin and explain their historical names in individual historical stages within the source database. An important source of information in the analysis of the issue is also toponymy and deceased property. Toponomastics helps to name the locality and the units themselves. On the basis of deceased property (according to data from the oldest municipal cadastres), it is possible to at least partially show the development of territorial property in a given location.

In the case of a political-administrative unit, the possibility of expressing the spatial and temporal boundaries of the given territorial unit in combination of the state in the past with the current dispositional units was important. Sources documenting the activities of administrative authorities, which play an extraordinary role in the historical development of the territorial unit, are important when defining boundary contours and determining basic definitions.

For the region itself, the communication network had a double function, as it not only connects long-distance and national roads between individual territorial parts but also defines the boundaries of the territory—plots of land. Within the economic-communication channel, an important development criterion was mainly the technical-building level, encouraging the spread of characteristics, specific features and elements of individual styles. The degree of construction level also depended on the application of the function of the objects, such as residential parts, representative and defense mechanisms.

The very role of digital humanities can be summed up in the idea that the modern foundations of historical methodology open the entrances to true arguments and hypothetical constellations for clarifying justifiable historical reality on the principle stones of plurality in terms of views and knowledge from past generational results.