Milena Popova
Programme & Business Development Manager , Europeana Foundation
European Digital Museum for Science and Technology launched
On 18 April, the Foundation for the History of Technology in Eindhoven - ‘the city of bulbs and brains’ - hosted a discussion about ways of diffusing historical knowledge via new media with a focus on two case studies - the Golden Age Game and the virtual exhibit, Inventing Europe.
The first case study presents scientific knowledge in a gaming format. Gamers acting as merchants during the Dutch Golden Age can get acquainted with the ins and outs of the financial markets of the time. The Inventing Europe exhibit showcases an excellent online platform that connects research results with cultural heritage collections, visualising context and allowing visitors to make (sometimes unexpected) correlations. It is a pioneering collaboration between historians and cultural heritage institutions across Europe and explores the modern history of Europe through six curated exhibitions and 36 tours. These virtual journeys are based on the objects and images of partner heritage institutions and are enriched with relevant materials from Europeana collections through the Europeana API.
At the end of the event, in the presence of more than 150 researchers, students, partners and journalists, Drs Mary-Ann Schreurs, Eindhoven alderman of innovation, design, culture and public space, announced the launch of the newer version of Inventing Europe.
Drs Mary-Ann Schreurs, Eindhoven alderman, launches the new Inventing Europe site.
This portal version has built upon its technology and content to become the Inventing Europe: European Digital Museum for Science and Technology. The website now has an improved design and code, and a better functioning content management system. It also uses the new Europeana API (2.0) which ensures access to over 26 million objects from Europe’s cultural and scientific heritage and feeds the visitors’ research with extra objects in a more efficient way.
The website now includes an extended educational environment which is a result of the project’s seven-month collaboration with 11 teachers in eight universities in seven European countries. The site gives teachers access to ready-made tools for lecturing and samples of shorter and longer assignments on modern European history. There are also outlines for two complete courses built around the themes and exhibitions of Inventing Europe.
The new Inventing Europe website is launched.
With this contextually rich, very visual and interactive portal, the newly launched Inventing Europe: European Digital Museum of Technology and Science is certainly on the way to becoming a dynamic and engaging educational online space for researchers, students and cultural professionals. Explore it at www.inventingeurope.eu!