No place in history

Onno Boonstra

Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen

A kind of cadastral register, 1619

owner owner of adjacent parcels

Klaassen Pietersen, van DamPietersen Jansen, De VriesJansen JansenJansen Pietersen, de VrieschDe Vries JansenPietersen Jansen

A kind of cadastral register, 1619

owner owner of adjacent parcels

Klaassen Pietersen, van DamPietersen Jansen, De VriesJansen JansenJansen Pietersen, de VrieschDe Vries JansenPietersen Jansen

A kind of cadastral register, 1619

owner owner of adjacent parcels

Klaassen Pietersen, van DamPietersen Jansen, De VriesJansen JansenJansen Pietersen, de VrieschDe Vries JansenPietersen Jansen

A kind of cadastral register, 1619

owner owner of adjacent parcels

Klaassen Pietersen, van DamPietersen Jansen, De VriesJansen JansenJansen Pietersen, de VrieschDe Vries JansenPietersen Jansen

A kind of cadastral register, 1619

owner owner of adjacent parcels

Klaassen Pietersen, van DamPietersen Jansen, De VriesJansen JansenJansen Pietersen, de VrieschDe Vries JansenPietersen Jansen

Klaassen Pietersen, van Dam 1 : (2 or 6), ?Pietersen Jansen, De Fries 2 : (3 or 4), 5Jansen Jansen 3 : 4Jansen Pietersen, de Vriesch 4 : (2 or 6), 5De Vries Jansen 5 : (3 or 4)Pietersen Jansen 6 : (3 or 4)

1 -2 .667 -3 .847 .798 -4 .494 .467 .899 -5 .167 .798 .677 .867 -6 .667 .494 .677 .733 .494 -

1 2 3 4 5 6

J.L.H. Hartmann, De reconstructie van een middeleeuws landschap : nederzettingsgeschiedenis en instellingen van de heerlijkheden Eijsden en Breust bij Maastricht (10e-19e eeuw).Assen 1986: Van Gorcum

What lessons can be learned (1983)?

1. GIS is a great tool for historical research

2. Historical GIS matters3. If we talk about Historical GIS, we

should not only talk about including a temporal dimension within a GIS, but also about taking into account the singularities of

historical data

What lessons can be learned (1983-2008)?

1. GIS based historical research is restricted mainly to historical disciplines that are taught outside traditional history

departments 2. Historians do not perceive its

usefulness3. No modern research tools are taught4. GIS has its shortcomings for historical

research5. There are no historical GIS data

available

What lessons can be learned (2008)?

1. GIS is a great tool for historical research

2. Historical GIS matters3. If we talk about Historical GIS, we

should not only talk about including a temporal dimension within a GIS, but also about taking into account the singularities of

historical data4. But there are no historians who seem to

take an interest5. At least, history departments do not

take an interest6. Ergo: there is no place in history7. Unless ….

What lessons can be learned (2008)?

7. Unless five barriers are broken down:

8. Ergo ….

1. GIS should be able to take into account the singularities of historical data;

2. GIS should be able to take into account spatiotemporal issues;

3. Data archives should start to georeference old maps;

4. Data archives should start to add location-stamped metadata to their datasets;

5. Historical departments should finally start teaching modern research methods;

What lessons can be learned?

8. Ergo … there is no place in history