Fraunhofer-GesellschaftFraunhofer scientists use innovative methods to help preserve cultural heritage and monuments. They demonstrate energy-efficient ways to refurbish listed buildings and develop technologies for digitizing art objects or for rescuing them from deterioration.
Security and Protection – Restoration and Protection of Cultural Property
Projects
HERACLES: Effective resilience of cultural heritage against climate change
Harmful environmental influences do not stop at the cultural heritage - and climate change exacerbates the threat. With a multidisciplinary approach, researchers at Fraunhofer IOSB and their project partners provide effective protection: The aim is to set up a process chain that extends from remote monitoring and simulation to targeted restoration work and to provide a decision support system that can take into account the individual conditions of each site.
A facelift for old buildings – Energy-efficient renovations and conservation of historic monuments
At the Fraunhofer Center for Conservation and Energy Performance of Historic Buildings Benediktbeuern Building physicists and monument conservators are developing solutions for improved preservation and energy-oriented refurbishment of historic buildings.
Pilot project: Saving our cultural heritage with Fraunhofer innovations
Saving our cultural heritage with Fraunhofer innovations – a pilot project with the Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Dresden State Art Collections) and the Sächsischen Landesbibliothek, Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Dresden (Saxon State and University Library Dresden) and further Saxon institutions.
Cultural Heritage Digitization – CultLab3D
Digitization street CultLab3D of Fraunhofer IGD
In the museum sector, demand for a fast and economic 3D digitization technology for cultural heritage artifacts becomes increasingly important. Yet in contrast with the digital acquisition of cultural goods in 2D efficiently put into practice and widely-used today, 3D digitization is still connected with an enormous expenditure of time and money. Against this background, the modular scanning pipeline CultLab3D, which digitizes three-dimensional artifacts in 3D with millimeter accuracy in an automated process, is developed by the Competence Center Cultural Heritage Digitization at the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD.
The »Pompeii Sustainable Preservation Project«
For over 250 years, Pompeii has been a magnet for people from all over the world who are fascinated by our classical heritage. Every year some three million tourists flock to the ancient world’s largest continuous urban ruins. Restoration has been taking place ever since excavations began on the ancient city. Now leading European research institutions have undertaken a fundraising initiative called the Pompeii Sustainable Preservation Project, whose goal is to secure the site’s long-term future and apply the knowledge gained along the way to the preservation of other ancient sites worldwide.
Brilliance Restored through Plasma Technology
Plasma technology can be used to prevent corrosion, particularly of paper documents and historic silver and iron objects. With a special process, transparent layers of water-resistant plastics, called parylenes, can be applied as a coat and then removed again to offer sustainable protection from damage. When applied under low pressure, the plasma treatment can also be used as a gentle cleaning solution.
Graffitage – Anti-Graffiti Coating for the Preservation of Historic Buildings and Monuments in Europe
Until now, the only way to remove graffiti from the walls of buildings has been to etch it away – a destructive option for historic monuments. A polymer coating, developed by Fraunhofer IAP, protects stone surfaces from spray paints by acting as a protective layer that seals the pores of the substrate and so prevents the paints from penetrating the material. A cleaning solution can also be used to remove the coating without causing any damage.