We get involved where we see a gap. Quality and service are the focus of our daily work. We receive a lot of support from the restoration courses at the HAWK.

The Hornemann Institute, named after the Africa traveller Friedrich Konrad Hornemann (1772-1801) and originating from Hildesheim, is a central institution of the HAWK in Hildesheim. The institute works as a scientific service centre in the field of preservation of cultural assets, in particular through the worldwide transfer of knowledge for restorers and monument conservators via internet. We are also active in the region around Hildesheim (Lower Saxony).

A chronicle of the development of the institute from 1991 and its most important projects for the preservation of internationally endangered cultural heritage until 2023 can be found on our here.
In addition, a podcast on the start-up phase was recorded with the scientific advisory boards and the institute's director. You can find out more about the ceremony on 9 November 2023 in the HAWK press release.

Services

The Team from the fields of restoration, monument preservation and information technology offers you the following:

  • We enable further education and training worldwide by providing up-to-date basic knowledge in internet-based learning courses.
  • We promote the exchange of experience by offering fast and free publication and research by means of electronic publications of university papers, conference reports, essays, videos, posters as well as project documentations (e.g. of the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt DBU). We also publish books.
  • We regularly organise scientific events in Hildesheim, international conferences and the Hornemann Kolleg.
  • We help by publishing annotated tool lists, e.g. for the procurement of literature or online resources of related subjects.
  • In the region we work to raise public awareness, e.g. through public lectures, activities on World Heritage Day, teaching materials on heritage education or the lending of cultural kits.
  • Last not least, we develop interdisciplinary research projects with other scientists, which we finance through third-party funding.

Open for participation

As a small, interdisciplinary institute team, we are open to suggestions and participation from outside, from students to experts with practical experience, in the region and worldwide. We design the Hornemann Kolleg together with students, usually work with colleagues inside and outside the HAWK at conferences and look for our speakers through international calls for papers.

Aims