Vincentiussuch

Vincentiussuch is a European digital humanities project and database dedicated to tracing references to Saint Vincentius across medieval and early modern sources. It aggregates bibliographic records, manuscript references, and digitized copies to support research in hagiography, liturgy, and manuscript studies.

The name Vincentiussuch combines the Latin form Vincentius with the German word sucht, meaning search or quest. The title signals the project’s aim to locate and connect references to Saint Vincentius in diverse archival environments.

History and scope

The project was initiated in 2007 by a collaboration of universities in Germany and Spain, beginning as a pilot at the University of Heidelberg. It expanded through European funding and growing partnerships, now involving institutions across several countries. Vincentiussuch covers materials from roughly the 9th through the 16th centuries and aggregates items from dozens of libraries and archives, using TEI-encoded records to standardize data.

Data and access

Vincentiussuch provides bibliographies, catalog identifiers, digitized manuscript images, and related scholarly apparatus. Metadata are standardized according to TEI and related archival schemas (with complementary use of EAD where appropriate). The project offers an open-access web interface for searching and browsing, an API for researchers, and a framework that welcomes contributions under curator-guided guidelines to ensure data quality.

Impact and usage

The project has facilitated new attributions, cross-referenced manuscript traditions, and easier discovery of Vincentius-related materials. It supports scholarly workflows, aids teaching and training in medieval studies, and promotes international collaboration among researchers, librarians, and archivists.

Governance and challenges

Vincentiussuch operates under a steering committee with funding from European research programs. Ongoing challenges include metadata normalization across repositories, copyright and access issues for digitized items, and long-term sustainability. Future directions include incorporating AI-assisted paleography tools and expanding crowd-sourced input to broaden coverage.