The Friedenstein Castle Gotha Foundation would like to digitize, index and archive the graphic collections of the Castle Museum. For the period up to 31.12.2023, the creation and elaboration of high-resolution approximately 22,500 images as 2D digital copies is intended. Due to the pending funding commitment for the period from 2024, the digitization of approximately 31,365 additional recordings is optional.

As a cultural institution of national importance, the Friedenstein Castle Gotha Foundation (SSFG), together with other institutions in Gotha and the surrounding area, is a unique architectural, garden and collection ensemble of European residence culture. It consists of a total of four museums: the Castle Museum, the Historical Museum, the Museum of Nature and the Ducal Museum. The foundation owns more than 1 million objects, spread over 80 historically grown collection areas. As part of a "Gotha transdigital" project funded by the European Union, the Federal Republic of Germany and the State of Thuringia, the SSFG intends to make the collection available digitally and also to transform all work and mediation processes under the premise of digitality. In a first step, a service provider was commissioned with the digitization of the numismatic collection. With this tender, a service provider is now being sought who will take over the creation and elaboration of high-resolution photographs (2D digital copies) of the graphic collections of the Castle Museum.

As part of this procurement process, the following services are now awarded:

The service provider has to digitally reproduce (digitize) the graphic collections of the Schlossmuseum consisting of prints, drawings and bound works of the Kupferstichkabinett (approx. 35,000 works) and the Sammlung Moderne (approx. 8,000 works) as faithfully as possible. In the future, high-quality digital copies of research and science will serve as reference and evidence material regardless of location and time. The images to be produced are to be enriched with scientific information and made accessible via the Foundation's online collection. The export to other cultural and specialist portals (e.g. Kulthura, Graphikportal, Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek, Europeana) is also being considered.

For security reasons, the digitization of the graphic collections must take place in the premises of the castle in 99867 Gotha. The implementation of digitization is to begin immediately after the contract has been awarded (planned for mid/end of December 2022). The first 4 weeks are planned as a test phase (vsl. January 2023). It is used for the furnishing of the premises as well as the first test recordings with different graphics, drawings and bound works. The aim is to fine-tune the digitization concept and workflows as well as to develop a style guide that documents the minimum standards of digitization reproducibly. The actual digitization will then take place from about February 2023.

Further digitization services within the framework of the digitization project "Gotha transdigital 2027" are to be awarded in a repayable time in separate procurement procedures, for which - as far as required by procurement law - separate publications will be made.

For further details - also with regard to the digitization workflow and the requirements for digital copies and color management - reference is made to the procurement documents - in particular the procurement document "Service Description" together with attachments.