By Abigail Davy, MA Heritage Conservation (Apprenticeship)
During the summer of 2023 I took part in the International Summer Seminar for Young Academics (ISA) in Germany. I was one of three students from around the world to spend three weeks in central Germany learning and collaborating from each other and the tutors. The focus was to treat stone objects from a cemetery in Jena, a project that had been on-going for a number of years. I was joined on the project by a student from Spain and a student from Germany. We all lived together in a flat that was provided on the grounds of the conservation studio and worked on the project Monday to Friday. The weekends were available for us to explore the local area. We also took part in trips organised by our tutor which included seeing previous work sites and a trip to the University of Weimar, who allowed us to experience their new software used to condition check large items and buildings with the help of virtual reality (Figure 1). It was interesting to talk to the staff at the university who have developed this software and experience the future of condition checking and collections management.
My involvement in this project formed part of my summer learning on the MA Heritage Conservation (Apprenticeship) course at the University of Lincoln, which is a collaboration between the University and my employer, Skillington Workshop LTD. I am very grateful to both the University and my employer for encouraging me to take up opportunities such as this.
The Project – background
The ISA project focused on the conservation of gravestones in the historic Johannisfriedhof cemetery in Jena. I was initially shocked, when we were first talking about the gravestones and the cemetery, that some monuments were damaged during the time that the Nazis were in power because they belonged to Jewish families. This was something that I had not considered – maybe an oversight on my part. However, it only affirmed to me why we conserve items such as this and why it is so important that these gravestones are preserved.
The project’s aim was to work in collaboration with the guardians of the cemetery to conserve some of the gravestones that had been vandalised or fallen into disrepair. This coincided with a project to improve the site in general, in terms of access and usability. The site is of great cultural significance to the local area with some important graves there, including the grave of Carl Zeiss who revolutionised optical glass manufacturing for use in microscopes. Ironically this is something that a conservator uses on a regular basis. The gravestones worked on this year belonged to philosophers, doctors and other significant figures who came from the local area.
Conservation of the gravestones
First and foremost, at the very start of the project, we recorded everything. This ranged from photos which we used to document any original material such as old paint as well as the original location (Figure 2). The stones were then measured and a written description was added to the records. As students we were involved in the decision making and treatment proposal for all of the objects.
Some of the stones were conserved on site due to their size but, where possible, the stones were transported by us back to the conservation studio. Under the supervision of the tutor, we conserved them using a variety of methods. The first thing we did to all of the items was to clean them. The techniques ranged in intensity depending on how fragile the objects were and how much intervention they needed – from using cotton swabs with water and a mild detergent (Figure 3) to the use of a steam cleaner and a micro abrasive machine. One statue that was part of the project was consolidated[1] in a bath before any of the cleaning took place. This was due to its extremely fragile nature. The next steps in the conservation process for all of the monuments included consolidation where needed (Figure 4), and also some re-painting of lettering. It was decided that the letters would be repainted due to the difficulty reading the inscription if they were to be left. The last part of the project included the return and fixture of some of the stones.
Why I think collaboration is important
I really believe that collaboration with other conservators is essential. I have learnt so much practical knowledge working with my apprenticeship company Skillington Workshop LTD and all the conservators there. However, it was good to see other practices and other perspectives and ways of doing things. On the whole I have discovered that the underlying theory pins the decisions made daily, however the method of conservation can vary from person to person. I picked up lots of useful ways of doing things that I am sure I will take with me and share with others. It was amazing to connect with other students from around the world and learn how their courses are different from the ones in the United Kingdom.
My takeaway thoughts
Taking part in this project was very much out of my comfort zone. I have never travelled alone and have only been to Germany once in the past. I think only when you are pushed out of your comfort zone you learn what you can actually do and achieve. I was worried about solo travelling and the journey did not go to plan either outbound or inbound, but it was fine I was able to sort myself out without any problems.
In the spare time that we had I got to explore the cities of Weimar, Jena, and Erfurt (Figure 5). These were all beautiful places that I would probably not have visited unless it was for this project. This was made easy by spending this time with other students who shared similar interests, even if sometimes there was a language barrier!
My advice for any students looking to apply for an opportunity such as this is to go for it! I’m so glad I took part in the summer school, and I have left the project with new friends, new knowledge, and a new enthusiasm to network and connect with others from the industry.
[1] Consolidation is defined by Oxford Dictionaries as “The action or process of making something stronger or more solid”.