28 October

lecture by Hadrien J. Rambach, Brussels

forty-minute lecture followed by q & a plus discussion

Prince Stanisław Poniatowski (1754-1833) and his engraved gems: a Polish Roman collector of neoclassical intaglios

The so-called 'Poniatowski gems' are supposedly well-known, with books and articles published about them for the past two hundred years. Nevertheless, many of them are handled (at auctions notably) without being identified as such. And there had not been a clear presentation of their stories and specificities. I have attempted to fill this lack when I studied two of them that are kept at the American Numismatic Society in New York.

Hadrien J. Rambach is a French citizen who has long resided in London before moving to Brussels. Formerly in charge of Roman coins for the company Spink & Son, he has since established his own company, advising high-level collectors on their purchases, and trading in cameos and intaglios. Using his extensive library, he regularly publishes scholarly articles on Ancient coins, on engraved gems, and on the history of collection, and is currently registered as a PhD-student with the universities of Lille (FR) and Tübingen (DE).

25 November

presentation by Helmut Scharpf, virtual museum, Ottobeuren

guided tour of 20 minutes followed by q & a plus discussion

Local history in the digital age: Ottobeuren's virtual museum
A museum open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year? And from which everyone can download what they like? This is possible in the virtual museum of the market town of Ottobeuren in southern Germany. After four years of preparatory work, the first pages of the purely internet-based museum went online in March 2013. By the beginning of 2017, the number of accessible topics had already exceeded 500, by mid-2025, this figure had risen to almost 900. The history of the town is divided into 160 categories, the keyword search currently includes 4,684 keywords. Chronological sorting is possible, as are thematic searches. An extensive list of links leading to newspaper archives, associations, old encyclopedias, and public archives further enriches what’s on offer. The advantages of the internet can be fully utilised: The museum is open 24/7 and is accessible worldwide.
For example, most volumes of the Ottobeurer Wochenblatt (Ottobeurer Weekly Newspaper), published between 1820 and 1909, have been scanned and uploaded as text-searchable PDF files. Numerous high-resolution images are available for download.
While many museums and online resources often restrict the use of their images and texts, Ottobeuren deliberately takes a different approach: With the exception of just a few items, such as those from the State Archives or where copyright restrictions make this necessary, the materials offered may be reused in the public domain – even commercially.
On the contrary: any reuse is welcomed, as it encourages engaging in local history and generates historical awareness. A small budget is available for transcriptions or professional scans – after all, this is a municipal website. The work on site is done by volunteers, with a few specialists helping transcribe old manuscripts and image processing. People are happy to share their ideas and make documents available. .
The internet also plays its trump cards when it comes to research.
The longest entry contains over 32,000 words and up to 60 images. Of course, the storage requirements and the data volume to be transferred cannot be expanded indefinitely, but with 100 GB a great deal is possible. What should be included in the virtual museum requires careful consideration: What is newsworthy and what is not? It is not just about pretty, colourful pictures; even controversial topics – like of issues related to National Socialism – are not excluded. Unlike print media, the articles can be subsequently updated and expanded. In general, the continuation of cultural heritage requires a focus on history and attention to contemporary changes. Therefore, the project includes not only events from long ago, but also recent topics from 2025.

As a teenager, Helmut Scharpf, collected stamps, and eventually built a local picture postcard collection for Bad Wörishofen (in southwest Bavaria), and exhibited his collection. After accepting a position as a music and English teacher at the Ottobeuren secondary school in 1993, he was certain he would not start collecting again. But unlike Bad Wörishofen, his current hometown of Ottobeuren, with its long monastic history, offers entirely different opportunities. Ultimately, lectures at the local history society sparked his interest to delve deeper into this history, which dates back to 764. Initially, he developed English basilica tours with his students, and later, he acquired his first exhibits at local flea markets. Then, the internet became increasingly popular. It were precisely these technical possibilities, offered today by image processing and the Internet, that prompted him to resume collecting.