Integrated workflow for 3D documentation and spatial analysis of Jewish sepulchral heritage – Project "Stone Witnesses Digital: Space, Form, Inscription."

Lea Puglisi, Michael Groh, Patrizia Hanika, Mona Hess

Abstract. The “Stone Witnesses Digital” project ensures the exemplary documentation of a selected number of German Jewish graveyards. This paper presents the results from the first years of the project’s geomatics work, including the development of an integrated multi-sensor workflow for 3D imaging—ranging from geographic-scale documentation of entire graveyards (1:200 scale) to detailed feature imaging of individual gravestones (1:20 scale). The workflow supports the long-term research project on Jewish sepulchral culture and brings together expertise from Jewish Studies, Digital Technologies in Heritage Conservation, and Historic Building Research. The overarching scope is to document the location and context of gravestones, their materiality, decorative elements, inscriptions, and the meanings embedded within them—summarized under the guiding concept “Space, Form, Inscription.” The aim of the project is to create a comprehensive digital dataset that documents inscriptions as well as the spatial and structural characteristics of gravestones, thereby ensuring their long-term preservation and making them accessible for further academic research. To achieve this, the workflow must integrate various sensing and 3D imaging techniques, ensure reliable and sustainable data storage, and support reproducible dataset creation for spatio-temporal analyses and long-term monitoring of graveyards throughout the 24-year project period. It also enables the combination of advanced sensing technologies with semantic web standards and facilitates the creation of informative Open Access outputs compliant with FAIR data principles.