Program Culture 2000 of the European Commission
Project Multimedia History of Hungary and Finland on CD-ROM
Meeting on the 06./07.04.2001 in the Institut für Finnougristik/Uralistik der Universität Hamburg
Participants:
Universität Hamburg: Dr. Holger Fischer
Universität Rostock: Prof. Dr. Gyula Pápay
Jyväskylän Yliopisto: Prof. Dr. Anssi Halmesvirta, Ilkka Kuukka, Prof. Dr. Heikki Rantatupa
Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem Budapest: Dr. László Zentai
Collegium Hungaricum - Haus Ungarn Berlin: Prof. Dr. András Masát
The following persons were not able to attend this meeting:
Centre Interuniversitaire dEtudes Hongroises de lUniversité de la Sorbonne Nouvelle: Prof. Dr. Xavier Richet, Dr. Paul Gradvohl
1. Opening
Mr. Fischer welcomes the members of the project Multimedia History of Hungary and Finland present and thanks them for the readiness to accept such a short-term invitation. He excused the two French colleagues who were not able to participate. Afterwards the present ones introduced themselves briefly.
2. Basic organizational-financial conditions
(a) First Mr. Fischer describes the proceeding of the request procedure in May last year as well as the long lasting process of handling it in the European Commission.
This process has ended only now with the appropriation of means, practically half a year after the official start of the project in october 2000. This delay of half a year, however, does not automatically lead to a modification of the planned duration (01.10.2000-30.09.2001); a telephone call with the responsible consultant in Bruxelles could only achieve a prolongation of the project for another three months, until the 31.12.2001. This means that there are nine months left to carry out the project, in particular the EU-means have to be spent up to then.
(b) Next Mr. Fischer described the basic financial conditions. The total costs of the project amount to 318.197 , for this the EU gives a subsidy of max. 150.000 or 55,93 %. There is a direct correlation between the total costs and the subsidy in the way that while with an increase of the total costs the subsidy remains the same - a reduction ot the total costs will lead to a reduction of the subsidy. This correlation must be considered under all circumstances.
( c ) the costs and the subsidy can be distributed among the different categories as follows:
category costs in subsidies in
1.staff
staff for scientific, technical and 159.067 74.667
multimedia assistance 42.240 15.963
student assistants 7.040 3.520
office, clerical work
total staff: 208.347
2. overheads
office supplies, copies 2.000 ----
telephone, postage 2.000 ----
total overheads: 4.000 ----
3. travelling
travelling expenses 8.800 8.800
expenses during stays 7.300 7.300
total travelling: 16.100 16.100
4. production costs
production of the CD-ROM with handbook 3.750 3.750
translation costs 17.500 17.500
dispatch of the CD-ROM 500 500
total production: 21.750 21.750
5. various costs
copyrights 8.000 8.000
production of maps 10.000 10.000
total various: 18.000 18.000
6. various contributions
supply of hard- and software 30.000 ---
supply of multimedia elements 6.000 ---
supply of maps 14.000 ---
total various contributions: 50.000 ---
total of all costs: 318.197 150.000
(d) The different categories of expenses will be described as far as possible. There is agreement that in the category staff not some few persons should be employed during the entire period - like one employee with all additional social security contributions - but instead one should delegate a multiplicity of smaller and clearly defined jobs in the form of work contracts to a larger number of persons. The work contracts will be signed with the Universität Hamburg. An appropriate form in German and English will be prepared and sent to everyone by Mr. Fischer. All project members involved are asked to indicate as fast as possible which demand they will probably have for such work contracts.
Mr. Fischer will still strive to clarify the following questions with the administration of the Universität Hamburg:
- To which extent may means be shifted from one category to another?
- May devices ( PC, peripherals for example) be purchased from the means?
- How high are the overheads which the Universität Hamburg keeps of the total amount ?
3. Basic concepts of the multimedia organization
In the discussion several things are discussed in detail and are accepted by all unanimously.
- Between basic technical concept and organization regarding the content exists a close mutual connection;
- the basic technical concept has to be defined as fast as possible;
- the close time schedule doesn´t permit any technical experiments;
- no programs may be used which go out of date fast, but only programs which will be proceeded;
- all programs have specific advantages and disadvantages;
- in principle exist at least three versions for the basic multimedia concept: representation with acrobat (texts in pdf-format); representation in html-format; representation with PowerPoint , mixture of acrobat (for texts) and PowerPoint (pictures and so on).
After looking at some examples (series Enciklopédia Humana of the Hungarian history, Magyar kodex vol. 1, Hungarian revolution 1956, Suomen karttakuva) and some more discussion, the following decisions are taken:
- The representation has to be pageorientated;
- Mr. Pápay, Mr. Zentai and Mr. Kuukka will prepare a conception together as soon as possible and they will present it at the next conference
4. Aspects regarding the content
As an example for the arrangement design, Mr. Fischer presents a possible structure for the treatment of the Hungarian history, which is then discussed. In the course of the discussion an alternative arrangement design is presented by Mr. Halmesvirta, who tries to save the idea of a common representation of the history of Finland and Hungary. At first, this outline is met with opposition, because even concerning the headings of chapters it goes for emphasizing the common developments while consciously neglecting specific developments. Several participants fear that such a presentation couldnt fully represent the complex character especially of the Hungarian history and of the usual periodisation. After an intense discussion of the controverse items a concept which can be accepted by all the participants is developed.
Final structure representing the periodisation and the predominant subjects:
1. Hungarian and finnish prehistory and early history
Period for Hungary: until 955, for Finland: until 1144
4. Hungary and Finland in the modern times as part of Great Powers
Period for Hungary: 1526-1686, for Finland: ?
Basic concept, obligatory for all chapters, exemplified by Chapter 2: Christianization and the middle ages:
2. Christianization and the middle ages
2.1
Comparative introduction with the three elements
- Chronology Hungary/Finland
- Basic map Hungary/Finland
- Comparative presentation of the essential common and diverging developments
2.2
Presentation of the Hungarian history
- Depiction of the predominant subject
- Treatment of other essential developments in form of a survey
2.3
Presentation of the Finnish history
- Depiction of the predominant subject
- Treatment of other essential developments in form of a survey
From a thematic point of view the presentation should concentrate on the main domains, the predominant subjects. This means that one should not try to treat all the possible domains of historical analysis (politics, economy, society, culture etc.) to the same extent.
From a technical point of view the data has to be equally distributed on both CD-ROMs. One CD-ROM should contain chapter 1-6, the second one chapter 7-9.
In addition to the textual presentation, the authors should also supply multimedia material (images, maps, film clips, caricatures etc.) from various sources. The possibility to present complicated states of affairs in the form of graphics is also pointed out.
5. Recruitment of assistants
As mentioned above the participants unanimously think that it makes no sense to employ some few persons for the entire period - like one employee with all additional social insurance contributions but instead it would be wiser to delegate a multitude of smaller and clearly defined tasks in form of Werkverträge (contracts not for a certain number of hours but for completing a certain task) for a greater number of persons. These Werkverträge will be signed with the Universität Hamburg. Mr. Fischer will prepare a form in English and German and send it to everyone.
All co-workers of the project are asked to contact Mr. Fischer as soon as possible (up to the end of april) and tell him, how many of such contracts they will probably need.
6. Other organisational steps
(a) Until the middle of may Mr. Pápay, Mr. Kuukka and Mr. Zentai will develop a proposition for the basic multimedia concept.
(b) Based on this concept, one chapter will be completed as a sample. The chapter 8 (History 1945 to 1956) is chosen for this sample. The text and propositions for multimedia elements will be completed by Mr. Fischer and Mr. Halmesvirta until the middle of may and passed on to Mr. Pápay. He will complete the sample until the middle of june.
(c) The next meeting of all co-workers will take place in Jyväskylä on 15./16./17.06.2001. There, the sample will be discussed and a final decision on the concept will be taken.
Signed Holger Fischer