Organa Sueciae: Studies of the Organ Landscape of Sweden

The historical organs of Sweden form a cultural landscape of great national and international significance and also constitute an important mapof Sweden’s intangible cultural heritage. The objectives of Organa Sueciae (OS) are -to digitalize research material in the archives of the Swedish National Heritage Board; -to migrate the GOArt database software to open source code. Organa Sueciae is inspired by theworkof Abraham Abr. Hülphers, who created the first encyclopaedic survey of the organ inSweden (Hülphers 1773). Travelling extensively to mapthe organculture of Sweden in themiddle ofthe 18th century, he became the Carl von Linné of the organ, and recorded a particularperiod of Swedish organ history in which many things had been lost after the Great Northern War. Insomecases his survey provides the only documentation of parts of this intangible culture that had already been permanently lost.

Organa Sueciae, a three-year project, will result in a digital Hülphers for our time, which will preserve not only new knowledge of Sweden’s organ landscape but contribute strategies to ensureits long-term preservation and development.We will collaborate with the Swedish National Heritage Board, the Church of Sweden, and partners within Göteborg University,among others to create this resource.