Hub of Computing & Data Science
Hub of Computing
& Data Science
& Data Science
Long-Term Research Project “Middle Low German Grammar” Secures €11.88 Million in Funding
4 December 2025, by Janis-Marie Paul
Photo: Janis-Marie Paul
The Hub of Computing and Data Science (HCDS) at the University of Hamburg is proud to be part of the newly approved long-term research project “Middle Low German Grammar”, funded under the Academies Programme with €11.88 million over a period of 18 years (2026–2043).
A Digital Monument to Northern Europe’s Linguistic Heritage
The project explores the Middle Low German language, which was widely spoken from the 13th to the 17th century and served as the Hanseatic League’s key language of trade and communication. Its goal is to develop a multidimensional, web-based grammar of Middle Low German, combining linguistic, historical, and digital perspectives.
The grammar will serve both researchers and students as an interactive tool — providing access to historical texts, documenting linguistic structures, and visualizing variation across space, time, and text types.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration Between Linguistics and Computing
The project is led by Prof. Dr. Ingrid Schröder (German Linguistics, University of Hamburg), Prof. Dr. Chris Biemann (Language Technology, Hub of Computing and Data Science, University of Hamburg), and Prof. Dr. Sarah Ihden (Historical Linguistics, University of Rostock).
Through close collaboration between historical linguistics, computational linguistics, and digital humanities, the project will employ cutting-edge digital methods. HCDS contributes its expertise in digital infrastructure, AI-driven corpus analysis, and web-based research platforms.
Innovative Digital Access
An interactive web interface will make grammatical analyses and datasets openly accessible. Integration with the Text+ NFDI consortium will ensure long-term availability and interoperability of the project’s resources.
Part of the German Academies Programme
The project is part of the Academies Programme, Germany’s largest humanities-focused long-term research initiative dedicated to preserving and exploring the world’s cultural heritage.
With this project, HCDS continues its mission of advancing digital innovation in the humanities and supporting the study and preservation of linguistic and cultural history.
Project Partner:
Prof. Dr. Ingrid Schröder (German Linguistics, University of Hamburg)
Prof. Dr. Chris Biemann (HCDS & Language Technology)
Prof. Dr. Sarah Ihden (Historical Linguistics, University of Rostock)
