(Con)sequential Images – An archaeology of iconic film footage from the Nazi era

“(CON)序列图像”是一种文字游戏，一方面指的是由一系列似乎在运动的单独图像(“运动图像”)创建的电影序列。与此同时，它指的是以不同方式移动的图像，即在电影和媒体历史上被引用的图像。这些图像通过与纪念文化中的审美趋势和发展的互动，经历了一个图像化的转变过程。随之而来的是图像的不断重新背景、重新评估和重叠，导致其重要性的巩固、多样化或贬值。本研究项目以纳粹时代的标志性电影序列为研究对象，旨在通过考古学方法重建和分析它们的材料历史以及它们的使用和再利用历史。从研究过程中收集的经验数据中，可以得出关于视听媒体在社会记忆中的作用和地位的有价值的结论。该项目有七个明确的、相互依存的目标。这些目标可以被认为是原创的，因为它们填补了研究空白，改进了目前不发达的方法。项目目标借鉴了基础研究以及创新的方法和途径，并重点关注与学术界和公众之间的互动有关的问题。该项目设想的目标包括：(1)纳粹时代电影图标的关系数据库，(2)这些电影图标的材料历史以及(3)它们的使用和再利用的历史--(4)在法医图像分析的辅助下--(5)在跨国框架内，(6)借助录像散文对标志性电影序列进行更多的批判性处理和质疑，作为进一步发展为科学方法的研究性电影制作的一种形式，(7)考虑将研究成果转移到研究阶段的教育活动中，包括为所研究的电影准备可能的“关键版本”。为了成功地实现这些目标，需要一个由来自不同领域的精心挑选的学者和青年研究人员组成的小组密切合作，预计为期八年。我们的跨学科方法，包括电影研究、电影制作、档案学、当代史、艺术史、记忆研究、历史教学/电影教育和数字人文，将在一系列专门为此目的而设计的研讨会上与有能力的嘉宾讨论。该项目第二阶段的重点是将第一阶段对个别核心材料进行测试的程序应用于整个语料库。在现在广泛的数据基础上，具体说明研究问题，综合发现，并将结果与背景联系起来。

“(Con)sequential images” is a play on words that refers on the one hand to film sequences created from a series of individual images that appear to move (“moving images”). At the same time, it refers to images that move in a different way, namely as citations throughout film and media history. Through their interaction with aesthetic trends and developments in commemorative cultures, these images undergo a process of iconographic transformation. With this process comes the ongoing re-contextualization, re-appraisal and overlapping of the images, resulting in the consolidation, diversification or devaluation of their significance. This research project focuses on iconic film sequences from the Nazi era with the aim of reconstructing and analyzing both their material history as well as the history of their use and re-use through the aid of archeological methods. From the empirical data gathered in the course of the research, valuable conclusions can be drawn about the function and status of audiovisual media within societal memory. The project has seven clearly defined, mutually dependent goals. These goals can be considered original to the extent that they plug a research gap and refine currently underdeveloped methods. The project goals draw on fundamental research as well as innovative methods and approaches, and focus not least on questions concerning the interaction of academia and the general public. The envisaged objectives of the project include: (1) a relational database of the filmic icons of the Nazi era, (2) the material history of these filmic icons as well as (3) the history of their use and re-use – (4) aided by forensic image analysis – (5) within a transnational framework, (6) additional critical treatment and questioning of the iconic film sequences with the aid of video essays as a form of research-based filmmaking further developed into a scientific methodology, (7) consideration for the transfer of the research findings into educational activities already during the research stage, including the preparation of possible “critical editions” of the films studied. In order to achieve these goals successfully, it is necessary for a small team of handpicked scholars and young researchers from different fields to work together closely for a projected period of eight years. Our interdisciplinary approach including Film Studies, Filmmaking, Archival Science, Contemporary History, Art History, Memory Studies, History Didactics/Film Education and Digital Humanities will be discussed with competent guests in a series of workshops especially designed for this purpose. The second phase of the project focuses on applying the procedures tested in the first phase on individual core materials to the complete corpus. On a now broad data basis, research questions are specified, findings are synthesized, and results are contextualized.