Research award for "Visualpedia"
The interfaces "E-EC Index" and "E-EC Shuffle", developed within the framework of the "Visualpedia" project, have been awarded the 2025 Neu-Whitrow Prize. This international distinction recognises outstanding innovation in the creation of research tools for the history of science and technology.
The award-winning project is led by Dr Sarine Waltenspül, SNF Ambizione Fellow at the Chair of Science Studies. She is joined by Dr Mario Schulze and Moritz Greiner-Petter, who were responsible for the development, programming and design of the interfaces. Beyond the historical-critical reappraisal of the Encyclopaedia Cinematographica (EC), the project seeks to present the approximately 3,000 films in this historical collection in a contemporary form and to make them accessible to both researchers and the wider public. The collection comprises films produced by scientists in the fields of biology, ethnology and the technical sciences, some of which originated in colonial contexts. The project bridges the gap between historical reassessment and the activation of a “sometimes sensitive collection” with roots in National Socialism.
Two focal points
The project combines two key objectives: on the one hand, to investigate the history of the collection as a foundation for future research, and on the other, to make the material accessible to both researchers and the wider public. To this end, various interfaces have been developed, among them the award-winning “E-EC Index” and “E-EC Shuffle”, as well as the exhibition “String Figures. An Exploratory Exhibition” at the Museum Tinguely in Basel.
Appreciation of user-friendliness and depth
In its laudatory address, the jury commended the project for its combination of user-friendliness and scholarly depth. The “E-EC Index”, which presents all EC entries in a visual and interactive overview, was described as “elegantly presented and intuitive”. The “E-EC Shuffle”, which enables random access to the collection, was praised for its “simple yet artistic” approach.
Beyond the technical innovations, the jury highlighted the project’s contribution to understanding the historical origins of the films and the ethical questions surrounding their production and, in particular, their dissemination. The interfaces are accessible via the website researchfilm.net, which also features other projects by Greiner-Petter, Schulze and Waltenspül that explore the potential of scientific films both as research objects and as research tools.
About the Neu-Whitrow Prize
The Neu-Whitrow Prize is aimed at researchers in the history of science and technology and promotes the development of innovative research tools such as bibliographies, archival finding aids and digital tools for accessing scientific sources. It is awarded every four years by the Commission on Bibliography, Archives and Records of the International Union of History and Philosophy of Science and Technology/Division of History of Science and Technology. The award-winning interfaces were developed as part of Sarine Waltenspül's Ambizione project, which is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and will run until August 2026.
Access “E-EC Index” and “E-EC Shuffle” alongside a video by the researchers
