Definition of the Correspondence and Epistolary Research (CER) Ontology, Version 2.0

Definition of the Correspondence and Epistolary Research (CER) Ontology Creators: ● Aline Deicke, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7347-7625, Academy of Sciences and Literature | Mainz / Philipps-University Marburg ● Clara Seibold, Academy of Sciences and Literature | Mainz ● Elena Suárez Cronauer, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2008-4139, Academy of Sciences and Literature | Mainz Version: 2.0, October 2025 License: CC BY 4.0 OWL: https://lod.academy/cer/vocab/ontology/ https://gitlab.rlp.net/adwmainz/digicademy/lod-academy/projects/cer/vocab/ontology (Download) Table of Contents 1 Introduction 1.1 Scope 1.2 Status 1.3 Naming Conventions 2 Class and Property Hierarchies 2.1 Class Hierarchy 2.2 Property Hierarchy 3 CER Ontology Class Declarations Module “Global” Module “Letter” Module “Correspondence Action” Module “Independent Continuant” Module “Specifically Dependent Continuant” Module “Statement” Module “Biographical Information” Module “Co-Presence” Module “Editing” 4 CER Ontology Property Declarations References 1 1 Introduction The following document describes the Correspondence and Epistolary Research (CER) Ontology. This ontology provides a comprehensive semantic model for the domain of historical letters within the context of academic research. It captures the semantic aspects of correspondence, including metadata related to correspondence actions, index data referring to entities mentioned within the letter text, and the semantic content of the letters themselves. Additionally, the ontology encompasses the annotation and study of letters as research objects, particularly within the framework of an editing process. In developing the ontology, we adopt the concept of a 'semantic scholarly digital edition' as outlined by Spadini and Tomasi (Spadini & Tomasi, 2021). This approach addresses the need for formal models that accommodate multiple perspectives on textual objects and underscore the data-centric approach of scholarly editing. The CER Ontology is being developed as part of the 'Correspondences of Early Romanticism' project. It uses the CIDOC CRM in its Version 7.1.2 (Bekiari et al., 2022) as a foundational ontology and references the Basic Formal Ontology (BFO) (Arp et al., 2015) as well as the correspDesc-element of the TEI Guidelines (Stadler et al., 2016). Accordingly, this document’s form and structure are loosely based on the format introduced by the definitions of the CRM and its compatible model. 1.1 Scope This text defines the model of correspondence-based communication processes within the epistolary knowledge transfer of the ‘Romantics’ among themselves and with other correspondents in the period of Early Romanticism (1790–1802). It is developed as a domain ontology in the context of the project “Correspondences of the Early Romanticism” (CER) and uses the CIDOC CRM (ISO21127) as a foundational reference ontology. The CER-ontology has been developed within an iterative process in a middle-out approach (Noy & Mcguinness, 2001): First, the most specific classes of the knowledge domain were identified based on already existing data from the “Digital Edition of the Correspondence of August Wilhelm Schlegel (KAWS)” as well as on communication with the domain experts. Then, classes of the CIDOC CRM were used to define the overlying, more general concepts and thereby establish an overarching and broader conceptual framework. In doing so, the domain-specific concepts not only are compatible with other models using the CIDOC CRM, but also ensure interoperability with ontologies within the (Digital) Humanities domain, and allow the CER ontology in its OWL-serialisation to draw on the semantics and inheritance hierarchies of the CRM. Also, the CIDOC CRM superclasses function as a communication medium, enabling a clear understanding of the concepts of the CER-ontology for researchers familiar with the CIDOC CRM. Furthermore, the CER-ontology follows the design principles of modular ontology modelling (Shimizu et al., 2023), meaning that the ontology’s classes are grouped in small self-contained modules. These modules are interlinked between each other but may be reused separately, depending on the research question. At this moment, the following modules have been identified to be of interest and to fall within the ontology’s scope: 1) Global 2) Letter 2 3) Correspondence Action 4) Independent Continuant 5) Specifically Dependent Continuant 6) Statement 7) Biographical Information 8) Co-Presence 9) Editing The ontology’s scope is based on competency questions relevant to the aims of the project such as: ● Which persons correspond with each other and over what timeframe? ● Which letters mention specific works, institutions, periodicals, individuals, or locations, and in what context? ● Are there consistent patterns in how certain works, institutions, periodicals, individuals, or locations are mentioned within the statements? ● Is there a variation in how index data, such as works, institutions, periodicals, or individuals, is referenced based on the correspondents involved (for example if a work is reviewed positively or negatively)? ● Do some persons consistently appear in the letters of others, even if they never had direct contact through correspondence? ● Is there a tendency for certain index information, such as works, institutions, periodicals, individuals, or locations, to be frequently mentioned together? ● Do researchers edit the content of the letters in distinct ways? ● Do persons who exchange letters from the same location tend to discuss similar works, institutions, periodicals, or individuals in their correspondence? The CER ontology’s primary purpose is to answer these or similar questions. In doing so, it aims to represent the knowledge domain of the romantic circle and its contemporary everyday life around 1800 as presented in the correspondences, as well as the editing process of these letters. This representation facilitates research into the epistolary communication processes, the history of ideas and social history as well as the epistolary knowledge transfer of the ‘Romantics’ among themselves and with other correspondents. Therefore, the ontology's scope is to systematically explore the group’s formation and dynamics, as well as the associated transfer of knowledge, and to focus on a form of communication that largely determined contemporary everyday life. Additionally, it will also open up a new paradigm for the study of letters and expand scholarly reflection on the theory and social practice of ‘Geselligkeit’ in early Romanticism and on the role and function of the letter in this context. The primary user group of the CER-ontology are the researchers working in the project “Correspondences of the Early Romanticism”. Its principal function as a domain ontology is therefore to answer the project’s research questions concerning communications processes and the ensuing knowledge transfer. However, because of the model’s module structure, together with its references to the CIDOC CRM, it attains generic characteristics, and may be used as a model for other research projects as well. This covers similar data, like communication sources, such as historical letter data, but is not limited to this case. It also includes research questions that emphasise the dynamic relation among participants in knowledge transfer within these communication contexts, unravelling the underlying social structures and gatherings. 3 1.2 Status The model presented in this document has so far been validated in the project “Correspondences of the Early Romanticism”, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). This document describes a consolidated version developed from the experiences of the researchers in the project, with the aim to present it for review and further adoption to the widest possible community. The model is not “finished”. It rather represents a version-controlled status quo of the recent progress (October 2025) and will be developed further. 1.3 Naming Conventions All the classes declared were given both a name and an identifier constructed according to the conventions used in the CIDOC CRM model. For classes that identifier consists of the abbreviation CER (for Correspondences of the Early Romanticism) followed by a number. Resulting properties were also given a name and an identifier, constructed according to the same conventions. That identifier consists of the abbreviation CERP (Correspondences of the Early Romanticism Properties) followed by a number. They correspond to letters “E” and “P”, respectively, in the CIDOC CRM naming conventions. In the OWL implementation, the “CER”-prefix corresponds to the RDF-prefix “cer:”, meaning that a class such as “CER1 Letter” is expressed as “cer:1_Letter”, and a property such as “CERP1 is identified by” as “cer:P1_is_identified_by”. Whenever CIDOC CRM classes are used in the model, the name given in the CIDOC CRM itself is used. 4 2 Class and Property Hierarchies Class and Property Hierarchies follow the format as established in the definition of the CIDOC CRM (Bekiari et al., 2022). They contain the classes and properties of the CER ontology as well as relevant (super-)classes of the CIDOC CRM. 2.1 Class Hierarchy Classes and Properties are sorted hierarchically and alphabetically. Classes of the CER Ontology are underlined, classes with the prefix “E” are references to the CIDOC CRM. E1 CRM Entity E54 – Dimension CER26 – – Start-Date CER27 – – End-Date E77 – Persistent Item E39 – – Actor E74 – – – Group CER7 – – – – Institution E21 – – – Person CER17 – – – – Person E70 – – Thing E71 – – – Human-Made-Thing E28 – – – – Conceptual Object CER5 – – – – – Periodical E90 – – – – – Symbolic Object E41 – – – – – – Appellation E42 – – – – – – – Identifier CER21 – – – – – – – – Identifier E73 – – – – – – Information Object E31 – – – – – – – Document E32 – – – – – – – – Authority Document CER16 – – – – – – – – – Authority Document CER2 – – – – – – – – Reference Dataset E33 – – – – – – – Linguistic Object CER4 – – – – – – – – Index Information CER3 – – – – – – – – Lettertext E55 – – – – – Type CER23 – – – – – – Assigned Gender CER25 – – – – – – Confidence Value CER9 – – – – – – Illocution E56 – – – – – – Language CER20 – – – – – – – Language CER10 – – – – – – Proposition CER11 – – – – – – Theme CER6 – – – – – Work E24 – – – – Physical Human-Made Thing E22 – – – – – Human-Made Object 5 CER1 – – – – – – Letter E53 – Place CER19 – – Place E2 – Temporal Entity E4 – – Period E5 – – – Event E7 – – – – Activity E13 – – – – – Attribute Assignment CER22 – – – – – – Gender Assignment CER8 – – – – – – Statement CER12 – – – – – Correspondence Action CER14 – – – – – – Receiving CER13 – – – – – – Sending E65 – – – – – Creation CER15 – – – – – – Editing CER24 – – – – Co-Presence 2.2 Property Hierarchy Property Property Name Entity – Domain Entity – Range CERP1 is identified by E1 Entity CER21 Identifier CERP2 has language (is language of) CER3 Lettertext CER20 Language CERP3 carries (is carried by) CER1 Letter CER3 Lettertext CERP4 has generic theme (is generic theme of) CER3 Lettertext CER11 Theme CERP5 has component (is component of) CER3 Lettertext CER4 Index Information CERP6 has time-span (is time-span of) CER12 Correspondence Action CER15 Editing CER24 Co-Presence CER18 Time-Span CERP7 took place at (witnessed) CER12 Correspondence Action CER24 Co-Presence CER19 Place CERP8 carried out by (performed) CER12 Correspondence Action CER15 Editing CER22 Gender Assignment CER7 Institution CER17 Person 6 CERP9 was intended use of (was made for) CER12 Correspondence Action CER1 Letter CERP10 lists (is listed in) CER16 Authority Record CER4 Index Information CERP11 implied in (implies) CER8 Statement CER3 Lettertext CERP12 is about (is subject of) CER4 Index Information CER5 Periodical CER6 Work CER7 Institution CER17 Person CER19 Place CERP13 has subject (is subject of) CER8 Statement CER4 Index Information CERP14 has object (is object of) CER8 Statement CER4 Index Information CERP15 has illocution (is illocution of) CER8 Statement CER9 Illocution CERP16 has proposition (is proposition of) CER8 Statement CER10 Proposition CERP17 documents (is documented in) CER2 Reference Data Set CER3 Lettertext CER1 Letter CERP20 – infers (is inferred from) CER2 Reference Data Set CER24 Co-Presence CERP18 has created (was created by) CER15 Editing CER2 Reference Data Set CERP19 had duration (was duration of) CER18 Time-Span CER26 Start Date CER27 End Date CERP21 assigned gender attribute to (gender was attributed by) CER22 Gender Assignment CER17 Person CERP22 assigned gender property of type (is type of gender property assigned) CER22 Gender Assignment CER23 Assigned Gender CERP23 had participant CER24 Co-Presence CER17 Person 7 3 CER Ontology Class Declarations Classes are organised in modules of related content. These modules are situated either in the “real world”, which indicates entities that have existed as physical objects or conceptual objects, or in the “letter world”, which encompasses all contents of a letter and its semantic meaning. The “Letter”-module’s classes describe assertions which are either made by the writers or which are interpretations made by the editors of the letters. Therefore, the module “Editing” is a part of the “letter world” as well. Classes that are relevant for more than one module (e.g. CER19 Place, or CER1 Letter) are described in detail when they are first mentioned. Otherwise, the class is only listed in the module description. All examples detailing the classes and properties are taken directly from the project data and are therefore in German. The declarations follow the format as established in the definition of the CIDOC CRM. Module “Global” This module describes classes that can have a connection to instances of several or all other classes. The module “Global” includes the following classes: ● CER18 Time-Span ● CER19 Place ● CER21 Identifier ● CER26 Start Date ● CER27 End Date CER18 Time-Span Subclass of: E52 Time-Span Scope Note: This class refers to the time-span in which an event or an activity took place. In the CER data, this corresponds mainly to correspondence actions (CER12 Correspondence Action), and editing processes (CER15 Editing), but also to other events such as CER24 Co-Presence. Instances of this class can also contain uncertain or editorially inferred dates. Computable values of certain dates are given via the classes CER26 Start Date and CER27 End Date. Examples: ● 07.03.1798 ● 2019-11-11 ● [Anfang Dezember 1797] (beginning of december 1797) In First Order Logic: CER18(x) ⇒ E52(x) 8 Properties: CERP19 had duration (was duration of): CER26 Start Date CER27 End Date CER19 Place Subclass of: E53 Place Scope Note: This class is used to refer to places which are involved in an event or activity such as a Correspondence Action (CER12 Correspondence Action), and to places which are mentioned in a letter text (CER4 Index Information). They may be identified via authority records such as geo names (CER16 Authority Record) but this is not mandatory. Places are not used to give more information about the provenance of a letter, as this is not within the ontology’s scope. Examples: ● Weimar ● Schloss Laufen (Laufen-Uhwiesen) In First Order Logic: CER19(x) ⇒ E53(x) CER21 Identifier SubClass Of: E42 Identifier Scope Note: The class CER21 Identifier comprises unique codes in the form of numbers and letters assigned to instances of all classes in order to identify them uniquely and permanently. Examples: ● 2911 ● 6213 ● AWS-aw-000j In First Order Logic: CER21(x) ⇒ E42(x) CER26 Start Date SubClass Of: E54 Dimension 9 In First Order Logic: CER6(x) ⇒ E28(x) CER7 Institution Subclass of: E74 Group Scope Note: This class comprises historical institutions that are referenced, discussed, and mentioned within the letters of the early Romanticism period, as well as the institutions accountable for managing and curating the data of the letters associated with the research project. Examples: ● Leipziger Buchmesse ● Erzbergwerk Rammelsberg (Goslar) In First Order Logic: CER7(x) ⇒ E74(x) CER16 Authority Record Subclass of: E32 Authority Document Scope Note: This class comprises identification numbers of authority records, such as the geonames ID of a place or the GND ID (Integrated Authority File of the German National Library) of a person. Due to the importance of authority records for the semantic web and LO(U)D and their role in uniquely identifying entities across databases, the subclass was created to set these records apart from other authority documents as specified by E32 Authority Document. It serves to enhance the metadata of letters and provides additional information about instances mentioned within the letters. These identification numbers contribute to enriching the contextual details and knowledge associated with the instances. This class is listed under this module instead of the module “Editing process” as the assignment of authority records to entities constitutes documentations of these entities with external sources. Editing on the other hand describes more of a research process within a project. In the latter case the decisions which led to the annotation of a resource are more likely to be documented and known to the project members. Even though authority records are at best as well documented and were part of a research process, they represent more the result of this process while the editing leading to an annotation of a resource in a letter illustrates more the process itself. Examples: ● GND: 118607979 ● Geoname: 2950159 ● VIAF: 22156190 16 In First Order Logic: CER16(x) ⇒ E32(x) Properties: CERP10 lists (is listed in): CER4 Index Information CER17 Person Subclass of: E21 Person Scope Note: The class CER17 Person refers exclusively to editors and historical persons, as these are the only persons collected in the data. Examples: ● Schlegel, Dorothea von ● Fath, Laura In First Order Logic: CER17(x) ⇒ E21(x) Module “Specifically Dependent Continuant” In this module, entities are described that correlate with the letters, by being mentioned in the texts and edited within an editing process. The term “Specifically Dependent Continuant” derives from the Basic Formal ontology: “Continuants are entities that continue to exist through time; they may gain and lose parts (for instance, as an organism gains and loses cells), but at each point in time at which they exist at all they nonetheless exist completely. (...) A specifically dependent continuant is a continuant entity that depends on one or more specific independent continuants for its existence. Dependent continuants exhibit existential dependence in the sense that, in order for a dependent continuant to exist, some other entity in which it inheres (intuitively, an entity enjoying a larger degree of concreteness) must exist also.” (Arp et al., 2015) For example, the index information, such as the mention of “August Wilhelm Schlegel”, as a specifically dependent continuant exists only within the context of a letter. It is not to be confused with August Wilhelm Schlegel as an independent person but rather as a representation of this person in a letter’s context. Without the letter this representation can not exist. The module “Specifically Dependent Continuant” includes the following classes: ● CER4 Index Information ● CER11 Theme 17 CER4 Index Information Subclass of: E33 Linguistic Object Scope Note: This class comprises index information referring to the semantic representation of historical persons, historical periodicals, historical works, historical institutions and places within the text of a letter. This means that entities of this class represent a textual conceptualization of these historical persons, periodicals, works, institutions, and places, not their physical manifestation, which is expressed in the classes CER17 Person, CER19 Place, CER5 Periodical, CER6 Work and CER7 Institution. Examples: ● The work “Shakespeare, William: Die lustigen Weiber zu Windsor [Ü: Johann Joachim Eschenburg]” mentioned in the letter sent from August Wilhelm Schlegel in Jena to Johann Joachim Eschenburg in Braunschweig on 3 July 1798. ● The periodical “Göttingische gelehrte Anzeigen” mentioned in the letter sent from Johan F. W. Schlegel in Kopenhagen to August Wilhelm Schlegel in Göttingen on 15 October 1790. ● The person ”Schelling, Caroline von” mentioned in the letter sent from August Wilhelm von Schlegel in Berlin to Georg Joachim Göschen in Leipzig on 26 May 1798. In First Order Logic: CER4(x) ⇒ E33(x) Properties: CERP12 is about (is subject of): CER5 Periodical CER6 Work CER7 Institution CER17 Person CER19 Place CER11 Theme Subclass of: E55 Type Scope Note: This class comprises general topics or keywords that are implicitly mentioned within the letters of the early Romanticism period. In contrast to the instances of CER10 Propositions, these issues represent more general and common subjects of a letter, akin to terms found in a 'Schlagwortkatalog' (subject catalogue). In contradistinction to the CER8 Statement Class, which delineates content concerning knowledge transfer, intellectual exchange, and collaborative working processes within the letter texts, the terms enumerated in this class constitute broader thematic aspects of the letters. Examples: ● Familiennachrichten 18 ● Reise ● Fragmentpoetik In First Order Logic: CER11(x) ⇒ E55(x) Module “Statement” In this module, entities are described that express the (sometimes implicit) semantic context of a letter edited by the project team regarding the project’s research questions. The statement’s structure resulting from this annotation process is composed of a subject (CER4 Index Information) – proposition (as predicate) – illocution (as predicate) – object (CER4 Index Information). This annotation aims to query the letter texts for knowledge transfer, intellectual exchange, and collaborative working processes between the correspondence partners. For illocutions and propositions, a controlled vocabulary has been developed by the project which is referenced accordingly. (Suárez Cronauer et al., 2023) The module “Statement” includes the following classes: ● CER4 Index Information ● CER8 Statement ● CER9 Illocution ● CER10 Proposition CER8 Statement Subclass of: E13 Attribute Assignment Scope Note: This class comprises semantic statements that are implicitly mentioned within the letters of the early Romanticism period and extracted into a formal syntax by an editor. These statements are defined as 'grundlegende[...] Einheiten einer Erzählung' (Sudhahar et al., 2015) and describe content related to knowledge transfer, intellectual exchange, and collaborative working processes within the letter texts. Although the actual content of these statements is written by a historical person, the implicit and intended meaning, expressed through general terms of a controlled vocabulary, is provided by an editor. It is important to note that modelling such statements involves inherent uncertainty and subjectivity. The statement class serves as a framing point connected to the classes that make up the contents of the statements. In general, the syntax of these statements can take two forms: either a triple in the form of subject – illocution (as predicate, represented by a verb) – object (SPO-Triple), or a quadruple in the form of subject – illocution (as predicate, represented by a verb) – proposition (as an expanded part of the predicate that describes the range of the verb) – object. The elements subject and object are represented through the class CER4 Index Information. Within the project context, the subject element is only represented by a person, ergo an instance 19 of CER4 Index Information connected to an instance of the class CER17 Person. To ensure the flexibility of the model and facilitate later changes to the model, the decision was made to not to set a constraint. The predicate in form of an illocution or a proposition, respectively, is represented through the class CER9 Illocution or CER10 Proposition, respectively. The instances of this class are represented by statement IDs, which contain information about the triple or quadruple structure of the statement. Examples: ● Statement-ID 487_1045-22898-23294-766-11 with Subject ‘Eschenburg, Johann Joachim’, Illocution ‘vermitteln lassen’, Proposition ‘Werk’ and Object ‘Schlegel, August Wilhelm von’ ● Statement-ID 494_766-0000-22954-1402-11 with Subject ‘Schlegel, August Wilhelm von ’, Illocution ‘loben’ and Object ‘Bürger, Gottfried August’ In First Order Logic: CER8(x) ⇒ E13(x) Properties: CERP11 implied in (implies): CER3 Lettertext CERP13 has subject (is subject of): CER4 Index Information CERP14 has object (is object of): CER4 Index Information CERP15 has illocution (is illocution of): CER9 Illocution CERP16 has proposition (is proposition of): CER10 Proposition CER9 Illocution Subclass of: E55 Type Scope Note: This class comprises the part of the predicate in the form of a verb within the implicit semantic statements mentioned in the letters of the early Romanticism period. In this project, instances of CER9 Illocution are terms from the “Controlled vocabulary for semantic modelling of communication and knowledge transfer in historical letters (c. 1800)” (https://lod.academy/cer/vocab/terms/). Its instances consist of verbs related to knowledge transfer, intellectual exchange, and collaborative working processes. The illocutions follow Searle's illocutionary types, which classify verbs into assertive, directive, commissive, expressive, and declarative groups. (Searle, 1976) Examples: ● https://lod.academy/cer/vocab/terms#I00057 – mitteilen (inform) ● https://lod.academy/cer/vocab/terms#I0002 – erbitten (request) ● https://lod.academy/cer/vocab/terms#I0009 – grüßen (greet) In First Order Logic: CER9(x) ⇒ E55(x) 20 CER10 Proposition Subclass of: E55 Type Scope Note: This class comprises the part of the predicate in the form of terms that serve as semantic concepts, describing the scope or range of the verb within the implicit semantic statements mentioned in the letters of the early Romanticism period. In this project, instances of CER10 Proposition are terms from the “Controlled vocabulary for semantic modelling of communication and knowledge transfer in historical letters (c. 1800)” (https://lod.academy/cer/vocab/terms/). Its instances consist of terms related to knowledge transfer, intellectual exchange, and collaborative working processes, specifically in connection with research findings in Romanticism studies, letter studies, and the knowledge about the cultural aspects of everyday life during the 1800s. Examples: ● https://lod.academy/cer/vocab/terms#P000207 – Kritik (criticism) ● https://lod.academy/cer/vocab/terms#P000157 – Brief (letter) ● https://lod.academy/cer/vocab/terms#P000150 – Gesundheit (health) In First Order Logic: CER10(x) ⇒ E55(x) Module “Biographical Information” This module contains biographical information which gives further context to instances of the CER17 Person. At this stage of the project, this concerns the assignment (CER22) of one or more gender attributes (CER23) to historical persons by the project or an external institution (CER7). This modelling of and around gender reflects our view of gender not as a natural or fixed attribute but as a cultural construct and a social mechanism of power. As a historical category that gives insight into power structures and inequalities, it always constitutes an assignment of an attribute by an external actor. The module “Biographical Information” includes the following classes: ● CER7 Institution ● CER17 Person ● CER22 Gender Assignment ● CER23 Assigned Gender CER22 Gender Assignment Subclass of: E13 Attribute Assignment 21 Scope Note: This class represents the process by which a historical person's gender is assigned through external institutional labeling. The process may involve extracting gender information linked to a person's authority record in the German National Library, or assigning gender via an internal project workflow using the Python library 'gender_guesser' and manual annotation. The assignment of gender is a culturally constructed practice and therefore inherently biased. Examples: ● The assignment of the gender “female” (CER23) to Caroline von Schelling (CER17) by the Integrated Authority File of the German National Library (GND) (CER7) In First Order Logic: CER22(x) ⇒ E13(x) Properties: CERP8 carried out by (performed): CER7 Institution CER17 Person CERP21 assigned gender attribute to (gender was attributed by): CER17 Person CERP22 assigned gender property of type (is type of gender property assigned): CER23 Assigned Gender CER23 Assigned Gender Subclass of: E55 Type Scope Note: This class comprises the Assigned Gender of a Person (CER17). It does not reflect a (historical) person's self-description of their gender but rather an external labeling through an institution. Gender is therefore defined following Joan W. Scott’s definition described in the essay “Gender: A Useful Category of Historical Analysis” (1986), where she describes gender not simply as a synonym for biological sex, but as a primary way of signifying relationships of power. Scott explains that gender operates on two interrelated levels: First, as a constitutive element of social relationships — it organizes social structures, symbols, norms, and identities through the meanings attributed to sexual difference. Second, as a primary field of power — it is a means through which power is articulated, negotiated, and institutionalized in society. Gender is therefore both a cultural construction and a social mechanism of power — not a natural or fixed attribute. It is a historical category that helps explain how societies create and maintain hierarchies and inequalities Examples: ● female ● male ● unknown In First Order Logic: CER23(x) ⇒ E55(x) 22 Module “Co-Presence” The module “Co-Presence” includes the following classes: ● CER2 Reference Data Set (described in Module “Editing”) ● CER17 Person ● CER18 Time-Span ● CER19 Place ● CER24 Co-Presence ● CER25 Confidence Value CER24 Co-Presence Subclass of: E5 Event Scope Note: This class represents the event of co-presence when two historical actors were present at the same time at the same place. This event is inferred from temporal and spatial information given in the letters. Examples: ● The event of the co-presence of Sophie Bernhardi (CER17) and August Wilhelm Schlegel (CER17) at Berlin (CER19) on 3 January 1802 as inferred from two letters sent by those persons represented by the CER2 Reference Data Sets with the identifiers “AWS-aw-09fo” and “AWS-aw-00xm” In First Order Logic: CER24(x) ⇒ E5(x) Properties: CERP6 has time-span (is time-span of): CER18 Time-Span CERP7 took place at (witnessed): CER19 Place CERP23 had participant: CER17 Person CERP24 has confidence value (is confidence value of): CER25 Confidence Value CER25 Confidence Value Subclass of: E55 Type Scope Note: This class represents the probability of an assumption derived through reasoning processes in the data, thereby reflecting the uncertainties and ambiguities of inferred events. While values can be given numerically to be able to compute them, they do not reflect actual probabilities but approximations based on qualitative analysis of the inferred relations. For example, in the reasoning process for co-presence, where a confidence value is assigned to the 23 inferred relationship, the highest value is 90% to highlight the uncertainties of historical records and of the assumptions built up around them. It is for this reason that the class is modelled as a subclass of E55 Type instead of, for example, E54 Dimension, to highlight the interpretative nature of the value. Examples: ● The confidence value of 1.8 indicating a high likelihood for the co-presence of Sophie Bernhardi and August Wilhelm Schlegel in Berlin on 3 January 1802 which is calculated from the probabilities of a presence of each respective person in Berlin at this date of 0.9 In First Order Logic: CER24(x) ⇒ E5(x) Module “Editing” In this module, entities are described that express the editing process of a textual research object, for example a letter’s text, as well as the interdependencies between this process, the researchers, and the research objects. It aims to highlight the editing process as a dynamic and rather subjective structure which is highly dependent on the project's guidelines and its context, as well as on the person annotating a textual object. By adding this module to the ontology, the traceability and verifiability which led to the editing of a text should be more open and understandable. The module “Editing” includes the following classes: ● CER1 Letter ● CER2 Reference Data Set ● CER3 Lettertext ● CER15 Editing ● CER17 Person ● CER18 Time-Span CER2 Reference Data Set Subclass of: E31Document Scope Note: The scope of the ontology covers databases documenting initial transcription and editing of letters but also cases where existing data is gathered and integrated into a secondary database, i.e. a knowledge graph. This class is intended to reference the datasets which are the basis of the secondary database. Therefore, the purpose of this class is to provide a reference for the provenience of the data and to document the editing process of the letters as far as it has happened prior to integration into the current database. 24 Examples: ● The dataset with the unique identifier “AWS-aw-00lw” in the software FUD2 containing the transcribed text of a specific letter and metadata ● The website with the PURL https://august-wilhelm-schlegel.de/version-01-22/briefid/2564 representing the transcribed, edited, and annotated text and digital image of a letter from Friedrich Ludwig Christian zu Solms-Laubach to August Wilhelm von Schlegel, Friedrich Gottlieb Welcker, Karl Dietrich Hüllmann, and Carl Friedrich Heinrich In First Order Logic: CER2(x) ⇒ E73(x) Properties: CERP17 documents (is documented in): CER3 Lettertext CER1 Letter CERP20 infers (is inferred from): CER24 Co-Presence CER15 Editing Subclass of: E65 Creation Scope Note: This class comprises the various editing events that lead to the creation and development of instances of CER2 Reference Data Set. It provides insights into the editing process, offering a comprehensive overview and, at times, specific details regarding the editing procedure. Examples: ● Edit_496: with note ‘Entfernung von Fußnotenzeichen’ and status ‘Korrektur der Frakturbriefe’ ● ‘dit_487: with note ‘no edit_note’ and status ‘Tripel hinzugefügt In First Order Logic: CER15(x) ⇒ E65(x) Properties: CERP6 has time-span (is time-span of): CER18 Time-Span CERP8 carried out by (performed): CER17 Person CERP18 has created (was created by): CER2 Reference Data Set 2 For more information about FuD see: https://fud.uni-trier.de/ 25 CERP10 lists (is listed in) Domain: CER16 Authority Record Range: CER4 Index Information Subproperty of: P71 lists (is listed in) Quantification: one to one (1,1:0,1) Scope Note: This property associates an instance of CER16 Authority Record, with an instance of CER4 Index Information (e.g. mentioned persons, places, periodicals, works and/or institutions) which it lists for reference purposes. Examples: ● The GND-entry https://d-nb.info/gnd/118607049 (CER16) lists Caroline von Schlegel as mentioned in a letter (CER4). In First Order Logic: CERP10(x,y) ⇒ CER16(x) CERP10(x,y) ⇒ CER4(y) CERP10(x,y) ⇒ P71(x,y) CERP11 implied in (implies) Domain: CER8 Statement Range: CER3 Lettertext Subproperty of: P17 was motivated by (motivated) Quantification: many to one, necessary (1,1:0,n) Scope Note: This property describes the appearance of one or more statements within the text of a letter. It connects a statement with the lettertext in which this statement is mentioned implicitly. 32 Examples: ● The Statement (CER8) with the ID 487_1045-22898-23294-766-11 and with Subject ‘Eschenburg, Johann Joachim’, Illocution ‘vermitteln lassen’, Proposition ‘Werk’ and Object ‘Schlegel, August Wilhelm von’ (CER8) refers to the Lettertext (CER3) “Jena d. 7. März 1798. Mein werthester Herr Hofrath, Gestern, da ich erst Abends zurückgekommen war, brachte mir Hr. Horn den ersten Band von der neuen Ausgabe Ihres Shakspeare, welchen Sie die Güte gehabt, ihm für mich mitzugeben. (...)”. In First Order Logic: CERP11(x,y) ⇒ CER8(x) CERP11(x,y) ⇒ CER3(y) CERP11(x,y) ⇒ P17(x,y) CERP12 is about (is subject of) Domain: CER4 Index Information Range: CER5 Periodical CER6 Work CER7 Institution CER17 Person CER19 Place Subproperty of: P129 is about (is subject of) Quantification: many to one, necessary (1,1:0,n) Scope Note: This property documents that an instance of the Index Information (CER4) within lettertext is about a specific thing in the real world like a Person (CER17), Institution (CER7), Work (CER6), Periodical (CER5) or Place (CER19). The instance of the Index Information (CER4) represents the textual abstraction of these things in the context of a letter. Nevertheless these things exist as realities in the real world independently of the letter or its context. Examples: ● The Index Information (CER4) “Schelling, Caroline von” is about the Person “Caroline von Schelling” (CER17). ● The Index Information (CER4) “Vater”, as contained in the text (CER3) of a letter (CER1) by Karl August Schlegel, is about the Person “Johann Adolf Schlegel” (CER17). In First Order Logic: CERP12(x,y) ⇒ CER4(x) CERP12(x,y) ⇒ ( CER5(y) ∨ CER6(y) ∨ CER7(y) ∨ CER17(y) ∨ CER19(y) ) CERP12(x,y) ⇒ P129(x,y) 33 CERP13 has subject (is subject of) Domain: CER8 Statement Range: CER4 Index Information Subproperty of: P140 assigned attribute to (was attributed by) Quantification: many to one, necessary (1,1:0,n) Scope Note: This property associates an instance of CER8 Statement with an instance of CER4 Index Information in the role of subject of this statement. For the knowledge domain in the CER-ontology, only Index Information which is about a Person (CER17) can be attributed as subjects. This is expressed through restrictions in the logical data model, but on a conceptual level all entities in a letter can potentially be assigned as subjects of a statement. Examples: ● The statement with the ID 487_766-22941-23059-1045-11 (CER8 Statement) has_Subject Schlegel, August Wilhelm von (CER17 Person) ● The statement with the ID 487_1045-0000-23294-6167-12 (CER8 Statement) has_Subject Eschenburg, Johann Joachim (CER17 Person) In First Order Logic: CERP13(x,y) ⇒ CER8(x) CERP13(x,y) ⇒ CER4(y) CERP13(x,y) ⇒ P140(x,y) CERP14 has object (is object of) Domain: CER8 Statement Range: CER4 Index Information Subproperty of: P141 assigned (was assigned by) Quantification: many to one, necessary (1,1:0,n) 34 Scope Note: This property associates an instance of CER8 Statement with the instance of CER4 Index Information used in the attribution. As a result, the instance of CER4 Index Information becomes the object of this statement. Examples: ● The statement with the ID 487_766-22941-23059-1045-11 (CER8 Statement) has_Object Eschenburg, Johann Joachim (CER4 Index Information) ● The statement with the ID 487_1045-0000-23294-6167-12 (CER8 Statement) has_Object Shakespeare, William: Schauspiele [Ü: Johann Joachim Eschenburg] (CER4 Index Information) In First Order Logic: CERP14(x,y) ⇒ CER8(x) CERP14(x,y) ⇒ CER4(y) CERP14(x,y) ⇒ P141(x,y) CERP15 has illocution (is illocution of) Domain: CE8 Statement Range: CE9 Illocution Subproperty of: P177 assigned property of type (is type of property assigned) Quantification: many to one, necessary (1,1:0,n) Scope Note: This property associates an instance of CER8 Statement with an instance of CER9 Illocution, which has the role of the verb or predicate in this statement. It constitutes the connection between the subject and the object of a statement and is mandatory. Examples: ● The statement with the ID 487_766-22941-23059-1045-11 (CE8 Statement) has_Illocution ankündigen (CER9 Illocution) ● The statement with the ID 487_1045-0000-23294-6167-12 (CE8 Statement) has_Illocution vermitteln lassen (CER9 Illocution) In First Order Logic: CERP15(x,y) ⇒ CER8(x) CERP15(x,y) ⇒ CER9(y) CERP15(x,y) ⇒ P177(x,y) 35 CERP16 has proposition (is proposition of) Domain: CER8 Statement Range: CER10 Proposition Subproperty of: P177 assigned property of type (is type of property assigned) Quantification: many to one (0,1:0,n) Scope Note: This property associates an instance of CER8 Statement with an instance of CER10 Proposition, which serves as an expansion that specifies the range of the verb or predicate in a statement. It gives more context to the illocution of a statement and is optional. Examples: ● The statement with the ID 487_766-22941-23059-1045-11 (CER8 Statement) has_Proposition Buchsendung (CE10 Proposition) ● The statement with the ID 487_1045-22898-23294-766-11 (CER8 Statement) has_Proposition Werk (CE10 Proposition) In First Order Logic: CERP16(x,y) ⇒ CER8(x) CERP16(x,y) ⇒ CER10(y) CERP16(x,y) ⇒ P177(x,y) CERP17 documents (is documented in) Domain: CER2 Reference Data Set Range: CER1 Letter CER3 Lettertext Subproperty of: P70 documents (is documented in) Quantification: many to many, necessary (1,n:0,n) 36 Scope Note: This property describes the connection between an instance of a CER2 Reference Data Set that documents an instance of CER3 Lettertext or CER1 Letter. This property intent is to show that this Reference Data Set (CER2) isn't representing the content of a letter as a whole but only the parts of a letter (in this case the lettertext). Both lettertext and letter are the result of an editing process. Even though the original manuscript existed in the real world, an instance of Letter (CER1) embodies its representation in scholarly editions, as digital copies and inferred letters. These representations are then collected in an editing software, which is the database for instances of CER1 Letter. The Lettertext (CER3) which is referred to is already an edited text in terms of a research object, which is making a proposition about reality. Examples: ● The Reference Data Set (CER2) in the editing software FUD with the key “AWS-aw-02in” documents the Lettertext (CER3) “Monsieur et tres cher Ami! Retournant en ville apres avoir fait un petit voyage dans les provinces et n’ayant rien entendu de votre part (...)” ● The Reference Data Set (CER2) in the editing software FUD with the key “AWS-aw-02in” documents the Letter (CER1) which is archived in the Saxon State and University Library in Dresden under the signature “Mscr.Dresd.e.90, XIX, Bd.15, Nr.91”. In First Order Logic: CERP17(x,y) ⇒ CER2(x) CERP17(x,y) ⇒ ( CER1(y) ∨ CER3(y) ) CERP17(x,y) ⇒ P70(x,y) CERP18 has created (was created by) Domain: CER15 Editing Range: CER2 Reference Data Set Subproperty of: P94 has created (was created by) Quantification: many to one, necessary, dependent (1,1:1,n) Scope Note: This property links an instance of CER15 Editing to the instance of CER2 Reference Data Set, which was created in an editing process. Thereby it represents the research process of conceptualising the intellectual content of the instance of CER2 Reference Data Set. It does not necessarily represent the act of creating the first digital carrier of the instance of CER2 Reference Data Set, but rather the process that concludes to the data set which represents the sources (the lettertexts) in the project “Correspondence of Early Romanticism''. 37 Examples: ● The Editing (CER15) with the string of “Erste Transkription” (CER21) has created the Reference Data Set with the key “AWS-aw-02in” (CER2) in the editing software FUD. In First Order Logic: CERP18(x,y) ⇒ CER15(x) CERP18(x,y) ⇒ CER2(y) CERP18(x,y) ⇒ P94(x,y) CERP19 had duration (was duration of) Domain: CER18 Time-Span Range: CER26 Start Date CER27 End Date Subproperty of: P191 had duration (was duration of) Quantification: one to many, necessary, dependent (1,n:1,1) Scope Note: This property links an instance of CER18 Time-Span to an instance of either CER26 Start-Date or CER27 End-Date, representing the beginning and end points of the time-span. Examples: ● The Time Span “1.–3. Mai 1787” has the duration “1787-05-01” (CER26) to “1787-05-03” (CER27) In First Order Logic: CERP19(x,y) ⇒ CER18(x) CERP19(x,y) ⇒ ( CER26(y) ∨ CER27(y) ) CERP19(x,y) ⇒ P191(x,y) CERP20 infers (is inferred from) Domain: CER2 Reference Data Set Range: CER24 Co-Presence Subproperty of: CERP17 documents 38 Quantification: many to many, dependent (0,n:1,n) Scope Note: This property links an instance of CER2 Reference Data Set to an instance of CER24 Co-Presence. The interpretation of two CER2 Reference Data Sets provides the basis for the assumption or inference that a co-presence between two historical actors occurred, thereby giving rise to this assertion. Examples: ● Two letters sent by Sophie Bernhardi and August Wilhelm Schlegel with the identifiers “AWS-aw-09fo” and “AWS-aw-00xm” (CER2 Reference Data Set) infer the co-presence (CER24) of those persons in Berlin on 3 January 1802. In First Order Logic: CERP20(x,y) ⇒ CER2(x) CERP20(x,y) ⇒ CER24(y) CERP20(x,y) ⇒ CERP17(x,y) CERP21 assigned gender attribute to (gender was attributed by) Domain: CER22 Gender Assignment Range: CER17 Person Subproperty of: P140 assigned attribute to (was attributed by) Quantification: many to one, necessary (1,1:0,n) Scope Note: This property links a Gender Assignment (CER22) to a Person (CER17), indicating the assigned gender value (female, male, or unknown). This assignment does not necessarily reflect the gender a historical person would use to describe themselves, but rather the interpretation of the institution responsible for the assignment. Examples: ● The GND (CER7) conducted a gender assignment (CER22) in which it assigned a gender to Caroline von Schelling (CER17). In First Order Logic: CERP21(x,y) ⇒ CER22(x) CERP21(x,y) ⇒ CER17(y) CERP21(x,y) ⇒ P140(x,y) 39 CERP22 assigned gender property of type (is type of gender property assigned) Domain: CER22 Gender Assignment Range: CER23 Assigned Gender Subproperty of: P177 assigned property of type (is type of property assigned) Quantification: many to many, necessary (1,n:0,n) Scope Note: This property links an instance of CER22 Gender Assignment to an instance of CER23 Assigned Gender, thereby connecting the process of assigning a person's gender with the resulting gender type. Examples: ● The GND (CER7) conducted a gender assignment (CER22) in which it assigned a gender property of the type “female” (CER23) In First Order Logic: CERP22(x,y) ⇒ CER22(x) CERP22(x,y) ⇒ CER23(y) CERP22(x,y) ⇒ P177(x,y) CERP23 had participant (participated in) Domain: CER24 Co-Presence Range: CER17 Person Subproperty of: P11 had participant (participated in) Quantification: many to many, necessary (1,n:0,n) Scope Note: This property describes the participation of at least two instances of the class CER17 Person to an inferred Co-Presence (CER24). 40 Examples: ● Sophie Bernhardi (CER17) and August Wilhelm Schlegel (CER17) participated in an event of Co-Presence (CER24) in Berlin on 1 March 1802. In First Order Logic: CERP23(x,y) ⇒ CER24(x) CERP23(x,y) ⇒ CER17(y) CERP23(x,y) ⇒ P11(x,y) CERP24 has confidence value (is confidence value of) Domain: CER24 Co-Presence Range: CER25 Confidence Value Subproperty of: P2 has type (is type of) Quantification: one to one (1,1:1,1) Scope Note: This property assigns a confidence value to an event inferred in a reasoning process which describes the probability of this event having taken place. As, at this point in time, the CIDOC CRM does not allow the connection of measurements or other value attributes to events, this property is modelled as a subproperty of P2 has type (is type of). Examples: ● The co-presence of Sophie Bernhardi and August Wilhelm Schlegel in Berlin on 3 January 1802 has a confidence value of 1.8, calculated from the probabilities of a presence of each respective person in Berlin at this date of 0.9. In First Order Logic: CERP24(x,y) ⇒ CER24(x) CERP24(x,y) ⇒ CER25(y) CERP24(x,y) ⇒ P2(x,y) 41