The Luxembourg National Library (BNL) has successfully transcribed the autobiography "Myn wedervaren" by Luxembourgish soldier Louis Joseph Zelle (1826-1899) using artificial intelligence, marking a first for Luxembourg.
This manuscript, consisting of three parts, is now available for free on the online portal eLuxemburgensia.
Louis Joseph Zelle, who served in the Dutch Colonial Army in Indonesia, offers a unique perspective in his memoirs. According to the BNL, the manuscript stands out in the literature on Dutch colonial soldiers and officers by providing not only an officer's viewpoint but also "a critical perspective" on the Dutch colonial era. Additionally, Zelle's memoirs are a valuable resource for understanding Luxembourg's cultural life in the 19th century, the National Library notes.
While the BNL typically uses text recognition for printed materials such as journals and books, applying this technology to handwritten works is far more complex and uncommon. The Zelle manuscript was digitised and transcribed into digital text for the first time using the AI-supported programme "Transkribus."
Transkribus employs machine learning to recognise handwritten texts, allowing for the digitisation and transcription of historical manuscripts.
The use of Transkribus ensured a high degree of accuracy in transcribing Louis Joseph Zelle's writings, according to the BNL. The programme improves its recognition capabilities over time through expert corrections, enhancing its ability to interpret specific handwriting and historical writing styles.
