The parcel protocols are the written heart of the Franciscan Cadastre (1817–1861), the first comprehensive land survey of properties in the former Austrian Empire. They not only record information on every individual plot (parcel), but also provide a remarkably detailed picture of ownership, land use, and daily life in the 19th century. Each parcel is documented with details such as owners, house or farm names, size, type of use (arable land, meadow, forest, building, etc.), locality, house number, and often even field names – a treasure trove for historians, genealogists, local chroniclers, and anyone interested in the history of their area.

For decades, these protocols – as bound official books – remained largely unexplored in archives. The often difficult-to-read handwriting, the tabular structure, and the sheer number of parcels – there are estimated to be over 10 million parcels for present-day Austria – made digitization and use a complex task. Thanks to the support of the “Digital Cultural Heritage” program, all land and building parcel protocols, as well as other important accompanying documents, have now been digitized and made available online. They can be accessed through the Kulturpool and via Transkribus Sites. Altogether there are more than 20.000 documents available.

However, digitizing the parcel protocols is only the first step. The real goal of the FRANZI project is to capture all parcels in a web application that directly links the information from the parcel protocols with the original cadastral maps. Thanks to the dedicated work of over 50 citizen scientists, this goal has already been achieved for the federal state of Tyrol within the framework of a citizen science project. Over several years, volunteers have entered, verified, and georeferenced data from the protocols. Their work has made it possible for all approximately 750,000 parcels from Tyrol to be searchable online today, with all relevant information – a milestone in participatory historical research. In close cooperation with the Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying, further federal states are currently being integrated for volunteer data entry within the scope of the citizen science project.

The result is “FRANZI” – a modern web application that makes the treasure of the parcel protocols freely accessible.

• Interactive Map: Historical cadastral maps provide the foundation, with all parcels precisely located.
• Full-Text Search & Filters: Users can search specifically for names, localities, parcel numbers, or types of use, and filter results according to individual criteria.
• Detailed Information at a Click: For every parcel, information such as owner, use, size, and more is displayed.
• Science & Citizen Participation United: The platform is the result of an extraordinary collaboration between researchers and the public.

• They offer unique insights into ownership, social and economic structures, as well as the history of landscapes and settlements in the 19th century.
• They allow for genealogical research, analysis of field names, studies of agricultural use, or tracking old house names.
• They document how modernisation, industrialisation and social change became visible "on the ground".
• Al data from FANZI can also be found in the ZENODO repository and can be reused under the CC0 licence.

Data entry takes place via the application: Franciscan Cadastre – Web Platform for Citizen Scientists. Interested individuals can register here and work on their “desired municipality.” Progress is documented live on the web platform.

The FRANZI project is a joint initiative of READCOOP SCE, the University of Innsbruck, the Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying, the Tyrolean State Archives, and the Tyrolean Education Forum.