Volunteers transcribe over 100,000 medieval documents in Kortrijk

Volunteers in Kortrijk, Belgium, have scanned and transcribed more than 118,000 historical city documents into modern script.

Marc Luyckx, an 82-year-old resident of Oekene, began the project in 2002. He worked alongside other volunteers, including Filips Benoit, to process "schepenakten," which served as the official records for the city for centuries. The project covers documents dating from 1438 to 1796. While many other municipalities in Flanders have scanned their records, the medieval handwriting remains largely unreadable to the public.

These volunteers went a step further by deciphering the text word for word. The transcribed records provide historians and genealogists with a wealth of information regarding medieval life. Because local magistrates also served as notaries and judges, the records contain details about house purchases, marriages, and legal punishments. The archive also contains information about people and events outside of Kortrijk, as many residents traveled to nearby villages and cities.

The database allows users to see family names, dates, and specific contents immediately. This accessibility is especially important for researchers looking for information from before the end of the 16th century, a period before parish registers were established. The records have also revealed specific historical details, such as a 15th-century inventory of a brothel and a debate over the birthplace of Karel V.