The project on the Hoffmann Collection was initiated in 2010 by Dr. Annekie Joubert from the Seminar for African Studies at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin in Germany. A combined team under leadership of Dr. Joubert, and researchers from the University of Pretoria (Prof. Lizé Kriel and Ms. Klaudia Ringelmann); the University of South Africa (Prof. Inge Kosch and Prof. Gerrie Grobler); as well as Mr. Sam Moifatswane (formerly from the Ditsong National Museum of Cultural History, Pretoria) worked on the Hoffmann Collection of Cultural Knowledge (HC-CK) since 2010. The knowledge and insight resulting from this collaboration have become central to our understanding of the unrivalled collection of cultural knowledge in the form of narrations and images from within the orbit of Hoffmann’s mission field. This material is still scattered in various institutions in Germany and South Africa today. Our scientific goal is to provide vital tools for entry into the Hoffmann Collection. This we try to achieve through the publication of a book: Ethnography from the mission field: The Hoffmann Collection of Cultural Knowledge; supplemented by a film: A Journey into the life of a mission ethnographer; and this comprehensive database: The Hoffmann Collection of Cultural Knowledge (HC-CK). Of vital importance to us is also to create the ability to connect our published re-worked material digitally to the variety of original material in the different archives. We seek to broach new territory in some significant way by establishing an immediate and effortless way of referencing between our published book and the original material. This view influenced our decision to opt for open access to prospective users.