Passion for Compasses

The architectural history of the Middle Ages is full of surprises It is hard to imagine today that relatively few construction plans have been found for the impressive churches and cathedrals of the Romanesque and Gothic periods. Where did most of the drawings go? Were the plans destroyed or lost over time? Or were they never made at all? Although there were very few architectural drawings, there were numerous compasses. What were they used for and how? Was it possible to design complex buildings such as churches and cathedrals without blueprints? The author takes the readers on an exciting cultural and historical journey through time She looks at the spread of papyrus, parchment and paper and traces the ability to write and calculate in Europe. She also looks at the construction process in historical illustrations and draws comparisons with Arabic architecture. Finally, the author presents the various types of compasses that were available and explains how the drawing skills of master builders developed. These insights into the history of architecture lead to some surprising discoveries: Medieval architects thought and planned very differently than we do today.

Autorentext
Dr. Sonja Ulrike Klug beschäftigt sich seit über 20 Jahren mit der Entstehung und dem Bau mittelalterlicher Kirchen. Sie hat zahlreiche Fachartikel und mehrere Bücher geschrieben, nicht nur über historische Themen. Ihr Werk "Kathedrale des Kosmos" wurde in mehrere Sprachen übersetzt und befasst sich in erzählerischer Form mit der "heiligen" Geometrie von Chartres. Daneben hat sie "Chartres kompakt" und "Chartres - der Kathedral-Führer" publiziert. In ihrem Werk "Zauberer des Zirkels" befasst sie sich mit der Kultur- und Entstehungsgeschichte mittelalterlicher Baupläne und dem Wissen der damaligen Baumeister. Die Autorin hält Vorträge über die Kathedrale von Chartres und über die Architekturzeichnungen des Mittelalters.