After successful completion of the course, students are able to assess selected historical constructions and construction methods, details and manufacturing processes, as well as concepts of planning and construction against the corresponding historical background. Furthermore, repair and refurbishment of construction and load-bearing structures are discus sed, the conceptual principles are developed and common approaches are critically discussed. This will be done on selected buildings in Speyer (Germany) and the surrounding area - buildings that will be visited and intensively analysed. The focus is on the construction and restoration history of Speyer Cathedral.

Cooperation project -- BTU Cottbus (Construction History) and TU Vienna (History of Architecture/Building Archaeology):

Lectures and presentations of the students take place on site (when visiting the Speyer Cathedral etc.) or via Zoom.

https://www.b-tu.de/en/fg-bautechnikgeschichte/

The focus of this semester's course is Speyer Cathedral: a key building in the history of architecture and a particularly ambitious construction project of the European Middle Ages, today the largest Romanesque church building of all. Large parts of the 11th century building have been preserved in their substance and architectural form.

The main focus here is on the complex masonry construction, which was pioneering for large medieval buildings, the vaults - including the wide cross vaults above the nave, the earliest of their kind, as well as the first ribbed vaults - and the stone constructions in geometrically complex forms:

Their study provides an insight into the history of knowledge in the fields of applied geometry and mechanics. Other topics include the late Baroque vaults above parts of the nave and the particularly light masonry construction of historicism in the west building. The vault anchorages from the 18th century and the measures from the first half of the 20th century based on engineering theory are to be considered as significant technical-historical strengthening measures. Furthermore, the far-reaching structural reinforcement measures of the 1960s are discussed - carried out in the context of a comprehensive restoration, which is also to be discussed from a conservation point of view. Current conservation issues include the consequences of the interventions of the 20th century, the stability of the vaults and the stone conservation of load-bearing parts of the structure. Recently realised and ongoing projects will be presented. Discussions with experts on site are also planned.
These topics will be presented in and around the building, including areas that are otherwise not open to the public, such as attics and towers. There are also further visits to other buildings from different eras in the city and its surroundings.

1. Introductory lectures on basic knowledge of planning and realisation, construction techniques and building materials of medieval vaults
2. Lectures on site (Speyer Cathedral): design, realisation and preservation of historical vault structures
3. Research in teaching -- Individual specialisation

Friday (3 May) 15:00: online introductory lecture by Prof. Wendland (online, see News Forum)

David Wendland lädt Sie zu einem angesetzten Webex-Meeting ein.

• Compulsory attendance
• Active participation in the exercises
• Participation in the excursion (251.188)
• Short presentation, project paper