Profile of the chair
The chair of Construction History deals with historical aspects of
"Architectural Engineering" and with the preservation of historical
structures. Central topics are traditional and historical building methods,
as well as the history of construction, applied geometry and mechanics in
the building industry. This is done from a perspective that is necessarily
interdisciplinary: in order to understand the conceptual, planning, material
science and constructional aspects in their historical development,
engineering methods must be combined with hermeneutical methods of the
humanities.
In the investigation of buildings and the analysis of historical technical
literature, techniques and practices as well as organisational and
communication processes can be grasped, which provide insight into the
knowledge society in which the buildings were built, and which enable
general insights into economic and social history beyond the history of
technology and ideas.
For the preservation of historical buildings, in particular the
conservation, restoration or strengthening of their sturcture, the special
scientific and methodical bases are developed and imparted: Interventions
with the aim of usability and stability in the technical and normative
framework conditions must take into account the character of the monument as
a historical document.
Finally, the consideration of historical construction provides a perspective
for the necessary reflection on today's building and has repeatedly proven
to be an important basis for innovation.
Current events
Lecture by David Wendland: Historische Bauwerke mit komplexer Form: Mit Reverse Engineering und digitalen Werkzeugen auf den Spuren der frühen Bauhütten, Conference: BAUWERKSAUFNAHME Bewahren durch Erkunden“, Erhalten historischer Bauwerke e.V. (Link) Karlsruhe, 4-5 December 2025 (Program Flyer)
Lecture by David Wendland: Stand der Forschungen zum spätgotischen Gewölbe im Hochchor des Freiburger Münsters, Forschendentag des Freiburger Münsterbauvereins, Freiburg i.Br., 07 November 2025
Lecture by David Wendland: In schwindelnder Höhe – aus der Nähe betrachtet: Planung und Konstruktion der mittelalterlichen Gewölbe von Notre-Dame in Paris, Wissenschaftliches Forum, Dombauverein Speyer, 16 October 2025
BTU University Award for Josephine Tillmann: Best Master's Thesis: Stereotomy and applied geometry in the 11th century in Speyer Cathedral: Modelling historical procedures in the planning of complex stone constructions. Award ceremony on 19 September 2025, 5 p.m., Zentrales Hörsaalgebäude (Link)
Doctoral Viva by Vladimir Korensky: Construction in Reinforced Concrete in Russia: On the Introduction of a New Building Technology at the Turn of the 20th Century; 11 July 2025, 2 p.m., IBK-Library
Doctoral Viva by Rebecca Erika Schmitt: Vault Architecture in the Circle of the Dientzenhofer Family in the Context of Applied Geometry and Stereotomie; 12 June 2025, 2 p.m., IBK-Library
7. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Bautechnikgeschichte, Braunschweig, 15-17 May 2025
(Link); Papers by: V. Korensky and D. Wendland
Promotion Prize from Gesellschaft für Bautechnikgeschichte to Josephine Tillmann for the best master's thesis: Stereotomy and applied geometry in the 11th century in Speyer Cathedral: Modelling historical procedures in the planning of complex stone constructions.
Lecture by Pascal Prunet: The reconstruction of Notre-Dame de Paris, Architecte en Chef des Monuments Historiques, Tuesday 11 February 2025, 6 p.m., BTU Main Campus, Lecture Hall A (Zentralhörsaalgebäude ZHG) as part of the IBK lecture series "Worauf bauen wir?"
(Link to the lecture video)
2024
Report on the ongoing research on the vaults in Notre Dame in Paris:
D. Wendland, M. Gielen und V. Korensky: Towards the Gothic: Design and construction of the 12th century vaults in Notre‐Dame in Paris, and possible origins. International Journal of Architectural Heritage 2024, DOI: 10.1080/15583058.2024.2427661 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15583058.2024.2427661
Study day "Les dispositifs constructifs provisoires dans l’art de bâtir au Moyen Âge"
Université Bordeaux Montaigne, 15 November 2024, Lecture by D. Wendland: "Traces of making in late Gothic vaults"
Lecture at Fall 2024 AKPIA Lecture Series - A Forum for Islamic Art & Architecture, Boston (Link)
Soheil Nazari: "The Age of Science and Design: A New Survey of Seljuq Dome Chambers in the Isfahan Region and Treatises on Practical Geometry" 19 September 2024, 24:00 (online)
Link for Registration: https://harvard.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KMvUWA_9QfCPUlIxYpzNmQ#/registration
8th International Congress on Construction History, Zurich, 24-28 June 2024
https://8icch.ethz.ch/
Papers by: Mark Gielen, Jonas Lengenfeld, Soheil Nazari, Rebecca Erika Schmitt, Prof. David Wendland
53. Tagung für Ausgrabungswissenschaft und Bauforschung, 8-12 May 2024, Aachen
Dauerhaftigkeit und Effizienz als Prinzipien des antiken Bauwesens
https://koldewey-gesellschaft.de/aktuell/53-tagung-fuer-ausgrabungswissenschaft-und-bauforschung-8-12-mai-2024/
Papers by: Mark Gielen, Vladimir Korensky, Soheil Nazari, Rebecca Erika Schmitt und Prof. David Wendland