ZUR GESCHICHTE DER GRUNDSTEINLEGUNG
To the History of Foundation Stone

Summary/Abstract: In the traditional architecture a foundation stone has the ideal shape of a cube. This form stands for the thought of internal firmness – where something can be founded and built on. Yet, if one looks more thoroughly, the stone which seemed to be simple and solid, appears to be an unusual complex historical product: historical and sociological syntheses – partly contradictionary – hide themselves behind the compact appearance of the stone. Diverse societal rituals are connected with the laying of the foundation stone. Furthermore, these rituals are shaped by temporal and regional changes. Finally, the form of the foundation stone is mutable. Only step by step it had developed into the classic cube. Later on, it has transformed into modified forms. In any case, the foundation stone and its rituals are not as simple as it seems at first glance. This article deals with this extraordinary wealth of historical relationships.

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