Buzz Killington.
Posted on 03/29/2012 7:06:27 AM PDT by marshmallow
Historians, architects, archaeologists and volunteers in Germany are teaming up to build a medieval monastery the old-fashioned way. Working conditions will be strictly 9th-century, without machines, rain jackets or even coffee. It will take decades, but they hope to garner fresh insights into everyday life in the 800s.
What did a medieval stonemason do when heavy rainfall interrupted his work? Umbrellas are impractical at construction sites. Gore-Tex jackets weren't yet invented, nor were plastic rain jackets. "He donned a jacket made of felted loden cloth," says Bert Geurten, the man who plans to build an authentic monastery town the old-fashioned way.
Felted loden jackets will also be present on rainy days at Geurten's building site, which is located near Messkirch, in the southwestern German state of Baden-Württemberg, between the Danube River and Lake Constance. Beginning in 2013, a Carolingian monastery town will be built here using only the materials and techniques of the 9th century. From the mortar to the walls, the rain jackets to the menu, every aspect of the operation will be carried out as just as it was in the days of Charlemagne. "We want to work as authentically as possible," says Geurten.
The building contractor from the Rhineland region has long dreamt of carrying out his plan. When he was a teenager, the now 62-year-old was inspired by a model of the St. Gallen monastery plan in an exhibition in his home city of Aachen. The plan, dating from the beginning of the 9th century, shows the ideal monastery, as envisioned by Abbot Haito of Reichenau.
Haito dedicated his drawing to his colleague Abbot Gozbert of St. Gall, who presided over the monastery from 816 to 837. He meticulously recorded everything that he believed was necessary for a monastic city, from a chicken coop to a church.........
(Excerpt) Read more at spiegel.de ...
A unique version of “give me that old time religion.”
I’m reminded of Follett’s Pillars of the Earth and World Without End. If you were drawn to this thread for love of history or architecture, then you would do well to read those two novels. Follett did a considerable amount of research into building techniques, monastic culture, politics, etc. A fun read.
bump
It’s nice that some people have lots of time to waste on nonsense like that. Practicing for after the Muslim takeover, maybe?
I really enjoyed this article until I read that the funding was governmental, rather than private, as usual.
Some people really enjoy spending other people’s money. Wonder if the ones funding this will ever see a penny of the “profits”.
Doubt it.
Buzz Killington.
Yes, and surely a labor of love.
LOL - nicely done!
Read them both after a trip to Bayeux ( in the Normandy region of France ). I visited the Cathedral that’s famous for its tapestry, and that Cathedral was over 1,000 years old. Could have easily spent the whole day exploring, it was THAT large and interesting. It amazes me what people were able to achieve without the benefit of modern technology!
I'd be more impressed if they had no modern medicine and they had the wild animals and the odd Viking to avoid..
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Felted loden coats are mideival? I used to wear one in college. Now I’m really feeling old.
WHOA! I would love to be part of that!
We might all need to get back to the old ways one day... after the collapse of civilization... okay, when I said “all” I meant the very very few survivors
:’) The Middle Ages were civilized, just different.
Follet’s “Pillars of the earth” was one of the best books I ever read.
Are his other books equally as good?
I could not put it down
The precise reason the muslims are poised to take over Europe in the first place is that too many Europeans have readily and willingly abandoned the foundations of their civilization that this man is trying to reinforce.
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