The machine drawings of Hans Hammer in the context of the contemporary machine representations

Abstract of my presentation at the 10th PhD & DLA Symposium (University of Pécs, 20. October 2014)

The first known drawings of machines can be found in warfare-themed manuscripts. The oldest of them dates back to the 14th century, but their proliferation took place in the 15th century. During the century an almost standardised drawing style, vocabulary was developed, which also survived throughout the Renaissance.

Compared to the relatively high number of the survived warfare-related manuscripts which included drawings (their number is above 50), the representation of machines for civil usage is very rare throughout the century, even though the architectural drawings also proliferated during this century, and they also introduced a distinct representation style.

The survived portfolio of the Strasbourg master builder Hans Hammer lies at the intersection of this two disciplines: it includes both machine and architectural drawings in a large number. Given the occupation of the master, we can safely assume that in contrast to those found in the majority of the contemporary machine drawings, his machines served civil purposes.

During this conference lesson the following questions are discussed: how do Hans Hammer’s machine drawings fit in the corpus of the contemporary machine drawings both by drawing style and function; and with which manuscripts can a direct connection be made?

"Machinas beim Münster zu Straspurg gebraucht worden": the engines in Hans Hammer’s portfolio

Abstract of my presentation at the 3th Interdisciplinary Doctoral Conference (University of Pécs, 17. April)

Hans Hammer was the master builder of the Strasbourg cathedral at the end of the 15th century. In addition small but intricate works in the cathedral (for example the famous pulpit) he had a momentous job: to design and build up the second tower of the cathedral. Building great towers was a task without a preceding antique model. Its construction differs significantly from the other parts of the building, especially because it is a freestanding structure. This explains the need of advanced hoisting engines. The second tower in Strasbourg wasn’t built up, but the portfolio of Hans Hammer survived, with more than a dozen detailed drawings of engines. This collection is unique. There are other collections available from the second half of the 15th century with drawings of engines, but they are connected with warfare, not construction. (One important exception is the sketchbook – the so-called zibaldone – of Ghiberti Bonaccorso with the engines of Brunelleschi from the construction of the dome in Florence, but it is originated in the different cultural and geographical background of the Italian Renaissance.) Fortunately the construction of towers was a beloved subject of the contemporary artists (including the engines and everything in connection), so we can examine this task on many illuminations and paintings. With the help of the aforementioned contemporary drawings (the warfare-books, the zibaldone, the artworks) the engine drawings of Hans Hammer can be examined, categorised and placed in contemporary context.

The structural analysis of the (demolished) medieval system of St. Elisabeth's church in Kassa

Abstract of my presentation at the 9th PhD & DLA Symposium (University of Pécs, 22. October)

The construction of the parish church in Kassa (now Košice, Slovakia) was one of the biggest enterprises in the 15th-century Kingdom of Hungary.‎ Its effect reached beyond the borders of the country. The church was built in three main phases, and especially the second one made the layout of the building unique in the entire continent.

This special, neither five- nor three-aisled spatial system induced strong debates in the rich literature about the church during the second half of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. The scholars especially in the 19th century did not understand the unique plan, and they often called the master of the second building phase a bungler. The result of this kind of opinion ended in the "correction" of the floor plan. At the end of the century large parts of the medieval church was demolished for structural reasons (specifically in the inside, including the late Gothic stellar vaults and the nave piers). This "restoration" changed the floor plan entirely, with the result of a more regular arrangement. But the end of the medieval building wasn't the end of the debates. In the beginning of the 20th century more scholars called the second master a genius, but there were still opposing opinions to that. 

Fortunately, detailed drawings about the state of the church before the interior was demolished exist. Using these drawings the medieval system is reconstructable in 3D, and using this 3D-model a structural analysis of it is possible. So at least on the structural side we can put an end to the century-long debate about the skills of the second master.