Breitenbrunn sand-lime brick
The Breitenbrunn sand-lime stone was mentioned in seven quarries at the foot and slopes of the Leithagebirge north and northwest of Breitenbrunn in historical geological literature, the most valuable stone of which was the so-called "Breitenbrunn sculptor stone" and was mined in various qualities (I, II, III). The first mention of the use of the “staines von Praittenbrunn” at St. Stephen's Cathedral can be found in the church master accounts for the first time in 1476. This sand-lime brick originated in the Tertiary .
Geological description
The Breitenbrunn sculptural stone presents itself macroscopically as a fine-grained, often blindingly white, porous and relatively soft sand-lime stone, which often has small black and rust-red inclusions ("fly shit").
Rock physical parameters:
- average bulk density : 1.77 g / cm³
- Pore volume : 40-42% by volume
- average compressive strength
- dry: 13 N | / mm²
- water-saturated: 8 N / mm²
- Average water absorption : 21.0 M.%
The Breitenbrunn sand-lime brick is not to be regarded as weather-resistant and therefore relatively seldom to be found outdoors. Above all, its high porosity with a high proportion of capillary-active fine pores makes it sensitive to frost resistance and salt crystallization resistance . Frequent damage patterns are crust and shell formation.
Some special usage examples
Next to the pulpit listed below, the sculptures by the Großlobminger master (Belvedere, Vienna). There is also a Pietà from the pilgrimage church Maria am Anger in Krenstetten ( Lower Austria ), the “Judenburger Madonna” (1420–1425) from the parish church of St. Nikolaus in Judenburg ( Styria ), a sculpture of St. Dorothea (around 1410) of the parish church of Steyr ( Upper Austria ).
The Passion Reliefs of St. Stephan
Andreas Rohatsch describes "... on two reliefs - Christ in front of Caiaphas and the crowning of thorns - rock fragments the size of a thumbnail could be removed for microscopic geological investigations". As early as 1949, Alois Kieslinger determined what could be checked and verified as "undoubtedly Breitenbrunner" . The particularly finely executed sculptural work from the early 16th century made special demands in terms of fine grain, homogeneity and easy workability.
The pulpit in St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna
The pulpit , which was built between 1510 and 1515, aroused general admiration from the outset because of the indescribably delicate, for stone work hardly understandable execution of its tendrils and figures. Given the delicacy of the forms, damage was inevitable. Older restorations are recorded from 1597 and 1652. The old structure of the pulpit is made of a very fine-grained, yellowish-white Leithak limestone , of which individual pieces have a certain resemblance to fine Margarethen stone , but differ from them by their incomparably lower hardness. Other parts, such as the parapet with Pope Gregory , are made of a completely white stone. Both varieties connected to each other by all transitions are to be addressed as Breitenbrunner stone . The determination of the stones was made particularly difficult by the fact that most of their surface had become very yellow due to remnants of old paint, and in places deep brown; on the other hand, almost no fresh fracture surfaces were accessible.
It seems incomprehensible how it was technically possible to work out these delicate forms on the pulpit in such a fine way. The whole work consists of only a few large blocks. The substructure consists of only three large stone blocks. The pulpit parapet consists of four work pieces. Within each of these four workpieces, everything, the canopy with the parapet and the portrait bust, is carved out of the same block.
The technical virtuosity of the base, which is carved out of three blocks of stone and not made up of individual parts, suggests a division of labor between sculptor and stonemason, as is the case with such a complex work of art. The drawing of a sacrament house in the cathedral, which is no longer there, with great resemblance to the pulpit, has the contemporary inscription "Michel Fröschl die zeit paw maister hie zu Wien" and refers to the stonemason who has been in office since 1517 as parlier and since 1526 as master builder .
Court Opera
Stone material that can be used for the construction of the court opera , report from November 5, 1863:
“ Wöllersdorfer Stein , hard and medium-hard Kaiserstein , Kelheimer Stein , Joiser Stein, Sóskúter Stein and Breitenbrunner Stein were tested. The Kelheim stone was chosen as the main stone. The Breitenbrunner could be delivered in three qualities: "
- "The" ordinary "one, very similar in color to the Kelheimer, but a bit more porous and not stable, can therefore be used very well where it is protected against strong pressure or wear."
- "The" sculpting stone "of the same color, very fine-grained, malleable, weather-resistant and also more stable, can be recommended for use next to the Kehlheim stone."
- "The" Bodenstein ", similar to the latter, only stronger, is even closer to the good Kehlheimer."
Visit of the Breitenbrunn quarries
In order to meet the schedule, it was necessary to accelerate construction work. Franz Wilt, kk head of the building inspection reported to the kk state ministry on April 7, 1864:
“... on March 24th the inspection took place in the company of Professor von Sicardsburg and it was found that very little had been done last winter. Contracts were concluded with the local quarry owners Winkler and Putz for the delivery of a total of 5,000 cubic feet per month , and as a result the Breitenbrunn quarries are also operated lively. "
Protocol in the building chancellery of the court opera house
The master stonemasons stated on October 7, 1864: “Because of the difficulties in supplying the Kehlheim stone in such large quantities and in such a short time, it should be permitted to use the Breitenbrunn stone. Mr. Wilt demanded that at least a particularly careful selection of the best quality be observed and that all pieces that are too soft should be eliminated. "
townhall of Vienna
Due to the resolutions of the Vienna City Council in the years 1874–1877, deliveries of Breitenbrunn rough and sculpted stone were made. Ferdinand Krukenfellner , Kaisersteinbruch master stonemason, was the owner of the quarry in Breitenbrunn, Blumenstingl, with an annual yield of 400 m³ sand-lime brick . A white, medium-fine to fine, non-polishable, soft stone, usable for figure stones, ornaments , ashlar cladding on facades , altars, which was installed in the court opera, the court museums, in the Hofburg on Michaelerplatz , in the town hall.
Mahen Theater in Brno
The former German City Theater in Brno was built in the historicist style by the architects Fellner and Helmer . Quarry owner Ludwig Winkler in Breitenbrunn-Blumenstingl in a letter of reply to the Brno master Johann Lang on November 12th, 1881: "... the pieces that you tell me are not to be delivered, because it is not even a wagon that carries so heavily ..." "... I cannot determine the delivery time in winter now, because it can snow us four to six weeks ..." The Viennese sculptor Franz Schönthaler wrote on November 22nd, 1881: "... you asked for smaller dimensions, immediately send the possible smaller ones, whereby the Number of pieces is increased from 13 to 19 ".
literature
- Fritz Damerius: Breitenbrunn, history and stories , author publisher Gerbgruben. Quarry S 365-379 ISBN 3-902119-03-9 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ L. von Roth: Geological Notes from the Leithagebirge . In: Földtani Közlöny (notification of the Royal Hungarian Geological Institute ), Vol. XIII, 1883, pp. 257–264.
- ^ Karl Uhlirz : The invoices of the church master's office of St. Stephan in Vienna , Vienna 1902.
- ↑ Andreas Rohatsch: The Passion Reliefs of St. Stephan - an important example of use for the Breitenbrunn sculptural stone . In: Endangered - Preserved - Presented. The Passion Reliefs from St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna , edited by Agnes Husslein-Arco and Veronika Pirker-Aurenhammer, Bundesdenkmalamt and Belvedere , 2009. P. 94f.
- ^ Alois Kieslinger : Die Steine von St. Stephan, Verlag Herold Wien 1949, p. 266ff.
- ↑ Administrative archive , city expansion fund Hofoper fasc. 107, Report: BauComité of the kkHofoper to the State Ministry
- ↑ Material for further construction up to the floor level of the ground floor , possibly the raised ground floor
- ↑ Felix Karrer : Guide to the materials collection of the Imperial Natural History Court Museum , Vienna 1892, City Theater Brno: groups of figures neogenem calcareous sandstone of Breitenbrunn, passages of stairs in Nulliporenkalk of Kaisersteinbruch ..
- ^ Archives of the City of Brno, registry 1851–1896, box 465, inventory number 1366.
- ↑ Helmuth Furch : Former. German city theater in Brno, stone carving Kaisersteinbruch and Breitenbrunn . In: Communications of the Kaisersteinbruch Museum and Culture Association , No. 46, June 1997. S 36-44. ISBN 978-3-9504555-3-3 .