The treatment of roof timbering with flame retardants during World War Two, and the resulting maceration damage, represent a problem which affects the roofs of many historical buildings, in Germany as well as the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Luxembourg, Belgium and Poland. Nearly all roofs of large medieval churches and other historical monuments in the former »Reich« territories were treated with fire prevention salts between 1942 and 1945.
As a result the wooden outer surfaces demonstrate a wool-like fraying which can extend to a reduction of the timber cross-section. From the results of the research project »Maceration of Historical Roofing – Development and Testing of a Rapid Test Method« (»Forschungsprojekt Mazeration historischer Dachkonstruktionen – Entwicklung und Erprobung eines Schnelltestverfahrens, MATE«), it is projected that existing renovation efforts in roofing threatened by maceration will be evaluated, modified where appropriate and further developed.
The goal is an affordable, effective and heritage-compatible process to guarantee the long-term preservation of the often centuries-old structures. One of the structures under investigation is the roof timbering of the Naumburg cathedral.
In the laboratory of the Institute for Diagnostics and Preservation (Institut für Diagnostik und Konservierung, IDK) an extended test is underway which attempts to reconstruct the damage process in contaminated wood samples. The goal of the current MATEKUR project is a renovation guideline which will apply the results of the MATE work to construction practices and formulate recommendations for future renovation.
Project Operation:
Vereinigte Domstifter zu Merseburg und Naumburg und des Kollegiatstifts Zeitz
Domplatz 16/17
06618 Naumburg (Saale)
Contact:
Dr. Insa Christiane Hennen
hennen.hennen@t-online.de
h.kunde@vereinigtedomstifter.de
www.vereinigtedomstifter.de
Ref. 26267/29223
