Places of Transition. Portals of Medieval Churches

Portals of medieval church buildings define a place of transformation. Not only on a sacred level are they places of transition from an earthly to a heavenly sphere, for they also fulfil profane functions, for example as places of justice or the scenery for worldly actions.

Yet the portals usually not only define these places, they also stage them. Due to their architectural structure, their iconographic program and their location at the building, they function as "signposts" into the church space and as "indicators" for their respective different requirements for use.

Dr. des. Andreas Waschbüsch will trace these complex visualization strategies of these "Places of Transition" using striking examples to illustrate the different levels of their meanings and functions.