Der arme Mann und der grosse Turm: ethisches, ökonomisches und rechtliches Denken bei Kirchenbauprojekten des Spätmittelalters

In both their variety and the heights they reach, the Gothic church towers of the Late Middle Ages constitute a distinct feature of the European history. This seems all the more remarkable since that epoch has been frequently described as a time of crisis, when the populace was regularly afflicted with wars, plagues and natural disasters. The enormous financial means expended on building towers that reached for the heavens were consequently unavailable for the poor relief, one of the most important Christian virtues. Control over the flow of money was the prerogative of the respective church councils. The article descricbes some of the pragmatic approaches for dealing with such ethical considerations as well as the positions elaborated in the canon law.