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Which world architectural traditions were compared in Entwurf einer historischen Architektur?
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In his seminal work Entwurf einer historischen Architektur (1721), the Austrian architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach produced the first successful comparative study of architecture spanning various eras and nations.12
The book provided a comprehensive historical survey that compared architectural traditions from across the globe, including:
- Egyptian
- Persian
- Greek
- Roman
- Muslim
- Indian
- Chinese architecture2
Fischer von Erlach illustrated these traditions with detailed engravings and explanatory notes, even including archaeological reconstructions that were considered among the best of his time. At the conclusion of this survey, he positioned his own architectural achievements as a logical continuation of the Roman tradition.2