Nicolaus Fialkowski, Franz Sales Meyer, ellipses, ovals

This lecture focuses on historical methods of constructing ellipsesand oval shapes, as documented in the works of Franz Sales Meyer andNicolaus Fialkowski. In his renowned Handbook of Ornament, Franz SalesMeyer presents not only ornamental elements but also devotes a section to theconstructions of ellipses and ellipsoids, which were essential for designing morecomplex forms in architecture and decorative arts. Nicolaus Fialkowski, in hiscomprehensive textbook Die Zeichnende Geometrie, offers a systematicoverview of both classical and lesser-known methods for constructing ellipses,often based on the practical use of circles and arcs. The lecture will introduceselected methods from both a theoretical perspective and through practicaldemonstrations, with an emphasis on their application in geometry educationand the potential integration with digital tools such as GeoGebra.

This lecture focuses on historical methods of constructing ellipsesand oval shapes, as documented in the works of Franz Sales Meyer andNicolaus Fialkowski. In his renowned Handbook of Ornament, Franz SalesMeyer presents not only ornamental elements but also devotes a section to theconstructions of ellipses and ellipsoids, which were essential for designing morecomplex forms in architecture and decorative arts. Nicolaus Fialkowski, in hiscomprehensive textbook Die Zeichnende Geometrie, offers a systematicoverview of both classical and lesser-known methods for constructing ellipses,often based on the practical use of circles and arcs. The lecture will introduceselected methods from both a theoretical perspective and through practicaldemonstrations, with an emphasis on their application in geometry educationand the potential integration with digital tools such as GeoGebra.