The mosaic cross by Claus Kilian (*1928) is attached to the exterior façade of the rectory of St. Martin’s Church in Hildesheim-Himmelsthür. The high-quality mosaic was made from smalt, gold, limestone and marble tessarae and depicts a typical scene from the life of St. Martin.
The mosaic, which was only created in 1995, was in a very desolate condition. The mosaic, which was glued to a plastic mesh, was peeling off in numerous places. It had already been glued again in various places. The adhesive used is probably not suitable for outdoor use. As the structure of the substrate and the adhesive used were the cause of the damage, the mosaic had to be removed from the wall, applied to a new substrate and reattached in its original position.
You can find out more about the removal, the new backing material and the fixing agent in RESTAURO 03.2014.
Photos (from top to bottom): Beate Skasa-Lindermeir, Rolf Gollnick