The material, published in numerous registers, comprises all writings older than 1650 on durable materials such as stone, metal, wood, glass, leather etc. having a generally monumental character in form and content. The aims of the project are principally philological, the establishment and publication of critical texts with commentary as source-materials for almost all branches of history, ethnography and many other subjects.
Inscriptions are a cultural asset particularly threatened by environmental factors.
By undertaking photographic documentation as part of the recording process the Commission is performing an increasingly important role in their protection and preservation. M nchen, Frauenkirche.