illustrate the strong scientific potential and versatility of this now well-established
research strategy in environmental research.
1.2 Chirality in a Social and Cultural Context
Chirality as asymmetric feature can be found in many facets and artefacts of human
culture throughout the history. One of the most prominent symbolic features in a
religious context is the swastika (Fig. 1.1), which has its origin from the ancient
Armenian astrological maps and later adopted in various shapes by the East-Asian
religions. The swastika symbol was also misused by the national socialistic movement in Germany in the period 1930–1945 as their ideological emblem. Please note
that the clockwise symbol (swastika) symbolises prosperity and good luck, while the
counterclockwise symbol (sauvastika) represents night or tantric aspects of the
goddess Kali (the destroyer or evil force in the Hindu religion). This symbolic
contrast is in accordance with the asymmetric feature of chirality.
Even in the old kingdom of upper and lower Egypt, many examples of burial
chambers, be it mural paintings depicting significant events, inscribed stelae or
tablets, have been excavated that show an astonishing proximity to our modern
approach to chirality. In Fig. 1.2, an example is given of a stele that exhibits
Fig. 1.1 Religious and
social symbols of swastika
(left hand) and the Hindu
symbol of sauvastika (right
hand)
Fig. 1.2 Hieroglyphs
carved out of stone on a stele
outside the Pergamon
museum, Berlin, Germany
(courtesy Erika and Katja
Hühnerfuss)
2
1 Introduction
research strategy in environmental research.
1.2 Chirality in a Social and Cultural Context
Chirality as asymmetric feature can be found in many facets and artefacts of human
culture throughout the history. One of the most prominent symbolic features in a
religious context is the swastika (Fig. 1.1), which has its origin from the ancient
Armenian astrological maps and later adopted in various shapes by the East-Asian
religions. The swastika symbol was also misused by the national socialistic movement in Germany in the period 1930–1945 as their ideological emblem. Please note
that the clockwise symbol (swastika) symbolises prosperity and good luck, while the
counterclockwise symbol (sauvastika) represents night or tantric aspects of the
goddess Kali (the destroyer or evil force in the Hindu religion). This symbolic
contrast is in accordance with the asymmetric feature of chirality.
Even in the old kingdom of upper and lower Egypt, many examples of burial
chambers, be it mural paintings depicting significant events, inscribed stelae or
tablets, have been excavated that show an astonishing proximity to our modern
approach to chirality. In Fig. 1.2, an example is given of a stele that exhibits
Fig. 1.1 Religious and
social symbols of swastika
(left hand) and the Hindu
symbol of sauvastika (right
hand)
Fig. 1.2 Hieroglyphs
carved out of stone on a stele
outside the Pergamon
museum, Berlin, Germany
(courtesy Erika and Katja
Hühnerfuss)
2
1 Introduction