The perspective of modernity, and even more so the current architectural criticism, shapes the image of the architect today: he is primarily seen as an artist and creator, sometimes even as a star. Autonomy has long been the guiding principle. "Service to society" is no longer part of the debate. Throughout the 19th century up to Gropius' Bauhaus Manifesto (1919), there was a call for the architect as a leading figure. Even before this time, the cult of genius not only promoted autonomy but also the inviolability of the artist. Both the cultural space north of the Alps and the period around 1700 provide a context for examining the change in the status and significance of the architect. This volume documents the results of the Seventh International Baroque Summer Course of the Werner Oechslin Library Foundation in Einsiedeln. It deals with the competencies.