Artist symposia are a widespread phenomenon in international cultural life. For the first time, a small group of sculptors met in 1959 for the Symposium of European Sculptors in an Austrian quarry. This study identifies the factors that led to the emergence, concretization, and changes in the idea of sculptor symposia. Finally, a characterization of this multifaceted phenomenon is presented in five steps. Excerpts from conversations the author had with participants complement the reconstruction and reveal controversial attitudes and experiences. To capture the wealth of information, a database structure was created; printouts of the stored data as well as the complete transcripts of the conversations are included on the accompanying CD-ROM. This book contains a summary in English and Japanese.