The brick is the oldest prefabricated building element, and is moulded from clay-filled loam (brickearth) and baked in ovens. Dimensions varied from country to country: 'cloister' (larger) and 'empire' (smaller) sizes in Germany, old Austrian sizes with emblems of Austro-Hungarian brickmakers, and different French sizes that were not only used in floors and walls, but also as housing for fireplaces.