Gothic architecture in Germany

Architecture in Germany : A vast field that began sometime in the turmoil of the battles between the Romans and Germanic tribes, that is, in a time not so long after the beginning of our era. Unfortunately, the Germanic tribes left us no interesting buildings; they didn't yet build, but perhaps simply cobbled together their huts from pieces of wood.

Undoubtedly, some of these dwellings contained artistically interesting pieces, but their durability left much to be desired. Thus, from the following 100 years, we can consider little more than remnants of Roman military installations, and in the next few centuries, more precisely until around the year 800, the area of ​​present-day Germany was constantly embroiled in armed conflicts that brought construction to a standstill.

Around 800, the first pre-Romanesque buildings were erected in German territory under the master builders of Charlemagne ; from the year 1000 onwards, the first Romanesque buildings were built, some of which can still be visited today. Examples of these beginnings of German architecture from antiquity to the Romanesque period are mentioned in the article of the same name.

The transition to the Gothic period, perspective, is fluid; many buildings were begun in the Romanesque style but were only completed in the Gothic period, which followed the Romanesque period.

The period

Gothic architecture originated in France in the 12th century and spread rapidly throughout Europe.

The Gothic period in architecture is divided into Early, High, and Late Gothic. Regional architectural styles clearly define these three distinct phases of Gothic architecture.

France 1140 – 1530

Early Gothic 1140 – 1200
High Gothic 1200 – 1350
Late Gothic 1350 – 1530

Germany 1250 – 1530

Italy 1200 – 1420

What characterizes the Gothic architectural style?

You have surely visited a Gothic church before and been fascinated by its impressive architecture. But how exactly was this architectural style developed, and what techniques were used?

Characteristic of this architectural style are high vaults, pointed arches, and delicate ornamentation . To realize these constructions, new techniques such as the ribbed vault and the buttress developed.

The use of glass windows and rosettes contributed to the beauty and brightness of Gothic churches.

Key design features at a glance:

• Delicate structures
• Perforated exterior walls with finely structured windows
• pointed arches, vaults
• External buttresses for the stability of the building
• Wimperg: Decorative gable above portals and windows
• Tracery as a delicate design element in the geometric form of the windows
• Stained glass windows and rose windows: circular with tracery
• Pinnacle: a slender, flanking small tower that, in Gothic architecture, emphasizes the soaring construction style
• Crab: decorative element in the form of folded leaves along the pinnae
• Gargoyles as an architectural element for draining rainwater

Over time, these techniques were continually refined and perfected, leading to ever larger and more impressive structures. Today, these masterpieces of Gothic architecture are not only religious sites but also significant cultural and historical monuments.

Gothic Architecture in Germany – The Beginnings

The Gothic style originated in France, where buildings began to exhibit characteristics clearly identifiable as Gothic as early as around 1130. Other states of the time followed suit; Italy, Spain, and the countries north of the Alps only began to give their buildings Gothic features from around 1200 onwards.

Early examples of the Gothic style on German soil can be seen at Wartburg Castle and Nuremberg Castle ; both were begun in the 11th century, but only completed when Gothic architecture had already reached Germany.

Magdeburg Cathedral is the first completely Gothic building in Germany , the construction of which began in 1209.

Although Magdeburg Cathedral was begun in 1209 as the first Gothic building, it was not completed until 1520. The cathedral's choir still shows influences of the Late Romanesque style, while the nave is clearly High Gothic. The west towers, however, are typical of the Late Gothic style.

Construction of Freiburg Minster began around 1200. Its spire, only completed around 1340, is considered one of the jewels of Gothic architecture in Germany, and the entire minster is regarded as one of the most important Gothic buildings in Germany.

This long construction period was typical for churches and cathedrals ; entire settlements of craftsmen sprang up around these prominent building sites, organized into workshop associations called lodges. These settlements are familiar from films based on Ken Follett's novels; some of them lasted for a long time, even though the buildings often remained unfinished after centuries of construction.

It was only in the 19th century, during the Romantic and Historicist periods, when the Gothic style was revived and even became fashionable, that several of these magnificent buildings were finally completed. Cologne Cathedral .

Cologne Cathedral was modeled after the cathedrals of Amiens and Beauvais. Construction was repeatedly interrupted over a period of 300 years, so that for a long time the cathedral existed only as a fragment. It was not until 1880 that the west towers could be fully completed, after old Gothic plans were rediscovered. The Gothic decorative gable above the portal of the High Cathedral was also added in the 19th century.

It was only very late that Cologne Cathedral truly became the second largest Gothic cathedral in the world Milan Cathedral

Ulm Minster also suffered a very long construction halt, and was only completed towards the end of the 19th century. However, when it was finally finished in 1890, the architects were very skilled; the minster's tower, at almost 162 meters high, was the tallest church tower in the world at the time and still is today.

North German Brick Gothic

Around the Baltic coast, we can admire magnificent examples of so-called Brick Gothic , such as the Stralsund Town Hall or St. Nicholas Church. This regional variant of the Gothic style is clearly characteristic of several towns in this district; in Stralsund and Lübeck, in Wismar, Rostock, and Greifswald, we find the red brick buildings.

They originally arose out of necessity, due to the scarcity of natural stone in coastal regions, but they developed their own unique forms, as it was only the production of bricks that led to this distinctive shaping of the building blocks. A fine example is St. Mary's Church in Lübeck, which was built between 1200 and 1350.

St. Peter's Church in Rostock is a historical gem and the oldest fishermen's church in the city. First documented in 1252, it is a true treasure of the past. Although the basilica, which lacks a transept, was heavily damaged in World War II, it has been carefully and gradually rebuilt since the 1960s.

A particular highlight is the Gothic spire, which was restored in the 1990s and, with its imposing height of 117 meters, dominates the Rostock skyline. A visit to St. Peter's Church is an unforgettable experience and a must for every history enthusiast.

In 13th-century Germany, Gothic architecture was primarily characterized by the construction of churches that still incorporated elements of the Romanesque style. Particularly impressive are the Gothic cathedrals, such as the one in Strasbourg, built between 1245 and 1275. Although Strasbourg is now part of France, the construction of the cathedral is attributed to German Gothic architecture.

This led to a race to build ever larger churches and cathedrals , such as Cologne Cathedral, which is larger than the cathedral of Amiens in France.

In Germany, many churches were also built that were part of monasteries or collegiate churches and are called minsters. Examples include the minsters in Freiburg im Breisgau, Ulm, Basel, and Strasbourg. Aachen Cathedral held particular significance as the coronation church for German kings from 936 to 1531, where 31 kings were crowned.

While previously the most important buildings had always been churches, in the Gothic era the first sensational secular buildings erected, the first town halls and the first guildhalls were built, and bore witness to the rise of the bourgeoisie.

Construction of Stralsund's town hall began around 1350, and Bremen's town hall The latter, however, was completely redesigned during the Renaissance when its entire facade was renovated.

Around this time, the first residential buildings were also built, almost always half-timbered buildings , some of which can still be admired today, e.g. in Goslar or in Quedlinburg, which was declared a World Heritage Site in its entirety.

Important Gothic master builders

Some of the most important architects of the Gothic period achieved great fame and left impressive traces in architectural history that are still evident today.

These outstanding personalities include, among others, the architect of the famous Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, Pierre de Montreuil , as well as the members of the esteemed Parler family of builders , who were significantly involved in the construction of numerous minsters and cathedrals.

Interestingly, the family name Parler evolved over time into the term " polisher," . Master builders always marked their works with a stonemason's mark, which allows conclusions to be drawn about the builder of the structure.

While in earlier eras every single stone was marked with such a symbol, in Gothic architecture it was customary for one stone to be marked with the corresponding symbol on behalf of the master builder.