The reflection of German history in architecture is a hallmark of this country. Literally every stage of its historical development was accompanied by the emergence of new architectural trends and ideas. That is why modern tourists are so interested in visiting local attractions that are ready to open a knowledgeable person a lot of interesting things about the country and its people. Gothic style in German architecture is the most significant and original. It began to develop much later than in France, but so merged with the cultural traditions of the country that for many years it was considered to be its product. Today we will tell you the most interesting facts about the architecture of Germany, especially highlighting the German Gothic, famous throughout the world for its magnificent temples.
A few words about the cultural heritage of the country
German architecture evolved and developed under the influence of geographical and historical features. The fact is that most of the country's territories have long been under the rule of unit princes, which are at war with each other.
This contributed to the development of diverse trends in German architecture. Each city was built in its own style, which was impossible to repeat in another locality. All this allows us to talk about the national architecture of Germany, the style of which has been developed for many years by masters trained in France and Italy.
It is sad that during the Second World War the country lost most of its historical monuments. They had to be restored as soon as possible, so some attractions have not returned to their original appearance. Modern architecture is close to modern architecture in Germany, it was he who was taken as the basis for the construction of cities in the second half of the twentieth century. Until now, most of the new buildings belong to this style.
Gothic: a brief description
Gothic began to take shape in a separate and specific style around the beginning of the twelfth century. In this period of the late Middle Ages, people had already accumulated considerable experience and knowledge, allowing a fresh look at the construction of buildings. Most architects confidently used the experience of ancient mathematicians, and their knowledge of geometry made it possible to otherwise model space. This gradually led to the fact that the Romanesque style that reigned throughout Europe began to give way to something new, based on completely different concepts.
Interestingly, the term "Gothic" itself appeared much later. It appeared as a contemptuous designation of the line between the great culture and heritage of Ancient Rome and the new trend that barbarians introduced to Europe. Most of them had the nickname "Goths", so the same eloquent name was attached to the new style.
Gothic architecture: a general description
Gothic implies the construction of buildings that seem to carry uncontrollable ideas and soar up to heaven, testifying to the greatness of man. For such buildings, very competent drawings and an abundance of building materials were required. The tree was replaced by a stone, which allowed to realize all the ideas of architects and was resistant to frequent fires in European cities at that time.
Interestingly, Gothic architecture alone became the impetus for numerous inventions. Indeed, during the construction it was necessary to raise the overall height of the overall stone blocks, which required processing with various iron tools. In parallel, builders had to create new mixtures based on lime and sand, capable of firmly holding stones together.
A great achievement of Gothic masters is the invention of the frame system. It allowed calculating the support points of massive structures in such a way as to reduce the number of columns, raise windows and let in as much light as possible. This approach was a real find for the cathedrals, which were able to combine the halls with each other to make the rooms more luxurious and impressive.
Naturally, in every European country a new style acquired its own characteristics. Gothic architecture in Germany showed itself most vividly. All the main characteristics of the style transformed into something new, which has become the hallmark of the country. Surprisingly, even the Germans themselves for many years believed that Gothic was born in their country and only then spread throughout Europe. Looking at the magnificent cathedrals erected by German masters, it may seem that they were not far from the truth - Gothic has become a real reflection of German culture and traditions.
Gothic in Germany: architecture
It is worth noting that the new direction captured the minds of German masters much more slowly than it did in England and France. In these countries, Gothic took shape in the twelfth century, and in Germany the first buildings with elements taken from this style appeared only at the end of the thirteenth.
France had a great influence on German architecture, it was from here that the masters came, inspired and admired by Gothic ideas. Thanks to them, the first buildings with elements of a new style appeared. They are still difficult to attribute to the full-fledged buildings of the Gothic architecture of Germany, but they have become a kind of transitional stage from the Romanesque style. During this period, such masterpieces appeared as the Church of St. Michael, the chapel of St. Bartholomew and the Cathedral of St. Kilian.
Subsequently, these monumental buildings began to be attributed to the Romanesque-Gothic style, which finally lost its relevance by the end of the thirteenth century.
The development and formation of German Gothic architecture
By the beginning of the fourteenth century, German architecture in the Gothic style acquired its bright personality, power and a lot of features borrowed from France. Over time, everything that was taken from other countries and cultures turned into a series of features, which we will discuss in another section of the article.
Contemporaries believe that the most striking building in the true Gothic style was the Church of Our Lady. It began to be built in Tire around the thirtieth year of the thirteenth century. Its hallmark was the layout in the form of a regular cross. Similar constructions were not previously in Germany or in other European countries. The builders placed in the church two chapels symmetrically horizontal of the entire structure. This masterpiece was admired by architects from around the world.
Magdeburg Cathedral and the Church of St. Elizabeth can also be attributed to the heyday of Gothic architecture.
Features of German architecture
German Gothic acquired its special features, which became its hallmark. Among the most notable are the following:
- Strict geometricity. Many historians note that the German architecture of this period is characterized by the incredible simplicity of the lines. Often, cathedrals are compared with monumental fortifications created to protect cities.
- Lack of decoration on the western facade. The French very carefully designed the elements of jewelry, while the Germans avoided the excessive amount of additional elements and preferred clean lines.
- A commitment to one or four towers. In all European countries, the construction of two towers in cathedrals was characteristic of Gothic architecture. German craftsmen went further - their buildings were crowned by one high tower or four, located symmetrically around the perimeter of the cathedral.
- Transfer the entrance to the side facade. For Gothic structures, it is customary to plan the entrance on the central facade, but in Germany most of the buildings had a side entrance. This allowed you to fully enjoy the beauty of the building.
- Brick Gothic. This direction was invented precisely by the inhabitants of Germany and gained distribution in the northern part of the country.
We will tell you more about this.
Brick gothic
A new style in architecture dictated certain conditions when choosing building materials. Those regions that had large deposits of stone and sand were in a favorable position, but in Germany there were serious problems with them. Particularly poor in this regard were the northern regions, which introduced the concept of "brick Gothic".
It is characterized by the construction of monumental buildings of brick. This material could not allow the creation of such magnificent structures that are a reflection of the Gothic style, but in all other respects they fully comply with the given trend.
For example, the church of St. Nicholas can serve as a model of brick Gothic architecture. Interestingly, in regions where brick was used for construction, Gothic structures were replenished with town halls, workshop buildings and even residential buildings.
Cologne Cathedral
The construction of Cologne Cathedral dates back to the heyday of Gothic architecture in Germany. The construction, begun in the middle of the thirteenth century, ended only six hundred years later. This building has become the main symbol of the country, combining a truly German and French Gothic. The author of the pompous project was Gerard von Riehl, who worked on it for more than two years. The architect decided to build a cathedral on the site of an ancient temple of the Roman era, using its foundation. By the time of his death, the talented master managed to see part of the cathedral, which stood in its unfinished state until the middle of the nineteenth century.
The construction was completed by engineer Zwirner, who took as a basis the project of his predecessor, but replaced obsolete materials with new ones. As a result, a cathedral appeared before the inhabitants of the city, having two magnificent towers more than one hundred and fifty meters high, and a base eighty-six meters wide.
Despite the fact that Cologne Cathedral cannot be completely attributed to Gothic architecture, it is still considered by historians to be its most vivid embodiment in German history.
Fourteenth century gothic
It can be said that by the middle of the fourteenth century, most of the monumental structures that amaze the imagination of contemporaries had already been built. In cities and small settlements, completely different buildings in the Gothic style began to appear.
Based on two centuries of experience, the craftsmen began to erect public buildings and dwellings for wealthy citizens. As a cultural heritage, the descendants got town halls, city hall buildings and guild houses.
At the moment, many of them have museums, expositions of which are of great interest to tourists from all over the world.
German Renaissance Architecture
By the beginning of the fifteenth century, the country came in a state of territorial fragmentation. A huge number of principalities fought protracted wars, which seriously impeded the development of a new architectural style.
It is worth noting that it is characteristic of the period from the fifteenth century to the seventeenth. At this time, clear and strict proportions were replaced by an abundance of decor with a certain imitation of antiquity. The revival was accompanied by the development of new technologies that make it possible to use other materials.
Castle construction is typical for this era, because in conditions of armed conflict it is quite difficult to start building something monumental.
Renaissance architecture gave the world castles in Dresden, the town hall in Leipzig, the Church of St. Michael and many other buildings.
A few words in conclusion
We think that from our article it is clear how clearly the history of the country is traced in the architecture of different periods. Many tourists claim that Germany can be studied only by its buildings, each of which is a valuable cultural monument.