German architecture

From the Roman Empire, which once occupied most of today's Federal Republic of Germany, the watch towers of Limes Romanus , once standing on the border of Ancient Rome and marking the borders of the Roman Empire, remained in the country. In addition to military structures, such as forts and military towns built by the Romans and other border fortifications, resorts , bridges and amphitheaters remained from the Roman Empire.

In the year 15 BC e. the Roman emperor Octavian Augustus founded the city of Trier on the banks of the Moselle River, which is now the oldest city in Germany. In the city of Trier , the ancient city gate has been preserved. Thermal springs, the Roman Bridge and the Basilica of Constantine (reconstruction) have also been preserved from those times.

With the departure of the Romans, their achievements in architecture, such as water supply, heating, windows, glass in Germany disappeared.

The Doroman period in the art of Western Europe is associated with the kingdom of the Merovingians , the Carolingian Renaissance of the late 8th - early 11th century. The German buildings of this period include Lorsch Abbey . The building combines the elements of the Roman Arc de Triomphe (aisles, half-columns) with the Teutonic heritage (arkatura, polychrome brickwork).

Famous churches of this period include the Church of the Abbey of St. Michael , built in 1001-1031 under the direction of Bishop Bernward Hildesheim (993-1022) for the Benedictine monastery . It is built in the so-called Otton (early Roman) style . The Otton period of the Renaissance was an early stage of the Renaissance in Germany, which coincided with the rule of the Holy Roman emperors of the Saxon dynasty , all named Otto: Otto I (936–973), Otto II (973–983), and Otto III (983–1002 )

The Romanesque period (from the 10th to the beginning of the 13th century) in German architecture is characterized by semicircular arches, small paired windows, and steep vaults of houses. The most significant building of this period in Germany is the Speyer Cathedral . It was built in several stages since 1030, and in the 11th century it was the largest building in the Christian world and an architectural symbol of the power of the Salian dynasty, the dynasty of four German monarchs (1024-1125).

Worms and Mainz cathedrals became a model of the Romanesque style. At that time, many monasteries were founded in Germany, especially in Saxony-Anhalt . Of particular importance are the church of St. Servatius in Quedlinburg , Lübeck Cathedral , Braunschweig Cathedral , Trier Cathedral and Bamberg Cathedral , whose construction phase was already in the Gothic period.

Maulbronn Abbey is an example of Cistercian architecture. It was built between the 12th and 15th centuries, and includes Gothic elements. In the 11th century, the construction of numerous fortresses began in Germany, at which time the famous Wartburg Castle was built, later rebuilt in the Gothic style.

Gothic architecture flourished during the high and late Middle Ages . It evolved from Romanesque architecture . The first Gothic buildings in Germany were built in 1230, for example, the Church of the Virgin Mary (in German the Church of Our Lady ) approx. 1233-1283 - Trier , which is one of the most important early Gothic cathedrals in Germany and built in the architectural traditions of French Gothic .

The Freiburg Cathedral was built in three stages, the first in 1120 - built by the Dukes of Zeringen , the second began in 1210, and the third in 1230. Its 116-meter tower, as Jacob Burkhardt has repeatedly claimed, is the most beautiful in Christian architecture. The tower is almost square at the base, in the center - in the shape of a star. Upstairs is a conical spire. This is the only Gothic tower in Germany that was built in the Middle Ages (1330) and survived the 1944 bombing that destroyed all houses in the western and northern parts of Frankfurt.

Cologne Cathedral is the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. Its construction began in 1248 and was carried out intermittently until 1880, for more than 600 years. The height of the cathedral is 144.5 m, the width is 86.5 m. The cathedral has two towers 157 meters high. ^{[1] [2]}

Brick Gothic ( German Backsteingotik ) - a specific style of Gothic architecture, common in Northern Europe , especially in Northern Germany and the Baltic regions that do not have natural stone resources. For the construction they used only bricks . The Stralsund Town Hall and St. Nicholas Church are examples of this style. Cities such as Lübeck , Rostock , Wismar , Stralsund , Greifswald and cities on the territory of modern Northern and Western Poland were built in this style. An example of North German churches is the St. Mary's Church in Lübeck, built between 1200 and 1350.

The construction of Gothic temples in Germany was accompanied by the construction of a guild house and the construction of town halls. An example is the Gothic Town Hall (13th century) in Stralsund , the town hall of Bremen (1410) and (City Hall of Munster (originally from 1350).

Dwellings of this period can be seen in Goslar and Quedlinburg .

Renaissance architecture dates back to the early 15th and early 17th centuries. The earliest example of Renaissance architecture in Germany is the Fugger Chapel in St. Anne's Church in Augsburg. Banker Jacob Fugger built it as a tomb for his family.

At that time, Germany was fragmented into many principalities that led armed conflicts. In some principalities, such as Torgau and Aschaffenburg and Landshut , Renaissance architecture was born. An example is Trausnitz Castle courtyard and Landshut Residence in the city center, built by masters of the Italian Renaissance.

The Church of St. Michael in Munich (early 1581) is an important building of the Renaissance. At the same time, the Heidelberg Castle with the characteristic Renaissance facades, the building of the Augsburg City Hall , built in 1614-1620 by the Augsburg architect Elias Hall , were built.

In the Weser region of Germany there are numerous castles and manor houses in the Weser Renaissance style. Renaissance-style examples include castles in the cities of Lemgo and Hameln , Wolfenbüttel Castle from Guelfs and the evangelical church of Maria Beatae Virginis.

In Thuringia and Saxony , many churches and palaces were built in the Renaissance style, for example, William Castle, Schmalkalden Castle, St. Catherine's Church, Gotha Castle, Town Hall in Leipzig, Freiberg Cathedral, castles in Dresden and Görlitz. Gustrow Castle and the church of St. Nicholas, rich in interiors, were built in Northern Germany.

Baroque in architecture, begun in the early 17th century in Italy, expressed the triumph of the absolutist state and the church. Baroque was directly linked to the Counter-Reformation , a reform movement in the Catholic Church in response to the Protestant Reformation .

The baroque style spread in Germany after the Thirty Years War . Buildings in this style were built according to the French model, imitating the buildings of Louis XIV at Versailles . An example of buildings built in Germany is the palace and park complex of four Zwinger buildings in Dresden , built by Matteus Pöppelmann from 1709 to 1728, originally for holding court holidays.

The interaction of architecture, sculpture and painting is one of the most important elements of Baroque architecture. An important example is the Würzburg residence of the emperor, whose construction began under the leadership of Johann Balthazar Neumann in 1720. The frescoes on the stairs were made by the artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo from 1751 to 1753.

Other famous Baroque palaces are the New Palace in Potsdam , the Charlottenburg Castle in Berlin , the Weissenstein Castle in Pommersfelden and the Augustusburg Palace in Bruhl , whose interior is partially decorated in the Rococo style .

In the Rococo style, the late Baroque stage, the decorations became more plentiful with bright colors. An example is the Sanssouci Palace , built in 1745-1747, which was the summer palace of Frederick the Great , King of Prussia , in Potsdam , near Berlin .

Also known are the Baroque Church of the Benedictine Abbey Ottobeuren , Veltenburg Monastery, Ettal Abbey and St. John's Church, called Asam Church in Munich. Other examples of Baroque church architecture are the Vierzehnheiligen Basilica in Upper Franconia and the restored Frauenkirche in Dresden, created by architect Georg Baer in 1722-1743.

Classicism spread to Germany in the second half of the 18th century. He drew inspiration from ancient architecture as a reaction to the Baroque style in architecture and landscape design .

The park kingdom of Dessau-Wörlitz - one of the first and largest English parks in Germany, was created in the late 18th century under the regency of the Duke Leopold III of Anhalt-Dessau (1740-1817), after returning from the Grand Tour in Italy, the Netherlands, England, France and Switzerland with his friend architect Frederick Wilhelm von Erdmannsdorf .

The Brandenburg Gate , commissioned by King Frederick William II of Prussia in peace, designed by Karl Gotthard Langhans in 1791, is one of the most famous monuments of classicism in Germany. The Brandenburg Gate was restored in 2000-2002 by the German foundation Denkmalschutz (Berlin Nature Conservation Fund). ^[3] Currently, they are considered one of the most famous European attractions.

The most significant architect of this style in Germany was Karl Friedrich Schinkel . Schinkel avoided the style that was associated with the recent French occupiers. Its most famous buildings are in Berlin. This is Neue Wache (1816–1818), the Berlin Drama Theater (1819–1821) on Gendarmenmarkt Square , which replaced the previous theater that was destroyed by fire in 1817 and the Old Museum on Museum Island (1823–1830).

Another prominent representative of the Greek style, Leo von Klenze (1784-1864), was the court architect of the Bavarian King Ludwig I. Ludwig's passion for Hellenism inspired von Klenze, who built many neoclassical buildings in Munich , including the Ruhmeshalle and the English Garden . At Koenigsplatz, he created his most famous modern Hellenistic architectural ensemble. Near Regensburg, he built the Valhalla Temple , named after Valhalla , the abode of the gods in Norse mythology.

Another important building of this period is Wilhelm Castle in Kassel (early 1786).

Historicism ( historismus ), sometimes known as eclecticism , is an artistic and architectural style that draws inspiration from historical styles. After Neo-Classicism, a new historical style emerged in the mid-19th century, marking a return to earlier classicism in architecture and painting .

An important architect of this period was Gottfried Semper , who built the gallery (1855) in Zwinger and the Semper Opera House (1878) in Dresden . Semper’s buildings feature elements of the Renaissance , Baroque, and even Corinthian style columns typical of classical Greece. ^{[4] [5]}

There are regional variations of historical style in Germany. Examples are resort architecture (especially in CF on the German Baltic coast), the Hanover School of Architecture and the Nuremberg style.

Addiction to medieval buildings was reflected in the Neuschwanstein Castle , which Ludwig II built in 1869. Neuschwanstein Castle was designed by architect Christian Janke, a theater decorator, which perhaps explains the fantastic nature of the resulting building. The architectural option, vital for such a building in the highlands, was first presented by the Munich court architect Eduar Riedel, and later by Georg von Dolman, the son-in-law of Leo von Klenze.

Ulm Cathedral and the Reichstag Building (1894) by architect Paul Wallot are also known.

The German Art Nouveau is known in Germany under its German name Art Nouveau . This name is taken from the art magazine, Die Jugend, which was published in Munich and supported the new art movement. Two other magazines, Simplicissimus, published in Munich, and Pan, published in Berlin, supported Art Nouveau supporters. There were two main centers of the Art Nouveau style - in Munich and Darmstadt.

Borrowing elements of traditional German engraving , the style uses sharp edges - an element that was significantly different from smooth lines in the modern style. Henry Van de Velde , who worked most of his career in Germany, was a Belgian theorist who influenced many works in this style, including the work of Peter Behrens , Hermann Obrist and Richard Riemerschmid , designer August Endel and others. ^[6]

A distinctive character of modern architecture is the lack of ornament on buildings. Style in architecture follows the slogans: ornament is a crime , form follows function and at home - these are “cars for housing”. These slogans have been adopted by many influential architects. Modernism has become the dominant architectural style in building construction for three decades.

The initial impulse for modernist architecture in Germany was given by the need for industrial construction, for example, the hall in Berlin, the architect Peter Behrens (1908-1909), the shoe factory, the architect Walter Gropius in Alfeld am Lane (1911-1914). During this period (1915) the construction of the first skyscraper in the city of Jena began .

Famous is the Einstein Tower , an astrophysical observatory in the Albert Einstein Science Park in Potsdam , Germany , which was designed by architect Erich Mendelssohn .

In times of inflation and economic hardships, the Bauhaus was looking for opportunities to build buildings with an economical, functional, and modern design at the Higher School of Construction and Art Design. Such buildings were houses built in Weimar in 1923. This is Haus AM Horn by architects Georg Much and Adolf Meyer .

When the Nazis came to power in 1932, the Bauhaus High School was closed. After that, many representatives of the school went around the world, many settled in the United States. In 1927, one of the first and most defining manifestations of international style was the Weissenhof building in Stuttgart.

A number of residential complexes have been built, which have become important buildings of the modernist period. These include the Berlin quarters of the modern era built in Berlin in 1930 by the architect Bruno Taut and Martin Wagner during the Weimar Republic , the Zolferain Mine in Essen , built from 1927 to 1932 by the architects Fritz Schupp and Martin Kremmer.

The architecture of the Third Reich (1933-1945), led by the chief architect Albert Speer, was engaged in propaganda of the Reich policy. The most famous building of Albert Speer was the complex of buildings of the Nazi party in Nuremberg, built in 1938, to the congress of the National Socialist Party. The construction area was more than 11 sq. Km. Fragments of this structure have survived to this day.

The fascist style of architecture is similar to the ancient Roman style in the construction of large and symmetrical buildings with sharp, rounded edges. The buildings and stadiums were large, made of limestone and other durable stones in order to confirm the fullness of the fascist era. Buildings were built almost without decor and with a minimum of design. Hitler and Mussolini used fascist architecture as another source of propaganda to demonstrate the power of the regime to the world. An example of the architecture of the National Socialists was the Olympic Stadium in Berlin for the Olympic Games of 1936.

Hitler hatched plans for the reconstruction of the capital and its transformation into the "World Capital of Germany." Here began the construction of the largest building in the world - “Grosse Halle” (Great Hall), which was supposed to have a height of 290 m and a diameter of 230 m. However, before the start of World War II, construction was suspended ^[7] .

Fascist architecture fell into decay with the defeat of Germany in World War II and the decline of the ideology of fascism. As a result, the post-fascist era did not produce almost any new buildings in this style.

During the strategic bombing of the Allies of World War II, the historical centers of most cities in Germany suffered heavy losses until almost complete destruction. After the war, part of the architectural monuments was restored or reconstructed, often in a simplified form.

In the 1980s, the architectural style of Postmodernism spread in West Germany. The German Museum of Architecture (1984) was built in this style in Frankfurt am Main, and architect Han Hollai built the Museum of Modern Art (1991).

In the 21st century, reconstruction of buildings was resumed in many German cities. Examples of this can be found on the Neumarkte square in Dresden (including the famous Frauenkirche ), in the reconstruction of the Old Town of Frankfurt (house-Roemer), the city ​​palace in Berlin and the old market, the palace in Potsdam , etc.

Neo-expressionism is developing. Sculptural and futuristic structures are erected in this style. An example is the extension to the Jewish Museum in Berlin, the architect Daniel Libeskind and the Media Harbor in Düsseldorf, the architect Frank-O-Gehry. Of interest are the Reichstag dome in Berlin, the architect Norman Foster and the Commerzbank building in Frankfurt am Main.

A new direction in architecture is “Ecological buildings”. Using new technologies and materials, projects of “smart” and “solar houses” of “solar architecture” are developed using automation and computer technology.

• Brick gothic
• Weser Renaissance
• Timber framing
• World Heritage Sites in Germany

General information

• Mathias Wallner und Heike Werner: Architektur und Geschichte in Deutschland. Verlag Werner, München 2006, ISBN 3-9809471-1-4 .
• The universal history of art. In six volumes. Volume 2. The art of the Middle Ages. Book 1. [Djv-ZIP] Edited by B.V. Weimarn and Yu. D. Kolpinsky. M. State Publishing House "Art", 1960.

Antiquity

• Charles Marie Ternes: Römisches Deutschland. Aspekte seiner Geschichte und Kultur . Reclam, Stuttgart 1986, ISBN 3-15-010341-X .

Neo-Romanesque style

• Michael Imhof (Kunsthistoriker), Christoph Winterer: Karl der Große. Leben und Wirkung, Kunst und Architektur. Edition Winterer, Petersberg 2005, ISBN 978-3-932526-61-9 .

Roman style

• Dethard von Winterfeld: Die Kaiserdome Speyerer Dom, Mainzer Dom, Wormser Dom und ihr romanisches Umfeld. Echter Verlag , Würzburg 1993, ISBN 3-429-01489-1 .

Gothic

• Gottfried Kiesow: Wege zur Backsteingotik. Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz, Bonn 2003, ISBN 3-936942-34-X .

Renaissance

• Hans-Joachim Kadatz: Deutsche Renaissancebaukunst. Von der frühbürgerlichen Revolution bis zum Ausgang des Dreißigjährigen Krieges. Verlag für Bauwesen, Berlin 1983 (zugl. Dissertation Humboldt-Universität Berlin 1986).
• Wilfried Koch: Baustilkunde. Europäische Baukunst von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart . Orbis-Verlag, München 1988, ISBN 3-572-05927-5 , S. 216 (Renaissance, Manierismus Deutschland).
• Encyclopedia General History of Architecture. Volume V. Architecture of Western Europe XV-XVI centuries. Renaissance". Editor: V.F. Marcuson. Author: C. Junghans. Moscow, Stroyizdat, 1967.

Baroque

• Stephan Hoppe: Was ist Barock. Architektur und Städtebau Europas 1580-1770. 2. Aufl. Primus-Verlag, Darmstadt 2010, ISBN 978-3-89678-694-4 .
• Hermann Bauer (Kunsthistoriker), Anna Bauer: Johann Baptist Zimmermann und Dominikus Zimmermann. Entstehung und Vollendung des bayerischen Rokoko. Pustet, Regensburg 1985, ISBN 3-7917-0918-6 .

Classicism

• Frank-Andreas Bechtoldt und Thomas Weiss (Hrsg.): Weltbild Wörlitz. Entwurf einer Kulturlandschaft. Hatje, Ostfildern-Ruit 1996, ISBN 3-7757-0603-8 (Katalog der gleichnamigen Ausstellung der Staatlichen Schlösser und Gärten Wörlitz, 21. März bis 2. Juni 1996).

Historicism

• Valentin W. Hammerschmidt: Anspruch und Ausdruck der Architektur des späten Historismus in Deutschland (1860-1914) . Lang, Frankfurt / M. 1985, ISBN 3-8204-8351-9 (zugl. Dissertation, Universität Stuttgart 1984).

Jugenstil

• Stefanie Lieb: Was ist Jugendstil? Eine Analyse der Jugendstilarchitektur 1890-1910 . 2. Aufl. Primus Verlag, Darmstadt 2002, ISBN 978-3-89678-693-7 .

Modern

• Wolfgang Pehnt: Die Architektur des Expressionismus. Hatje, Ostfildern-Ruit 1998, ISBN 3-7757-0668-2 .
• Romana Schneider und Vittorio Magnago Lampugnani (Hrsg.): Moderne Architektur in Deutschland 1900 bis 1950. Expressionismus und Neue Sachlichkeit. Hatje, Ostfildern-Ruit 1994, ISBN 3-7757-0452-3 .
• Romana Schneider und Vittorio Magnago Lampugnani (Hrsg.): Moderne Architektur in Deutschland 1900 bis 1950. Reform und Tradition. Ostfildern-Ruit 1992. ISBN 3-7757-0363-2 .
• Romana Schneider, Winfried Nerdinger und Wilfried Wang (Hrsg.): Architektur im 20. Jahrhundert. Deutschland. Prestel, München 2000, ISBN 3-7913-2293-1 (Katalog der gleichnamigen Ausstellung, Deutsches Architekturmuseum, Frankfurt / M. 25. März bis 25. Juni 2000).
• Winfried Nerdinger und Cornelius Tafel: Architekturführer Deutschland. 20. Jahrhundert. Birkhäuser, Basel 1996, ISBN 3-7643-5315-5 .
• Andreas Butter, Ulrich Hartung (Hrsg.): Ostmoderne. Architektur in Berlin 1945-1965 . JOVIS Verlag, Berlin 2004, ISBN 978-3-936314-41-0 (Katalog der gleichnamigen Ausstellung, Deutscher Werkbund Berlin e. V.).

Architecture during the period of National Socialism

• Romana Schneider und Wilfried Wang (Hrsg.): Moderne Architektur in Deutschland 1900 bis 2000. Macht und Monument. Hatje, Ostfildern-Ruit 1997, ISBN 3-7757-0713-1 , S. 101-161 (Katalog der gleichnamigen Ausstellung, Deutsches Architekturmuseum, Frankfurt / M. 24. Januar bis 5. April 1998).
• Winfried Nerdinger (Hrsg.): Architektur, Macht, Erinnerung. Stellungnahmen 1984-2004 . Prestel, München 2004, ISBN 3-7913-3227-9

Architecture in the GDR

• Romana Schneider und Wilfried Wang (Hrsg.): Moderne Architektur in Deutschland 1900 bis 2000. Macht und Monument. Hatje, Ostfildern-Ruit 1997, ISBN 3-7757-0713-1 , S. 163-231 (Katalog der gleichnamigen Ausstellung, Deutsches Architektur, useum Frankfurt / M. 24. Januar bis 5. April 1998).
• Klaus von Beyme ua (Hrsg.): Neue Städte aus Ruinen. Deutscher Städtebau der Nachkriegszeit. Prestel, München 1992, ISBN 3-7913-1164-6 .
• Werner Durth, Jörn Düwel, Niels Gutschow: Architektur und Städtebau der DDR. Die frühen Jahre . JOVIS Verlag, Berlin 2007, ISBN 978-3-939633-29-7 .

Architecture in Germany

• Winfried Nerdinger ua (Hrsg.): Neue Städte aus Ruinen. Deutscher Städtebau der Nachkriegszeit. Prestel, München 1992, ISBN 3-7913-1164-6 .
• Winfried Nerdinger und Ines Florschütz (Hrsg.): Architektur der Wunderkinder. Aufbruch und Verdrängung in Bayern 1945-1960 . Pustet, Salzburg 2005, ISBN 978-3-7025-0505-9 .
• Wolfgang Jean Stock und Ingeborg Flagge (Hrsg.): Architektur und Demokratie. Bauen für die Politik von der Amerikanische Revolution bis zur Gegenwart . Hatje, Stuttgart 1992, ISBN 3-7757-0402-7 .

Postmodern

• Heinrich Klotz (Hrsg.): Die Revision der Moderne. Postmoderne Architektur. 1960-1980. Prestel, München 1984, ISBN 3-7913-0664-2 (Katalog der gleichnamigen Ausstellung, Deutsches Architekturmuseum, Frankfurt / M. 1. Juni bis 10. Oktober 1984).
• Ingeborg Flagge und Romana Schneider (Hrsg.): Die Revision der Postmoderne. Post-Modernism Revisited. Hamburg 2004. ISBN 3-88506-558-4

Constructivism

• Ingeborg Flagge und Romana Schneider (Hrsg.): Die Revision der Postmoderne. Post-Modernism Revisited. Junius-Verlag, Hamburg 2004, ISBN 3-88506-558-4 .

Modern architecture

• Gert Kähler: Baukultur in Deutschland . Bundesamt für Bauwesen und Raumordnung, Bonn 2002 (2 Bde.).
• Statusbericht Langfassung, Bestandsaufnahme, Tendenzen, Empfehlungen . 2002, ISBN 3-87994-061-4 .
• Prozeßkommunikation, Umfragen, Interviews . 2002, ISBN 3-87994-062-2 .

• German architecture