128 



THE CIVIL ENGIXEEIl AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[A PHIL, 



MEDI.li;VAL BRICK BUILDINGS OF GERMANY. 



On Ihi- Midia'val Brick liuildings in the North-East of Germani/, 

 and on the Co(Uit of the Baltic. By Chahlks Fovvlkr, Jun., Esq. — 

 (Paper read at tlie Royal Institute of British Architects, Feb- 

 ruary 18th.) 



I.v requesting your attention to some of the examples of the 

 Medispval BricK Buildings which we find in the north-east of 

 (iermany, and the adjoining coasts of the Baltic, I can hardly 

 preface my remarks better than by laying before you the observa- 

 tions of one of the best authorities on the history of our art — I 

 mean Dr. Franz Kugler, who, in reference to the buildings in 

 question, says in his Handbook: "The Germanic style is developed 

 in a peculiar manner on the coasts of the Baltic, and in some of 

 the adjoining districts of Germany, viz., Holstein, Mecklenburg, 

 I'omerania, the Old and New Mark Brandenburg, Prussia, Curland, 

 Liefland, and also in the Scandinavian countries. These countries 

 were connected and very much influenced by the confederation of 

 tlie Ilanse towns, and it is probably to this influence that we may 

 ascribe much of the similarity of style visible in the buildings of 

 the districts referred to, though, in some instances, other circum- 

 stances may have concurred to produce many of the peculiarities 

 which we find. The Germanic style of the Baltic countries is 

 distinguished from that development of it which attained the 

 greatest perfection in Western Germany., by its greater simpli- 

 city and massivcness; though it is by no means devoid of artistic 

 feeling, particularly in the bold proportions of the interiors, and 

 externally in a peculiar style of ornament. It has been thought 

 by some that the peculiarities of this style ai-e to be accounted for 

 entirely by the materials principally used in the construction: 

 granite and brick, the former difficult to handle, the latter only 

 obtainable in blocks of very small dimensions; but without wishing 

 altogether to deny this influence of material, we shall more 

 probably find the origin of this simple and peculiar, but effective 

 style of architecture, in the rude but energetic character of the 

 people by whom the monuments in question were erected. The 

 influence of material is more decidedly visible in the decorative 

 parts. 



This peculiar style appears to extend over a considerable tract 

 of country, but its most complete develojjment is found in the Old 

 Mark Brandenburg, and the principal Hanse towns, Hamburg 

 and Lubeck. The earliest buildings in which brick appears as the 

 lirevailing material date their commencement in the latter part of 

 the 12tli century. But it is not till the end of the 13th century 

 that we find any examples of importance, and the style was fully 

 ileveloped during the 14th and down to the middle of the 15th 

 centuries. The earliest examples of this style are, as might be 

 expected, ecclesiastical structures, and the prevailing character of 

 these is, as we have already heard, pim))licity and massiveness. 

 The form of the plan is at first the cross, the choir having a poly- 

 gonal apse with the aisle continued round it, and sometimes also 

 small chapels spreading beyond; the floor of the choir is consider- 

 ably raised, and a crypt formed under it; but the transepts were 

 sometimes omitted, retaining the same arrangement of the choir. 

 The bext examples of this early style are to bo found in the 

 churches of Rive, Odensee, Ringstiidt, Roskilde-on-Zeeland, and 

 the adjoining islands. 



In these examples we find the semi-arch, small windows, and 

 many other features of the Romanesque buildings, with which they 

 are nearly coeval, but probably a little later. But by far the 

 greater number of existing examples belong to a later period, as 

 already mentioned, and these exhibit more peculiar features. The 

 plan now presents nave and aisles only, the choir still terminates 

 jiolygonally, and the aisle is sometimes cnntiinied round it; but 

 frequently the aisles are also closed at the east end by a small 

 apsis, and in this case the choir is continued eastward beyond the 

 aisles; the choir is always marked by being raised a few steps. 

 The space between the wide projecting buttresses is sometimes 

 occupied by small chapels, both round the east end and at the 

 sides of the aisles. The towers are, I think, invariably placed at 

 the west end only; and there is most commonly imly <me, which is 

 imbedded in the body of the church, so that the west facade is 

 unbroken, and the tower only shows itself above the roof; in this 

 arrangement buttresses would not have added to the apparent 

 stability. The aisles are of equal height with tlie nave, or at least 

 the vaulting springs from the same line. The roof is generally in 

 one span over nave and aisles, rendering it u very important 

 feature externally from its necessarily gre;it height; the usual 

 covering is copper. The windows are of rtarrow proportions, and 



without transoms; the tracery, where not of stone, is of a very 

 simple and even rude character, though there are exceptions. The 

 doorways are generally small, but deeply recessed, w ith rich mould- 

 ings; porches are not common, but I am able to exhibit one example 

 from the Dom Liibeck. The form of the arches is generally about 

 the e(iuilateral, the [lier arches more depressed. The piers are 

 mostly of simple form, as circular or octagon, with four attached 

 vaulting shafts; but there are examples of a more elaborate com- 

 position. The vaulting is generally the simplest form of cross 

 vault, without any wall or ridge ribs; in each compartment, 

 between the transverse ribs, the vault rises domically, so that 

 there can hardly be said to be any ridge at all, as the vertical 

 section through the centre of the vaulting would present somewhat 

 the appearance of a series of irregular shaped domes; and, pro- 

 bably with a view to lighten the construction, the centre is left as 

 an open eye, round which the moulding of the ribs is continued. 

 In some instances the brick-work of the interior has been simply 

 pointed, and left h ithout any plastering or colouring except in the 

 vaulting; this treatment, though it produces rather a gloomy effect, 

 is perhaps preferable to the indiscriminate whitewash. 



Of the exterior the most striking feature are the towers, though 

 usually single, and placed at the centre of the west front. They 

 are of large dimensions, both on plan and in elevation, but of 

 exceedingly simple outline; without buttresses, and with scarcely 

 any ornament but the bands of sunk tracery which divide the 

 different stories. The openings are small, too much so apparently 

 to let out the sound of the bells; some of the smaller of these 

 are therefore occasionally found on the outside, in a kind of 

 balcony. The towers are most commonly square, up to the com- 

 mencement of the spire, which is octagonal, and constructed of 

 wood covered with copper or lead; the transition is made by 

 gables on the four sides of the tower, but there are some examples 

 where the upper part of the tower itself is octagonal. 



The Spire is generally more than half the whole height, without 

 any attempt at ornament, and terminates in a simple vane. The 

 form is very taper, and is elegant from its simplicity; essentially 

 different from the heavy spires of the Romanesque churches on 

 the Rhine, which in construction they resemble. 



As the Roof is generally continuous over both the nave and the 

 choir, the division is marked externally by a kind of lantern with 

 a small spire, placed on the ridge of tlie roof; and this is called a 

 Roofrider, a term very expressive of its position, though the 

 saddle is none of the easiest. 



Most of the towns of the Mark offer several examples; I shall 

 therefore only take some of the most important with which I am 

 acquainted. The Churcli of St. Mary's, Liibeck (1250—1360) is 

 one of the most striking; its great size, the two lofty towers, and 

 the circumstance of its having the exceptional arrangement of a 

 clerestory, all contribute to render it so. The extreme length 

 inside is 3t0 feet, and the height of the nave 128 feet. The 

 Briefkapelle, which is a rather later addition on the south side, is 

 one of the most elaborate and interesting specimens of this style 

 with which I am .acquainted. The vaulting is supported by two 

 octagon polished granite shafts, 14 inches diameter and 38 feet 

 high. I will here just mention the heights of the different church 

 towers at Liibeck, which are certainly very much beyond our usual 

 standard. 



Height of Tower of St. Peter's 284 English feet. 



„ „ St.^gldus 313 „ 



„ „ St. James's 3It) „ 



„ „ The Dom 3'.ll „ 



„ St. Mary's 404 „ 



The Dom (1171. — 134.1) is the oldest church in the town; it has 

 likewise two towers. Of the early part we have not much left, 

 it is at the west end: the north porch, judging from the mouldings, 

 cannot, however, be much later than 1200. The Church of St. 

 Katharine (abotit 1320) has a remarkable arrangement of the 

 choir, which forms a kind of gallery, raised on columns and vault- 

 ing, and was so disposed for the convenience of the nuns of the 

 convent to which this church was attached. There is one other of 

 the ecclesiastical buildings of this city which deserves particular 

 notice; the so-called Heiligen Geist Spital (Hospital of the Holy 

 Ghost), founded 1234, now a church, but originally a religious 

 establishment for the reception of the sick and wounded tliat 

 returned from the Holy Land, and for sick travellers generally. 

 The west front is very peculiar; this part of the building formed 

 originally the chapel of the Hospital, it is now only the vestibule 

 to the ciiurch. At Hamburgh the churches have suffered more 

 from modern alteration and destruction: the great fire in IS 12 

 destroyed two of them, St. Peter's and St. Nicolas. Only two of 

 the original churches now remain, and they have been much altered. 



