Brick Gothic

Brick Gothic is a reduced style of Gothic architecture common in Northern Europe, especially in Northern Germany and the regions around the Baltic Sea without natural rock resources. The buildings are built more or less using only bricks. Brick Gothic buildings therefore are to be found in the Baltic countries Denmark, Finland, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Belarus, Russia and Sweden. Brick Gothic architecture of the Iberian Peninsula is different in nature; it is discussed under Mudéjar Gothic.

The use of baked red brick in Northern Europe began during the 12th century, so the oldest such buildings belong to the Brick Romanesque. In the 16th century, Brick Gothic was superseded by Brick Renaissance architecture.

Brick Gothic is characterized on the one hand by the lack of figural architectural sculpture, widespread in other styles of Gothic architecture, but impossible to achieve on the basis of brick, and on the other by its creative subdivision and structuring of walls, using built ornaments and the color contrast between red bricks, glazed bricks and white lime plaster.

Many of the old town centers dominated by Brick Gothic, as well as some individual structures, have been listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Romanesque brick architecture remained closely connected with contemporary stone architecture and simply translated the latter’s style and repretoire into the new material. In contrast, Brick Gothic developed its own typical style, characterised by the reduction in available materials: the buildings were often bulky and of monumental size, but rather simple as regards their external appearance, lacking the delicacy of areas further south. Nonetheless, they are strongly influenced by the Cathedrals of France and by the gothique tournaisien or Schelde Gothic of the County of Flanders.

Later, techniques that led to a more elaborate structuring of the churches became prevalent: recessed wall areas were often painted with lime plaster, creating a marked contrast to the darker brick-built areas. Furthermore, special shaped bricks were produced to facilitate the imitation of architectural sculpture.

Links

• European Brick Gothic Route.
• Exhibition Wege zur Backsteingotik 2002–2005
• Permanent exhibition Wege zur Backsteingotik, Wismar

Tags: Architectural style, Brick Gothic, Gothic architecture, Romanesque brick architecture

See Also

• Gothic Revival architecture (0)
• Gothic architecture (0)
• English Gothic architecture (0)
• Carpenter Gothic (0)
• Vienna Secession (0)
• Victorian architecture (0)
• Usonian (0)
• Ukrainian Baroque (0)
• Tudor style architecture (0)
• Sumerian architecture (0)