Brick Romanesque is an architectural style and chronological phase of architectural history. The term described
RomanesqueRomanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe, characterised by semi-circular arches, and evolving into the Gothic style, characterised by pointed arches, beginning in the 12th century...
buildings built of brick; like the subsequent
Brick GothicBrick Gothic is a specific 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...
, it is geographically limited to
Northern GermanyNorthern Germany is the geographic area in the north of Germany. The native German concept of northern Germany is called Norddeutschland.- Geography :...
and the
Baltic regionThe Baltic region is an ambiguous term that refers to slightly different combinations of countries in the general area surrounding the Baltic Sea.- Etymology :...
. Structures in other regions are not described as Brick Romanesque but as "Romanesque brick-built church" or similar terms.
In comparison to Brick Gothic, Brick Romanesque is a less established and less frequently used term.
Brick Romanesque is an architectural style and chronological phase of architectural history. The term described
RomanesqueRomanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe, characterised by semi-circular arches, and evolving into the Gothic style, characterised by pointed arches, beginning in the 12th century...
buildings built of brick; like the subsequent
Brick GothicBrick Gothic is a specific 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...
, it is geographically limited to
Northern GermanyNorthern Germany is the geographic area in the north of Germany. The native German concept of northern Germany is called Norddeutschland.- Geography :...
and the
Baltic regionThe Baltic region is an ambiguous term that refers to slightly different combinations of countries in the general area surrounding the Baltic Sea.- Etymology :...
. Structures in other regions are not described as Brick Romanesque but as "Romanesque brick-built church" or similar terms.
In comparison to Brick Gothic, Brick Romanesque is a less established and less frequently used term. One the one hand, this is caused by the fact that the Baltic region was only beginning to develop its own stylistic identity during the Romanesque period, on the other by the relatively low number of surviving buildings. Many of the major Brick Gothic edifices had Brick Romanesque predecessors, remains of which are often still visible. Nearly all preserved buildings are churches. The buildings contrast with earlier stone-built churches (
Fieldstone churchThe term fieldstone church denotes a type of church, built using fieldstone of glacial erratics and glacial rubble. Such churches occur mostly in areas where the ice ages have deposited such rock material on the one hand, and where on the other hand there is little or no access to natural rock for...
es or
Feldsteinkirchen), which were constructed of
glacial erraticA glacial erratic is a piece of rock that differs from the size and type of rock native to the area in which it rests. "Erratics" take their name from the latin word "errere", and are carried by glacial ice, often over distances of hundreds of kilometres...
s and
rubbleRubble is broken stone, of irregular size,shape and texture. This word is closely connected in derivation with "rubbish", which was formerly also applied to what we now call "rubble". Rubble naturally found in the soil is known also as brash...
. Such rounded stones limit the potential size of a building; the material and technique do not permit the construction of structures larger than a village church for
static reasonsStructural analysis comprises the set of physical laws and mathematics required to study and predict the behavior of structures. The subjects of structural analysis are engineering artifacts whose integrity is judged largely based upon their ability to withstand loads; they commonly include...
. Monumental constructions only became possible through the growing use and perfection of
brickA brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using mortar.-History:The oldest shaped bricks found date back to 7,500 B.C. They have been found in Çayönü, in the upper Tigris region, and in south east Anatolia close to Diyarbakir. Other more recent findings,...
building.
St. John's Church (
Sankt-Johannis-Kirche) in
Oldenburg (Holstein)Oldenburg in Holstein is a town at the southwestern shore of the Baltic Sea. The nearest city is Lübeck. The town belongs to the region of Holstein, today in the state Schleswig-Holstein of Germany....
is considered to be the oldest brick church in
Northern EuropeNorthern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. The United Nations defines Northern Europe as including the following countries and dependent regions:** ** ** Ireland** Svalbard and Jan Mayen** ** Channel Islands: and...
. The first monumental churches were
RatzeburgRatzeburg is a town in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is surrounded by four lakes—the resulting isthmuses between the lakes form the access lanes to the town. Ratzeburg is the capital of the Kreis of Lauenburg.-History:...
cathedral and
Lübeck CathedralThe Lübeck Cathedral is a large brick Lutheran cathedral in Lübeck, Germany and part of Lübeck's world heritage. It was started in 1173 by Henry the Lion as a cathedral for the Bishop of Lübeck. It was partly destroyed in a bombing raid in World War II , and later reconstructed. The organ by Arp...
, both begun shortly after 1160 under
Henry the LionHenry the Lion was a member of the Guelph dynasty and Duke of Saxony, as Henry III, from 1142, and Duke of Bavaria, as Henry XII, from 1156, which duchies he held until 1180....
. Lübeck Cathedral was later converted into a Gothic
hall churchA hall church is a church with nave and side aisles of approximately equal height, often united under a single immense roof. The term was first coined in the mid-19th century by the pioneering German art historian Wilhelm Lübke....
(1266 to 1335). Jerichow Abbey with its convent church of which construction started in 1148 played an influential role for the brick architecture in the
Margraviate of BrandenburgThe Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....
. For
ScandinaviaScandinavia is a geographical region in northern Europe that includes, and is named after, the Scanian Province. It consists of the kingdoms of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark...
, the stylistically independent
Roskilde CathedralRoskilde Cathedral , in the city of Roskilde on the Island of Zealand in eastern Denmark, was the first Gothic cathedral to be built of brick and its construction encouraged the spread of this Brick Gothic style throughout Northern Europe. It was built during the 12th and 13th centuries, and...
, started in the 1170s and used as the burial church for Danish monarchs, is of special importance. A last flourish and the transition to the
GothicGothic architecture is a style of architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style is marked by the Cistercian
Lehnin AbbeyLehnin Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery in Lehnin in Brandenburg, Germany. Since 1911 it has accommodated the Luise-Henrietten-Stift, a Protestant women's community.-History:...
in the Margraviate of Brandenburg.
DenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries; southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and it is bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea...
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KalundborgKalundborg is a city with a population of 16,489 in Kalundborg municipality in Denmark and the site of its municipal council. Kalundborg is on the main island Zealand, with Copenhagen, but opposite 110 km on the far western edge.Kalundborg is very well known as the location of a large...
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St. Mary's |
Circa 1170-1200 |
Central structure on Greek cross plan. Central tower and 4 side towers of nearly of nearly same height |
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| Ledøje |
Residential church |
Circa 1225 |
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RingstedRingsted is a city in Ringsted municipality located in the middle of the Danish island of Zealand. The municipal population is about 31,000 and the city population is 20,575 ....
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St. Benedict |
Built 1163-1170 |
One of the earliest brick churches in Northern Europe, basilica |
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RoskildeRoskilde is the main city in Roskilde Municipality, Denmark on the island of Zealand. It is an ancient city, dating from the Viking Age.Roskilde train station is a major stop between Copenhagen and the region of Denmark located to its west...
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CathedralRoskilde Cathedral , in the city of Roskilde on the Island of Zealand in eastern Denmark, was the first Gothic cathedral to be built of brick and its construction encouraged the spread of this Brick Gothic style throughout Northern Europe. It was built during the 12th and 13th centuries, and...
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Mainly 1170-1280 |
UNESCO World Heritage Site, burial church of Danish monarchs |
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| Sorø Sorø is a town in Sorø municipality in Region Sjælland on the island of Zealand in east Denmark. The population is 7,708 . Both the municipal council and the regional council are located in Sorø....
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Abbey Sorø Klosterkirke is located in the Danish town of Sorø. It was founded by Danish archbishop Absalon and built by Cistercians in the period from 1161-1201. It is made of red brick, which was a new material for the time. It is built similar style to the Abbey of Fontenay. The church contains royal...
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After 1161 |
Former Cistercian basilica |
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GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
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| Altenkirchen Altenkirchen is a municipality in the north of the island of Rügen on the Baltic Sea coast of Germany. It is in the district of Rügen, in the federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern....
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Parish Church |
Begun probably about 1185 |
Near previous Slavic cult place of the god Svantevit on Cape Arkona Cape Arkona is a cape on the island of Rügen in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. Cape Arkona is the tip of the Wittow peninsula, just a few kilometres north of the Jasmund National Park....
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| Altenkrempe |
BasilicaThe Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building , usually located in the forum of a Roman town. In Hellenistic cities, public basilicas appeared in the 2nd century BC.Basilicas were also used for religious purposes...
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1190 to 1240 |
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Bad SegebergBad Segeberg is a German town of 16,000 inhabitants, located in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, capital of the district Segeberg. It is situated approximately northeast of Hamburg, and west of Lübeck.It is famous for its annual Karl-May-Festival...
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St. Mary's |
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Bergen auf RügenBergen auf Rügen is the capital of the district of Rügen in the middle of the island of Rügen in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. Since 1 January 2005, Bergen has moreover been the administrative seat of the Amt of Bergen auf Rügen, which with a population of over 23,000 is Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's...
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St. Mary's |
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Dessau-Roßlau' is an independent city and urban district in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is situated at the confluence of the rivers Elbe and Mulde. The town was formed by merger of the independent city of Dessau with the town of Roßlau in the course of the Kreisreform Sachsen-Anhalt on 1 July 2007...
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Pötnitz church |
Consecrated 1198 |
Originally triple-aisled basilica. Side aisles demolished in 17th century. Southernmost Brick Romanesque in Central Germany. |
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EutinEutin is the district capital of Eastern Holstein located in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein. As of 2005, it had some 17,000 inhabitants....
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St. Michael's |
1180s to early 13th century |
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| Gadebusch Gadebusch is a municipality in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, in the district Nordwestmecklenburg, half-way between Lübeck and Schwerin....
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Town Church St. Jacob and St. Dionysius |
Late Romanesque, begun around 1220 |
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Near GreifswaldGreifswald is a town in northeastern Germany, situated approximately 200 km to the north of Berlin in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It borders the Baltic Sea and is crossed by a small river called the Ryck....
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Eldena AbbeyEldena Abbey , originally Hilda Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery near the present town of Greifswald in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany...
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South transept Full descriptions of the elements of a Gothic floorplan are found at the entry Cathedral diagram.
For the periodical go to The Transept....
and choir are Romanesque, pre-1249 |
Ruin |
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JerichowJerichow is a town in the Jerichower Land district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Elbe, northwest of Genthin. It is part of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Elbe-Stremme-Fiener....
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Jerichow Abbey |
1148-1172 |
Former Premonstratensian The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré, also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines, or in Britain and Ireland as the White Canons , are a Catholic religious order of canons regular founded at Prémontré near Laon in 1120 by Saint Norbert, who later became Archbishop of Magdeburg...
abbey church, oldest brick structure East of the ElbeThe River Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It originates in the Krkonose Mountains of northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
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LehninKloster Lehnin or Lehnin is a municipality in the German state of Brandenburg, about southeast of Brandenburg an der Havel. It was established on April 1, 2002 by the merger of 13 villages:...
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Lehnin Abbey Lehnin Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery in Lehnin in Brandenburg, Germany. Since 1911 it has accommodated the Luise-Henrietten-Stift, a Protestant women's community.-History:...
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Circa 1185-1235, altered up to 1260 |
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LübeckThe Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage is on UNESCO's list of World...
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Cathedral The Lübeck Cathedral is a large brick Lutheran cathedral in Lübeck, Germany and part of Lübeck's world heritage. It was started in 1173 by Henry the Lion as a cathedral for the Bishop of Lübeck. It was partly destroyed in a bombing raid in World War II , and later reconstructed. The organ by Arp...
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1163-1230 |
Romanesque nave, Gothic choir |
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| Lübow Lübow is a municipality in the Nordwestmecklenburg district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany....
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Village church |
1st half 13th century |
Possibly residential church of nearby Mecklenburg Castle |
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| Melkow |
Village church |
Circa 1200 |
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| Mölln Molln is a municipality in the district of Kirchdorf an der Krems in Upper Austria, Austria....
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St. Nicholas |
Early 13th century |
Basilica |
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| Neubukow Neubukow is a town in the district of Bad Doberan, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It is situated 18 km southwest of Bad Doberan, and 21 km northeast of Wismar. The archeologist Heinrich Schliemann was born in Neubukow....
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Parish church |
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Double-naved hall church |
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| Neukloster Neukloster is a town in the east of the district of Nordwestmecklenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. This town is the administrative center of the bureau Neukloster-Warin, which includes eight more communes.- Geography :...
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Abbey church |
before 1227 |
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| Oldenburg (Holstein) Oldenburg in Holstein is a town at the southwestern shore of the Baltic Sea. The nearest city is Lübeck. The town belongs to the region of Holstein, today in the state Schleswig-Holstein of Germany....
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St. John's |
Mainly built 1156-1160 |
Oldest brick church in Northern Europe |
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RatzeburgRatzeburg is a town in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is surrounded by four lakes—the resulting isthmuses between the lakes form the access lanes to the town. Ratzeburg is the capital of the Kreis of Lauenburg.-History:...
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Cathedral |
Mainly 1160-1220 |
Oldest fully preserved brick church east of Elbe |
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| Rehna Rehna is a town in the Nordwestmecklenburg district, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It is situated 26 km southeast of Lübeck, and 28 km northwest of Schwerin....
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Abbey |
Late Romanesque |
Single-naved abbey church |
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| Rieseby Rieseby is a municipality in the district of Rendsburg-Eckernförde, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany....
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Village church |
Circa 1220/1230 |
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SchaprodeSchaprode is a municipality in the district of Rügen, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany....
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Village church |
1st half 13th century |
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| Schlagsdorf Schlagsdorf is a municipality in the Nordwestmecklenburg district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany....
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Village church |
1st half 13th century |
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| Schleswig |
Schleswig Cathedral Schleswig Cathedral , officially the Cathedral of St. Peter at Schleswig , is the main church of Schleswig and was the cathedral of the Bishop of Schleswig until the diocese was dissolved in 1624...
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1134 to circa 1200, built of graniteGranite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite has a medium to coarse texture, occasionally with some individual crystals larger than the groundmass forming a rock known as porphyry. Granites can be pink to dark gray or even black, depending on their...
, tufaTufa is a terrestrial sedimentary rock, formed by the precipitation of carbonate minerals from ambient temperature water bodies. Geothermally heated hot-springs sometimes produce similar carbonate deposits known as travertine...
and brick, Gothic additions 1275-1300 |
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| Schönhausen |
Village church |
Consecrated 1212 |
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| Vietlübbe (near Dragun Dragun is a municipality in the Nordwestmecklenburg district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany....
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Village church |
Early 13th century |
Latin cross plan |
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| Wust |
Village church |
Circa 1200 |
Tower added in 18th century |
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PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
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Building |
Main period of construction |
Special features |
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| Kamień Pomorski Kamień Pomorski is a town in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship of northwestern Poland. The capital of Kamień County, the town had 9,129 inhabitants as of June 30, 2008.- History :...
(Cammin) |
Cathedral St. John |
after 1175 to 1250 |
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| Kołbacz (Kolbatz) |
Abbey |
Begun shortly after 1200 |
Former Cistercian basilica |
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| Oliwa Oliwa, also Oliva is one of the quarters of Gdańsk. From east it borders Przymorze and Żabianka, from the north Sopot and from the south with the districts of Strzyża, VII Dwór and Brętowo, while from the west with Matarnia and Osowa...
(Oliva) |
Abbey |
After 1178 |
Former Cistercian Monastery |
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SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe...
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Main period of construction |
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| Vinslöv Vinslöv is a locality situated in Hässleholm Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 3,865 inhabitants in 2005.In 1999, a documentary film portraying some of the town's inhabitants was produced. The documentary was called Plötsligt i Vinslöv .- References :...
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Gumlösa parish church |
consecrated 1192 |
Oldest brick building in Southern Sweden (then Danish) |
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LinköpingLinköping [ˈlɪnɕøːpɪŋ] is a city in southern Sweden, with 97,428 inhabitants in 2005. It is the seat of Linköping Municipality with 140,367 inhabitants and the capital of Östergötland County...
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Cathedral The Linköping Cathedral is a church in the Swedish city of Linköping. The cathedral is the seat for the bishop in the Church of Sweden Diocese of Linköping.-History:...
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1230 onwards |
Took 250 years to build, so most visible parts Gothic |
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