German Art And Architecture Explained

I’m sure by now you’ve managed to work your way through many of MyGermanCity.com’s web pages that talk about many different styles of buildings, architecture and art.

Words like Medieval, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Rococo can easily get thrown around; and without any clear understanding of when these artistic and architectural styles were popular, it can make no sense of what you’re looking at.

I guess we’d all just be standing around some church or castle saying, “Darn, that’s just old.” ;-)

Germany is filled with many towns that were created during the Middle Ages, with defense walls (called Stadtmauern in German), churches, and castles. That’s all part of their charm, isn’t it?

But, did you know that the Middle Ages encompassed a time long before many of the 11th and 12th century churches and castles were built? The period known as medieval started back in the 500s ending around the 16th century.

That’s just about a thousand years.

Too bad not many buildings and sites are still standing from the Early Middle Ages. As the Middle Ages progressed into the 10th (right up to the 13th centuries), the popular architectural style became known as Romanesque.

Gothic architecture and art followed the Romanesque period. This is where you’ll find churches with “flying buttresses,” stained glass windows, and gargoyles adorning many buildings. The Gothic period finally ended as the Renaissance swept through Europe.

Following the enlightenment of the Renaissance, a two hundred year period from the 15th to 17th centuries, the magnificently opulent era of the Baroque and Rococo came to be popular in Germany.

Technically, the Baroque period started in the year 1600, lasting until around 1830; while Rococo was ushered in around 1650, and not lasting as long—ending right before the start of the 19th century.

Ha, which is funny, because the 19th century centered around Neo-Romanesque and Gothic Revival architecture.

I guess it was so popular the first time around, why not do it again?