Following the traces of the Middle Ages and the Hanseatic League

Denmark | Germany | Poland

Following the traces of the Middle Ages and the Hanseatic League Cultural travel guide

Contents What is Brick Gothic?....................... 2 Day of Brick Gothic........................ 45

The association “European Route of Brick Gothic”................................ 4

Cities along the European Route of the Brick Gothic Denmark Løgumkloster................................... 8 Roskilde.......................................... 10 Germany Anklam........................................... 12 Bad Doberan.................................. 14 Brandenburg an der Havel............. 16 Bützow........................................... 18 Buxtehude...................................... 20 Chorin & Eberswalde..................... 22 Flensburg....................................... 24 Frankfurt (Oder)............................. 26 Greifswald...................................... 28 Güstrow.......................................... 30 Jüterbog......................................... 32 Lübeck............................................ 34 Lüneburg........................................ 36 Bardowick....................................... 38 Kirchenkreis Lüneburg................... 39 Lüneburger Klöster........................ 40 Neubrandenburg............................ 42

Supporters & Cooperations Supporters of the association “European Route of Brick Gothic”... 6 Cooperations.................................... 7

Useful information History of brick and brickmaking................................... 86 The Hanseatic League.................... 86 The Teutonic Order........................ 87 Hinrich Brunsberg – “star architect“ of Brick Gothic....... 87 Fortifications of towns and cities... 88 Romanesque architecture.............. 88 Gothic architecture – a glimpse of heaven...................... 89

Burg Stargard................................ 44 Neukloster...................................... 46 Parchim.......................................... 48 Pasewalk......................................... 50 Prenzlau......................................... 52 Ribnitz-Damgarten......................... 54 Rostock........................................... 56 Schwerin......................................... 58 Stendal........................................... 60 Stralsund........................................ 62 Tangermünde................................. 64 Wismar........................................... 66 Wolgast.......................................... 68 Poland Chełmno......................................... 70 Gdańsk........................................... 72 Grudziądz....................................... 74 Myślibórz....................................... 76 Olsztyn........................................... 78 Płock............................................... 80 Sławno............................................ 82 Szczecin.......................................... 84

Historicism – a revival of previous architectural styles......... 89 Monastic life and Brick Gothic...... 90 More than a name: the patron saints of churches.......................... 90 Trading in indulgencies – a trigger of the Reformation......... 91 Ways of St. James.......................... 91 Glossary.......................................... 92

Travel Tips Discovering the Brick Gothic by bike............................................ 95 Hotels und restaurants.................. 96 Map................................................ 97

Picture Credits Front cover: Flensburg, St. Nicholas © Eiko Wenzel | page 2: © Thomas Berg | page 3: © Eiko Wenzel | page 6: Güstrow Castle © André Hamann | pages 8/9: © Eiko Wenzel | pages 10/11: © Jan Friis | pages 12/13: Hansestadt Anklam | page 14 top: © VMO, Alexander Rudolph; page 14 bottom: © TI Bad Doberan | page 15 top: © Dirk Behm; page 15 bottom: © Münster Doberan, Martin Heider | pages 16/17: © Stadt Brandenburg | page 18: © Christin Drühl | page 19: sundial and Moisall village church © Stadt Bützow & Amt Bützow-Land; Rühn village church © Christin Drühl | page 20 top: © Martin Elsen; page 20 bottom: © Hansestadt Buxtehude, Daniela Ponath Fotografie | page 21 top: © Hansestadt Buxtehude; page 21 bottom: © Hansestadt Buxtehude, Daniela Ponath Fotografie | page 22: © Kloster Chorin | page 23: © Helga Wehrens | pages 24/25: © Eiko Wenzel | page 26 top: © Stadt Frankfurt (Oder), Klaus Baldauf; page 26 bottom: © Stadt Frankfurt (Oder) | page 27: © Stadt Frankfurt (Oder), Henriette Brendler | pages 28/29: panoramic view © Wally Pruss; page 28 bottom: © Eiko Wenzel | page 29: ruins of Eldena Abbey © Eiko Wenzel; view of the three churches © Peter Binder | pages 30/31: panorama © Daniel Stohl | page 30: cathedral © Christoph Nahr | page 31: parish church, Church of the Holy Spirit © André Hamann; St. Gertrude’s Chapel © Steffen Hoffmann | pages 32/33: © Stadt Jüterbog | page 34 top: © Gemeinde St. Marien, Lübeck; page 34 bottom: © LTM – Torsten Krüger | page 35: © Thomas Berg | pages 36/37: © EuRoB | page 38: © Hans-Joachim Boldt, Reppenstedt | page 39 top: © Carolin George, Lüneburg; page 39 bottom: © EuRoB | page 40: © Kloster Ebstorf | page 41 top: © Klosterkammer Hannover; page 41 bottom: Medingen Abbey © Wolfgang Brandis; Lüne Abbey© Kloster Lüne | pages 42/43, panoramic view: © Dr. Harry Schulz | page 42: Stadt Neubrandenburg | page 43: Friedland Gate © Frank Peters; Treptow Gate © Body | page 44: © Burg Stargard | page 46 top: © EuRoB | all other pictures on pages 46/47: © Tom Clauß | pages 48/49: Stadt Parchim | page 50: © W. Gentz | page 51 top: © Ev. Kirchengemeinde Pasewalk ; S. 51 bottom: all pictures © Stefan Rahde | pages 52/53: St. Marien

© Eiko Wenzel; Dominican monastery © Dominikanerkloster Prenzlau | pages 54/55: © Stadt RibnitzDamgarten | pages 56/57: © Berthold Brinkmann | pages 58/59: © Eiko Wenzel; page 59 bottom right: © EuRoB; page 59 bottom left (castle): © Cornelia Böttcher | pages 60/61: cathedral © EuRoB; all other pictures © Gerd Koch, Gerhard Draschowski, Andreas Körtge | page 62 top: © Tourismuszentrale Stralsund; page 62 bottom: © Eiko Wenzel | page 63 top: © Tourismuszentrale Stralsund; page 63 bottom: © Eiko Wenzel | page 64: © Andreas Lander | page 65 top: © Sebastian Steinberg; page 65 bottom: Neustadt Gate © Harald Brünig; town hall © Stadt Tangermünde | page 66: © Martin Poley | page 67 top: © Hansestadt Wismar, H. Volster; page 67 bottom: © Eiko Wenzel | page 68: © Stadt Wolgast | page 69 top: © Christin Hallfarth; page 69 bottom: © EuRoB | pages 70/71: © Elżbieta Pawelec | page 72: © Gdańska Organizacja Turystyczna | page 73 top: © Gdańska Organizacja Turystyczna; S. 73 bottom: © Muzeum Gdańska | pages 74/75: © Mariusz Nasieniewski | pages 76/77: © Miasto Myślibórz | page 78: © Marcin Kierul | page 79 top: © Marcin Kierul; page 79 bottom: High Gate © E. Kowalski; St. James‘ Cathedral © Grzegorz Kumorowicz | page 80: © Dariusz Bógdał | page 81 top: © Krzysztof Kaliński; page 81 bottom: collegiate church © Miasto Płock; marble sarcophagus © Eiko Wenzel | pages 82/83: © Dział Promocji Urzędu Miejskiego w Sławnie | page 84: © Eiko Wenzel | page 85 top: © Eiko Wenzel; page 85 bottom: Church of St. Peter and Paul © Eiko Wenzel; St. James’ Church © Gmina Miasto Szczecin | page 86 top: © E. Kowalski; S. 86 bottom: © Berthold Brinkmann | page 87 top: © Mariusz Nasieniewski; page 87 bottom: © Stadt Brandenburg | page 88 top: © Stadt Tangermünde; page 88 bottom: © Tillmann Hahn | page 89: © Eiko Wenzel | page 90: © Eiko Wenzel; page 90 bottom: © EuRoB | page 91: © Stadt Jüterbog | page 92: © Tourismuszentrale Stralsund | page 93: St. Mary’s Church in Greifswald © Eiko Wenzel; clerestory of Doberan Minster © Doberaner Münster, Martin Heider | page 94: ribbed vault in Lüneburg © Eiko Wenzel; Cistercian monastery Chorin © Kloster Chorin | page 96: Seehotel © Gernot Nalbach

Denmark | Germany | Poland

Following the traces of the Middle Ages and the Hanseatic League Cultural travel guide

What exactly is Brick Gothic and where can you find it?

Some 800 years after the completion of the first Brick Gothic buildings, is there any medieval fabric left at all?

What Gothic treasures are there to be discovered?

We will touch upon these and many other questions in our travel guide. However, there is no final answer to everything.

It also needs to be said that this guide does not list all the Brick Gothic places and buildings that still exist today. Only a certain number of these places have joined hands to form the European Route of Brick Gothic, currently including over forty cities and towns in Denmark, Germany and Poland.

This cultural travel guide is designed to spark your curiosity and assist you discover a very special cultural landscape with its unique medieval cultural heritage.

We hope you will enjoy reading this guide as much as your journeys to the magical countries of the Brick Gothic.

Yours sincerely, European Route of Brick Gothic

What is Brick Gothic?

A fascinating building material that tells history Their church towers and town gates, their town houses and monastery walls are all glowing red. The towns and landscapes around the Baltic Sea are characterised by medieval brick buildings, their unique architecture and their aura of warmth.

In areas where hardly any natural stone is found, a construction method was developed which was based on the ancient and re-discovered tradition of firing clay blocks: the art of brickmaking. And yet, the humble brick brought about a novel Gothic style.

The play of colours of the fired clay, its rough surface and the wide range of architectural forms made possible by this relatively flat stone make brick a truly fascinating construction material.

Serially produced shaped bricks permitted a playful combination of different individual shapes.

relations between the countries of the Baltic Sea and the western countries of today’s Netherlands, Belgium, France and England also led to an interchange of cultural developments extending far into the Baltic region.

In the middle of the 13th century, clergy and master builders took up the Franco-Flemish building scheme of the representative cathedral basilica. The strongest stimuli for this type came from Lübeck with the construction of St. Mary’s Church. Following its model, large basilicas were built in Wismar and Stralsund to name but two. Many Hanseatic cities chose the most elaborate and sophisticated type of all Gothic religious structures for their main churches: the three-aisled basilica with a transept, an ambulatory, side chapels and outer buttresses.

At the same time, a preference for hall churches developed among

It was in the central and northern European coastal countries around the Baltic Sea that medieval brick building reached its most significant and widespread development. Numerous examples of Brick Gothic along the coasts and well inland bear witness to an abundant and impressive building culture.

In European architecture, Brick Gothic holds a special position. Its development is closely linked to the history of the north-western and northeastern European countries between the 13th and 16th centuries and the emergence of the Hanseatic League. In the 13th century, close trade ↑ Lübeck, St. Mary’s Church

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rural and city parish churches.

In contrast to the longitudinal, stepped spatial scheme of basilicas, these hall churches feature a spacious room with the same or nearly the same height for the individual aisles.

The competition between the building types “hall church” and “basilica” led to a rich spectrum of variations.

The hall churches also developed similarly differentiated floor plans, including an ambulatory and apsidal chapels, like the St. Mary’s Churches in Rostock and Gdańsk. Further inland and generally from the 15th century onwards, the hall church became the dominant building type.

Depending on the aims of the order, the monastic building activity was directed either towards secluded areas or towards the spiritual care of the growing towns and cities, leaving behind a large number of important churches and monasteries.

Starting in the second half of the 14th century, a rich decorative style developed, mainly adorning

the gables. Important examples can be found in Neubrandenburg and Greifswald. Twisted mullions emphasize portals and windows.

Multi-layered latticework in artful designs with iridescent glazes in black, brown or green animate the wall surfaces. Most notably, the buildings of master builder Hinrich Brunsberg are characterised by a particularly rich decorative style.

Among the most beautiful motifs of the Brick Gothic style are the elaborate star-shaped and wound rib patterns of the vaults, which emerged since the end of the 13th century, especially in the area formerly controlled by the Teutonic Order.

Although the cities and regions competed politically and economically, the common architectural language testifies to a coordinated cultural understanding. To this day, visitors can still experience these buildings as being both familiar and new.

The common culture can still be seen most clearly in the architecture of the Hanseatic cities. The large cathedral and city churches dominate the cityscapes.

Representative city halls with ornate facades were built as an expression of economic selfconfidence. Only a few ramparts and city gates have been preserved as parts of intact ensembles, they mainly remain as single fortress towers or gates. Gothic residential and commercial buildings with characteristic stepped gables bear witness to the aspirations and self-confidence of the economic bourgeoisie.

The identity-building function of Brick Gothic buildings across borders, formerly motivated by religious and economic considerations, is still effective today and is a central idea for the European Route of Brick Gothic.

↑ Wismar, St. George’s Church

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The association “European Route of Brick Gothic” The association was founded in 2007 by cities and sponsors who had previously participated in an EU-funded project of the same name. This project, also known as EuRoB, had been preceded by the initiative “Wege zur Backsteingotik” (Paths to Brick Gothic) of the “Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz” (German Foundation for Monument Protection).

An essential concern of the Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz is to inspire the general public for the preservation of our cultural landscapes. The association European Route of Brick Gothic continues this initiative.

The purpose of our association is the promotion of art and culture, of science, education and international understanding, and in particular the preservation of our common cultural heritage of Brick Gothic and its promotion to a larger public.

Brick Gothic is a unique architectural style, which only exists in a very limited area. This special, typically northern European manifestation of medieval Gothic constitutes and shapes a cultural landscape, gives it’s distinctive character and creates identity.

Understanding the value of this cultural landscape makes people more willing to work for its preservation and to visit this destination time and again.

The greatest potential of the European Route of Brick Gothic is the pan-European perspective.

We focus on the cultural landscape as a whole. The significance of a monument is not based on a building being a mere historical artefact, but on the cultural context in which it is embedded.

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We therefore consider the Brick Gothic style in its important architectural-historical context.

Our members from the fields of monument conservation and science, tourism and marketing, as well as administration and politics are fully aware of the value and significance of Brick Gothic buildings and their potential for cultural tourism.

They pool their resources to create public awareness of their common cultural heritage.

Today the association has about 60 members from Denmark, Germany and Poland. In this way our association unites hundreds of Brick Gothic buildings around the Baltic Sea and off the coast, in towns and cities and in the countryside.

The European Route of Brick Gothic is an international network which is recognised and supported by many institutions.

In 2008, the association was nominated as “Trend Brand of the Year” by Germany’s largest cultural magazine “KulturSPIEGEL” and the Causales agency, and in 2010 it was awarded the gold medal at the leading European trade fair for the preservation of historical monuments, the “denkmal” fair in Leipzig, for outstanding achievements in the field of monument conservation.

In 2012, the association received the special prize of the jury of the European association for the protection of historical monuments Europa-Nostra.

Each year, the European Route of Brick Gothic participates in numerous events, including the European Year of Cultural Heritage, which was launched

For more information, please visit our website and social media: www.eurob.org www.facebook.com/backsteingotik www.instagram.com/brick_gothic Our office: Europäische Route der Backsteingotik e. V. Littenstraße 10, D–10179 Berlin tel +49 30 20 61 32 555, fax +49 30 20 61 32 51 info@eurob.org Managing Board: Christoph Pienkoß Chair of Managing Board Thilo Kaiser Head of the municipal planning office, University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald Elżbieta Pawelec Head of tourism promotion and travel guide, City of Chełmno Eiko Wenzel Head of Department for Heritage Conservation, City of Flensburg Prof. Dr. Edgar Ring City archeology, Hanseatic City of Lüneburg Executive Director: Dr. Edith Kowalski Account holder: Europäische Route der Backsteingotik e. V. Bank: DKB (Deutsche Kreditbank AG) IBAN: DE 5712 0300 0010 2022 4349 BIC/SWIFT: BYLADEM1001 We invite every Brick Gothic city, institution and lover of Gothic architecture to contact us and join our association!

Further information is available at our office or at www.eurob.org/membership

by the European Commission in 2018 with the motto “Sharing Heritage”. Since then, its network and activities have been ongoing, including a Europe-wide Day of Brick Gothic on every third Saturday in June (see p. 45).

Route of Brick Gothic and help us in our commitment to the common cultural heritage, why not become a supporting member of our association? You can join as an individual, company or association.

If you would like to support the purpose and the activities of the charitable association European

We also greatly appreciate onetime donations for our public relations work.

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Supporters of the association “European Route of Brick Gothic” In 2002, the German Association for Housing, Urban and Spatial Development (DV) initiated the EU project “European Route of Brick Gothic” in cooperation with the German Foundation for Monument Protection (Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz).

The State Office for Culture and Monument Conservation of the state of MecklenburgVorpommern explicitly supports the international cooperation of the towns and cities of MecklenburgVorpommern in the field of Brick Gothic and is committed to the long-term preservation and promotion of this valuable cultural asset.

A group of the most important North German Brick Gothic basilicas have teamed up to make their churches accessible to a broader public.

The AG Norddeutscher Backstein-Basiliken includes: St. Mary’s Church in Lübeck, St. Nicholas’ Church in Lüneburg, Schwerin Cathedral, St. Nicholas’ Church and St. George’s Church in Wismar, Doberan Minster, St. Mary’s Church and St. Peter’s Church in Rostock, St. Nicholas’ Church and St. Mary’s Church in Stralsund, St. Peter’s Church in Wolgast and St. Nicholas’ Cathedral in Greifswald. www.backsteinbasiliken.de Güstrow Palace is one of the most important Renaissance palaces in Northern Europe.

In addition to its collection of European court art and works by Lucas Cranach, the palace also has an outstanding collection of medieval art from Brick Gothic churches and monasteries. www.schloss-guestrow.de The Bad Doberan monastery shop TORHAUS offers coffee, cakes and stews as well as a rich choice of regional food, arts and crafts products.

Klosterstraße 1a, D–18209 Bad Doberan www.torhaus-doberan.de

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Cooperations

The non-profit association KLOSTERLAND is a supra-regional partner for former and active monasteries, their regions and municipalities, their parishes and sponsors as well as their guests and visitors.

Many of the monasteries that are members of the association are included in the European Route of Brick Gothic.

As an association, the “Gemeinschaft der Klosterstätten in MecklenburgVorpommernâ€? has made it its task to link up former monasteries and convents, to promote them and to raise awareness of their historical, ecclesiastical and public functions.

Whether you travel from Eldena Monastery in Greifswald to Zarrentin to discover the monasteries and convents of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, or from Rehna to Krummin, you will be amazed at the richness and diversity of its historical heritage.

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Altar

Universitäts- und Hansestadt

LØGUMKLOSTER Greifswald

PF0

After its foundation in 1173, the Cistercian Abbey of Løgumkloster quickly developed into one of the wealthiest religious foundations in the Duchy of Schleswig. Construction of the abbey church began around 1200 and was completed 100 years later. Of the originally four-winged monastery complex, only the eastern part with the dormitory and chapter house remain today. The market town of Løgumkloster only gained greater importance from the 18th century onwards, especially for bobbin lace making. A special attraction is the annual monastery market in August.

Brick Gothic highlights The monastery church of Løgumkloster is a three-aisled brick basilica. Its long construction period reflects the transition from Romanesque to Gothic style. Romanesque elements include the roundarched windows in the east.

The rich decoration of the basilica dates back mainly to the 14th to 16th centuries.

The remaining part of the east wing of the monastic complex with dormitory and chapter hall dates from the third quarter of the 13th century. It adjoins the transept of the church to the south. After the Reformation the monastery buildings were demolished. In 1614 the stones were used for the construction of the neighbouring hunting lodge.

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Monastery church →

Today, the monastery grounds are home to a church music school and the training centre of the Danish National Church, the Folkekirke.

Rømø/Tønder Turistbureau & Infocenter Juvrevej 6, DK–6792 Rømø tel +45 7370 9650 www.romo-tonder.dk

↑ Monastery church

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Cathedral

Universitäts- und Hansestadt

Roskilde Greifswald

PF3

Roskilde is located only 25 minutes from Copenhagen. This over 1000 year old city offers a vivid history in a vibrant natural landscape. In the Viking Ship Museum, for example, five genuine Viking ships that were found in the fjord are on show. Some have even been reconstructed for visitors to sail on the fjord. Roskilde acquired great importance in the Middle Ages. Before the Reformation, it was a major center for the Catholic Church in Denmark with numerous churches and several convents. The cathedral, built around 1200, is still Roskilde’s most important attraction today.

Brick Gothic highlights Roskilde Cathedral is the most important church in Denmark.

Its richly decorated vaults and dark crypts hold 1000 years of Danish history. Since 1995 the cathedral has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With its many unique royal chapels, it reflects the changes in European architectural history over 800 years: Romanesque and Gothic features are represented as well as Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassicism, Eclecticism and Functionalism.

Europe. The Cathedral is a large brick-built aisled Gothic-style basilica, with twin spires and a semi-circular gallery within.

Note that, as with many early structures, the bricks in the external walls vary in size and colour.

The magnificent red building consists of around 2.5 million bricks and is considered the oldest cathedral of the Brick Gothic style in the whole of Scandinavia. It is an example of the earliest Gothic reception in the early days of building with brick in Northern 10

Cathedral ↑ →

Roskilde Cathedral Domkirkepladsen 3, DK–4000 Roskilde tel +45 4635 1624 www.roskildedomkirke.dk With the tombs of 40 kings and queens, the entire history of Danish kings and queens may be found here in one place. Among those buried in the cathedral are Queen Margrete I, who 600 years ago joined Denmark, Sweden and Norway in the Kalmar Union, as well as King Frederik IX, the father of today’s Queen Margrete II.

Since the 16th century the cathedral has been the official burial place of the royal family and the funeral monument of the present queen has already been placed in the cathedral. A small exhibition explains the creation process of this monument and the tradition behind it.

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Panoramic view of St. Nicholas’ Church and the market square

UniversitätsHanseatic andund Lilienthal Hansestadt city

Greifswald Anklam

PD4

Anklam has been making a name for itself for the past eight centuries. Initially as a member of the Hanseatic League, later through aviation pioneer Otto Lilienthal and today as the gateway to the award-winning valley of the river Peene. The Brick Gothic landmarks tell the story of this proud Hanseatic city. Three routes will take you to these sights, including the Churches of St. Mary and St. Nicholas’ and the highest city gate in Pomerania, now home to the Museum im Steintor. The gaps torn into the urban fabric by the Second World War have been lovingly closed in recent years with a remarkable urban redevelopment.

Brick Gothic highlights St. Nicholas’ Church was completed in the second half of the 15th century and has always been regarded as a symbol of the freedom and prosperity of the citizens of this Hanseatic city.

During the last days of the Second World War, the church was heavily damaged, and reconstruction has been ongoing since 1993. The reconstruction of the Nikolaikirche as “Ikareum” is a noteworthy building project of the Hanseatic city of Anklam.

It is intended to turn the former baptistery of Otto Lilienthal into a visitor centre where the idea of human flight can be experienced.

St. Mary’s Church, the older of the two town churches, dates from the end of the 13th century 12

St. Nicholas’ Church →

and was completed around 1314.

It is a recognized monument of national importance for its exceptionally well-preserved medieval interior painting, which is almost completely intact on the pillars and arches of the nave.

Tourist information Markt 3, D–17389 Anklam tel +49 3971 835154 www.anklam.de Discovered by chance during a restoration of the interior in the years 1936/37, most of it dates back to the 14th century and is related to paintings in St. Nicholas’ Church in Stralsund.

The Gothic gabled house is the oldest preserved example of domestic architecture in Anklam.

It was first mentioned in 1406.

Renovated in 1997, it is now the seat of the registry office and the parliamentary groups of the town council.

The 32-metre-high Stone Gate is the last of the four original city gates. It used to be part of a double gate complex like the one in Neubrandenburg. It was built around 1300 and was raised by three storeys with a stepped gable in the 15th century.

↑ Gothic gabled house ↓ St. Mary’s Church

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Minster

UniversitätsMoorland & seaside und Hansestadt spa

Greifswald Bad Doberan & Heiligendamm PD3 The minster town of Bad Doberan and Heiligendamm, which is part of Bad Doberan and the oldest seaside resort on the German Baltic Sea coast, are located in the middle of a natural paradise formed by glaciers and the sea. These days it belongs to the region “Mecklenburg Baltic Coast”. Within easy reach from the Hanseatic cities of Rostock and Wismar, you can enjoy these holiday and spa resorts all year round, regardless of whether you are a Baltic Sea enthusiast, a gourmet of culture or someone seeking nature and recreation.

Brick Gothic highlights Doberan Minster, a true gem of North German Brick Gothic architecture, impresses and fascinates with an almost completely preserved medieval interior. The High Gothic Minster is the church of the former Cistercian monastery built in the late 13th century. It is one of the most important brick churches in the Baltic Sea region. The rich furnishings include the high altar,

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the upper part of which goes back to around 1300 and is one of the oldest winged altars in the history of art. Subsequent to the Reformation in Mecklenburg, the monastery was dissolved in 1552.

The church survived as the burial place of the sovereign’s family and as the parish church of the Protestant-Lutheran parish. Today a rich ecclesiastical and cultural life takes place in the minster with regular church services, devotions, concerts and themed tours.

Ruins of the baking house mill ↑

Tourist information Severinstraße 6, D–18209 Bad Doberan tel +49 38203 62154 www.bad-doberan-heiligendamm.de Alongside the cathedral, several other parts of the medieval monastery buildings have been preserved: the charnel house, the baking house mill, the granary, parts of the bailiwick, the monastery wall with remains of the gates, the ruins of the wool barn (also known as the wolf barn) and a remnant of the wall of the eastern wing of the cloister.

Until the Reformation in 1552, the charnel house (also known as Karner St. Michael) served to store the bones of the monks. When their graves were reoccupied, they found their final resting place there. The slender, octagonal brick building is richly decorated with glazed stones. The charnel house was built around 1270 and is unique in northern Germany.

Only a stone’s throw away from the Minster, at the west gate of the monastery grounds, is the villa of master builder Gotthilf Ludwig Möckel. It was built in the neo-Gothic style at the end of the 19th century, Möckel was responsible for the restoration of Doberan Minster. The brick building today houses the Stadtund Bädermuseum, which, in

Charnel house ↑

addition to an exhibition on the history of the town itself and its history as a seaside resort, also presents changing special exhibitions and is used as a registry office.

Evidence of Brick Gothic exists also beyond the monastery grounds. In the village of Althof there is a small chapel from the 14th century, while two chapels in Heiligendamm are neo-Gothic to plans by G. L. Möckel.

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Dominican monastery of St. Paul’s

Universitäts- und Hansestadt

Brandenburg an der Havel PA3

Greifswald

Brandenburg an der Havel is the earliest and most important urban centre of the Mark Brandenburg and also its eponym. The town centre is made up of three parts: the cathedal island, the Old Town, and the New Town, all of which were independent until the 18th century. The town of Brandenburg was never severely destroyed by fire and war, nor by excessive wealth, and has preserved a whole universe of medieval architecture. You can study all stages of the Mark Brandenburg Gothic style here, and you will also find examples for nearly every type of religious and secular architecture.

Brick Gothic highlights The foundation stone of the cathedral was laid in 1165, making it one of the oldest brick buildings east of the river Elbe.

It was rebuilt in the 14th and 15th centuries in Gothic style, although the Romanesque core of the building is still visible.

The almost completely preserved medieval collegiate cloister now serves as the cathedral museum.

Following the religious currents of the time, mendicant orders settled here in the 13th century, expressing their ascetic ideal of faith in their buildings. St. John’s Church, built by the Franciscans in the Old Town from around 1250, was converted into an exquisite high Gothic hall church around 1300.

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The Dominican monastery of St. Paul’s was built around 1286 on the edge of the new town.

The building’s simple elegance is captivating. Today it is the site of the regional archaeological museum.

In the 14th and 15th centuries, the dominant bourgeoisie invested its wealth in the expansion of the large parish churches. The construction of St. Catherine’s Church, the parish church of the New Town, was begun around 1380 by the Stettin master builder Hinrich Brunsberg. The enormous hall church is one of the outstanding examples of late Brick Gothic architecture. The Old Town followed suit a few decades later with the construction of its new parish church of St. Gotthardt.

Detail of St. Catherine’s Church

Tourist information Neustädtischer Markt 3, D–14776 Brandenburg an der Havel tel +49 3381 796360 www.erlebnis-brandenburg.de The parish churches contain a great variety of medieval and modern decorations and furnishings: wall paintings, crucifixion groups, baptismal fonts, altarpieces and epitaphs.

Brandenburg an der Havel is the town with the largest number of medieval secular buildings in today’s Land Brandenburg.

Both the Old and New Town had imposing brick buildings as town halls. While the town hall of the New Town was destroyed in the Second World War, the town hall of the Old Town with its tower, the rich blind tracery and its undivided council hall is in the same condition as in 1467/68 when it was built.

The largest medieval construction volume were the two town fortifications, which were built of brick almost simultaneously around 1300. You can still make out their full lengths of respectively 1.7 and 2.4 km of ditches and ramparts delimiting the medieval town. The four preserved gate towers will give you a good idea of the elegance and strength of these defences.

The two town centres also have an outstanding collection of historic town houses. These range from the Stone House at the Old Town market square, a rich town house from around 1300, which was luxuriously rebuilt at the end of the 15th century, to the house at No. 14, Bäckerstraße, a Gothic post-and-beam building from 1408, the oldest known half-timbered house of the region.

Recently the Gothic house at No. 86, Ritterstraße has been restored. There is now a small house museum, which can be visited by prior arrangement.

← Detail of St. John’s Church

17

Qualitz village church

Universitäts- und Hansestadt

Bützow Greifswald

PD3

The town of Bützow was once the centre of the diocese of Schwerin and is surrounded by idyllic villages in the heart of Mecklenburg.

The high tower of its collegiate church – a cultural monument of national importance – is visible from afar and defines the townscape. Besides the Bütow’s own Brick Gothic collegiate church, many other churches in the surrounding Bützower Land feature Brick Gothic elements, namely in Bernitt, Boitin, Laase, Moisall, Neukirchen, Qualitz, Rühn, Tarnow and Zernin. Each of the village churches is unique and worth a visit. Idyllically embedded in the gently rolling landscape between fields, forests and lakes, the centuries-old churches are still the centre of village life.

Brick Gothic highlights Today’s collegiate church in Bützow was begun in the second half of the 13th century as a collegiate church of the Schwerin bishops. Its initial layout was that of a basilica which was then amended to be completed as a three-aisled brick hall church with a chancel at the end of the 14th century. The 74-metre high tower was finished around 1450, and still has the inner wooden structure from the time of its construction.

scenes (1503), the Renaissance pulpit (1617), the Lüders-Karsten sundial (1765), the Friese III organ (1877) with the oldest case in Mecklenburg (ca. 1510).

Of particular interest are: the priest’s gate (after 1250) and the bronze baptismal font (1474), the bell (1486), the winged Marian altar, made by a Lübeck carver, which can display three different 18

↑ Collegiate church

Lüders-Karsten sundial

Tourist information Am Markt 1, D–18246 Bützow tel +49 38461 50120 www.buetzow.de Of the nine village churches in Bernitt, Boitin, Laase, Moisall, Neukirchen, Qualitz, Rühn, Tarnow and Zernin, the following two are particularly worth seeing: The village church of Laase features a seated carved Madonna (13th century), one of the oldest and most valuable Madonna figures in Mecklenburg, and village church of Bernitt which has medieval vault paintings (around 1330) that are among the oldest scenic representations in north-eastern Germany, although they were heavily reworked in the 19th century. Bernitt also has two bronze bells from the beginning of the 14th century.

↑ Rühn monastery church

↑ Moisall village church

19

St. Peter’s Church

UniversitätsHanseatic City und of Hansestadt

Greifswald Buxtehude

PC1

Today, more than 40,000 people live in Buxtehude at the gates of the great Hanseatic city of Hamburg and on the edge of the Alte Land with its magnificent fruit tree blossoms. Buxtehude was given the title of fairytale town through the Brothers’ Grimm story of the hare and the hedgehog. The historic old town is a particular attraction with its alleys, its historic canal and harbour as well as its Brick Gothic buildings and half-timbered houses from the past five centuries.

Brick Gothic highlights Located in the heart of the old town and already visible from afar, the town’s landmark is the over 700-year-old St. Peter’s Church.

The church shows classic features of Brick Gothic with pointedarched windows. Unusually, however, it has the form of a basilica, although hall churches predominated in this area.

Built in the middle of the 16th century, the massive Marschtorzwinger is the last of formerly five round towers that fortified the corners of the old town walls.

Today the structure serves as a cultural centre for exhibitions and concerts and is the only surviving monument of this particular kind in northern Germany.

20

Marschtorzwinger →

A distinctive feature of Buxtehude is its 13th-century inner-town harbour as a part of an artificial waterway, the Fleth. It was built after the Dutch grachten model, and is particularly characteristic of the old Buxtehude.

The town hall, originally BrickGothic, has an eventful past.

Built in 1408, it was destroyed by fire in 1911. The new building from 1913/14, also made of brick, includes remains of the old furnishings from the 16th century.

Street view and canal

Tourist information Breite Straße 2 (Historisches Rathaus), D–21614 Buxtehude tel +49 4161 5012345 www.buxtehude.de/tourismus

↑ St. Peter’s Church

21

Chorin Abbey

Universitäts- und Hansestadt

Chorin & Eberswalde PB4 Greifswald The town of Eberswalde and the municipality of Chorin are surrounded by a landscape of forests and lakes. The town is one of the Brandenburg foundations of the Ascanian dynasty, who provided the margraves of Brandenburg until 1319. The Cistercian monastery of Chorin, eight kilometres away, is also an Ascanian foundation and served both as a house and burial monastery for the sovereigns.

Today, the city of Eberswalde shows a felicitous interplay between venerable old structures like St. Mary Magdalene’s Church and modern buildings like the Paul-Wunderlich-Haus. Chorin is one of the most popular day-trip destinations in Brandenburg, primarily because of its former Cistercian monastery.

Brick Gothic highlights Known far beyond the borders of Brandenburg, Chorin’s early Gothic Cistercian monastery, built from 1272 onwards, was the most ambitious building project in Brandenburg at that time.

It was here that the High Gothic architectural system that had been developed in France was implemented completely in brick for the first time. The unique western façade is a successful synthesis of the order’s ban on towers, a reference to tradition and the claim to representation of the margravial patrons. A large part of the medieval monastery complex has been preserved and can still be experienced today.

The architecture and special Gothic style of the brick of the former house monastery of the 22

Ascanian sovereigns is unique.

Today, the ensemble is surrounded by a 19th century landscape park designed by Peter Joseph Lenné.

After secularisation, as a result of the Reformation, the monastery was dissolved in 1542.

The historical buildings were used for other purposes, for example as a Prussian agricultural estate.

Around 1810 Karl Friedrich Schinkel discovered the building and henceforth advocated its preservation and restoration. This is why today Chorin monastery counts among the early examples of Prussian monument conservation. To Schinkel, buildings like Chorin were “the country’s most beautiful ornament” and he attracted the attention of many experts, artists and architecture lovers to this spot and the Brick Gothic style.

Figures on the portal of St. Mary Magdalene‘s Church

Tourist information Steinstraße 3, D–16225 Eberswalde tel +49 3334 64520 www.tourismus-eberswalde.de

Tourist information & Chorin Abbey Amt Chorin 11 a, D–16230 Chorin tel +49 33366 70377 www.kloster-chorin.org

A century after Schinkel, around 1906, the brothers Max and Bruno Taut also made their way to Chorin, where they experienced stimulating meetings with fellow artists of the “Glass Chain” and Chorin itself became a model for modern building. Inspiration taken from the Gothic cathedral workshop (German: “Bauhütte”) eventually made it even into the foundations of the Bauhaus.

Max Taut and his wife found a home and their final resting place in Chorin.

Today the monastery houses an interesting permanent exhibition and there are guided tours, concerts, theatre and film evenings.

St. Mary Magdalene‘s Church in Eberswalde is one of the most important high Gothic parish churches in Brandenburg.

Influenced by the Cistercians of Chorin, it was built between 1285 and 1333 as a three-aisled basilica without transept.

A unique feature is the figural decoration of the portals: highly detailed capital figures, fired from clay, parts of which are very well preserved. They feature biblical scenes as well as animal and star symbols. Inside the church, wall paintings from the 16th century, two Gothic devotional figures and a valuable bronze baptismal font (around 1300) have been preserved. The magnificent Renaissance altar from 1606 impressively illustrates the Protestant confession of the congregation. ← St. Mary Magdalene‘s Church

23

St. Nicholas‘ Church

Universitäts- und Hansestadt

Flensburg Greifswald

PE1

This small and idyllic port metropolis in the north of SchleswigHolstein certainly lives up to its reputation. You can sense Flensburg’s Scandinavian flair everywhere you go, throughout the cosy alleys of the old town, in the historic merchants’ yards, and along the harbour. This truly is a town of two cultures. The history of Flensburg is firmly anchored with the history of its Danish neighbours. You can still see the traces of the past in Germany’s rum town today if you follow the rum and sugar mile or visit one of the two rum houses.

Brick Gothic highlights St. Nicholas‘ Church on Südermarkt market square is a three-aisled stepped hall church with massive round pillars, built in two construction phases between 1390 and 1480. Among its furnishings, the Renaissance organ, which was rebuilt in the Baroque period, is of particular importance.

as a three-aisled hall church.

Before 1445 it was extended in late Gothic style following the example of St. Nicholas’ Church.

The interior of the church is richly decorated and furnished.

St. Mary’s Church on Nordermarkt was begun in 1284, the year the city was founded,

24

↑ St. Nicholas‘ Church

↑ St. John’s Church

Tourist information Nikolaistraße 8, D–24937 Flensburg tel +49 461 9090920 www.flensburger-foerde.de The Church of the Holy Spirit (“Helligåndskirken”) was built in 1386 as a two nave Gothic hall church for the Holy Spirit Hospital. After the Reformation, the church was used for Danish language services; today it is the main Danish church in Flensburg.

The oldest parish church in the old town is the late Romanesque St. John’s Church from the 12th century. Its impressive brick vault, dating from around 1500, is late Gothic in style and was painted as a paradise garden by Peter Lykt.

The oldest town house in the old town is the merchant’s house at Südermarkt (No. 12, today Nikolai Pharmacy). The late Gothic stepped gable house was built shortly after the town fire of 1485. ↓ Merchant’s house

↓ St. Mary’s Church

25

St. Mary’s Church

UniversitätsTown of Heinrich und Hansestadt von Kleist

Greifswald(Oder) Frankfurt

PA5

For more than 760 years now, St. Mary’s Church has dominated the silhouette of Frankfurt (Oder). The hall church is some 80 metres long and has a 45-metre wide transept, making it one of the largest religious buildings in North German Brick Gothic style. Other Brick Gothic buildings also bear witness to the great past of this once wealthy Hanseatic town: the town hall, the Peace Church and the former Franciscan monastery church. The author and playwright Heinrich von Kleist is the most famous son of this town on the river Oder.

Brick Gothic highlights Building work on the St. Mary’s Church commenced with the granting of the town privileges in 1253. When Viadrina University was founded in 1506, the church also functioned as a university church. After the Second World War, St. Mary’s was left in ruins; reconstruction began in 1979.

A special treasure of the church is its 14th-century “stained glass bible”: three chancel windows, which depict biblical scenes and the legend of the Antichrist on 117 coloured panes. Other valuable pieces of equipment are nowadays on display in St. Gertrude’s Church.

↑ Antichrist window

26

The Peace Church (formerly St. Nicholas’ Church) is probably the oldest church in Frankfurt.

Construction began around 1230,

Town hall

Tourist information Große Oderstraße 29, D–15230 Frankfurt (Oder) tel +49 335 6100800 www.frankfurt-oder-tourist.de and the church received its present exterior form in the 19th century. In the course of its eventful history, the church has had several names and different uses. The roof truss dates back to the Middle Ages and is considered the oldest surviving work of Frankfurt carpenters.

The town hall is one of the most important municipal buildings of the Middle Ages in Brandenburg. It dates back to 1253 in its core. The Gothic show gables of the north and south façades are an early and filigree example of this type of construction in the heartland area. The building was destroyed by fire in 1945.

St. Mary’s Church ↑ ↗

Reconstruction was carried out until 1953 to celebrate the 700th anniversary of the town.

The “Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach” concert hall is a former Franciscan monastery church, which was built around 1270 as a three-aisled hall church. The towering west gable with its abstract brick decoration on a white masonry background is a true eye catcher. Heinrich von Kleist was baptised in this church in 1777.

27

St. Mary’s Church

UniversitätsUniversity and und Hanseatic Hansestadt City of

Greifswald

PD4

The university and Hanseatic city of Greifswald is a city with maritime charm close to the Bay of Greifswald, between the islands of Rügen and Usedom. Alongside the Hanseatic League, the founding of the university in 1456 contributed significantly to its development and still does today. Greifswald gained worldwide fame through the paintings of Caspar David Friedrich, one of the most important painters of the Romantic period. He made the Eldena monastery ruins a central motif of his work.

Brick Gothic highlights Greifswald was founded by the Cistercian monastery Hilda (later Eldena), which is located only a few kilometres away on the Bodden. It was founded around 1200 as a daughter house of the Danish monastery Esrom and supported by the Rügen prince Jaromar. The oldest preserved parts of the former monastery church date from the beginning of the 13th century. The buildings were looted during the Thirty Years’ War, fell into disrepair and served as a quarry. Preservation only began in the 19th century.

The ruin is very famous for the paintings of Caspar David Friedrich.

St. Nicholas’ Cathedral is situated at the highest point in the centre of the city and was first mentioned in a document in 1262/63. It is the largest church 28

House No. 11 →

in Greifswald. With its almost 100-metre-high tower the cathedral has become the symbol of the city. The church’s neoGothic interior contains valuable paintings and furnishings from the 14th to 17th centuries.

St. Mary’s Church is one of the most significant examples of a

Tourist information Rathaus/Markt, D–17489 Greifswald tel +49 3834 85361380 www.greifswald.de hall church without a chancel of the North German Brick Gothic.

Among its most striking features are the richly decorated large east gable, the Annen chapel in the south and the massive west tower. The tower basement is richly adorned with blind arcades (around 1290), indicating its use as a medieval court vestibule.

↑ Ruins of Eldena Abbey

Located on the east side of the market square is House No. 11, one of Northern Germany’s most ornate town house facades, probably dating from shortly after 1400. Next to it is House No. 13, another example of a residential storehouse with a richly ornamented gable. It is also one of the earliest of its kind (around 1290).

↑ View of St. Mary’s Church, St. Nicholas’ Cathedral and St. James’ Church

29

Barlach Town

Güstrow

PC3

Güstrow, formerly a ducal residence, is famous for its magnificent buildings spanning six centuries, its artists and the largest collection of nativity scenes in Northern Germany. Güstrow Palace is particularly striking: one of the most beautiful Renaissance buildings in Northern Europe, it dominates the town’s silhouette with its brick cathedral and parish church. Three museums keep the most extensive collection of works by Ernst Barlach. The game park and the Inselsee lake offer exciting outdoor experiences.

Brick Gothic highlights The Cathedral is an outstanding example of North German Brick Gothic, clearly showing the traces of the transition from Romanesque to Gothic style.

Inside is the Güstrow memorial “The Floating One”, created by Ernst Barlach.

The mighty tower of St. Mary’s Church dominates the town and is already visible from afar.

After the town fire of 1503, this Gothic brick basilica was extensively rebuilt and, at the end of the 19th century, converted into a three-aisled hall church.

The precious furnishings and works of art from the 16th century have been preserved.

Cathedral →

30

St. Gertrude’s Chapel was built in the late 14th and early 15th centuries as a half-timbered structure with brick walls.

Originally a place of pilgrimage, the Gothic brick hall has been home to a museum for works by the sculptor Ernst Barlach since 1953.

Tourist information Franz-Parr-Platz 10, D–18273 Güstrow tel +49 3843 681023 www.guestrow-tourismus.de

↑ Parish church of St. Mary

↑ Church of the Holy Spirit

The Church of the Holy Spirit was first mentioned as a hospital foundation in 1308. After 1524 it is known to have been used as a church. In 1525 the first Lutheran service in Güstrow was held here.

Today, it is home to the North German Nativity Museum.

The Renaissance palace contains one of the most important medieval collections in Northern Germany. It includes altars (such as the Neustadt altar), sculptures, church furniture, altar utensils and reliquaries and is notable for its individual works of art of outstanding art-historical significance as well as its regional coherence.

↑ St. Gertrude’s Chapel

31

Town hall

Universitäts- und Hansestadt

Jüterbog Greifswald

PA4

Jüterbog is a historic town in the Fläming region, about 60 km south of Berlin. It was once a major scene of the Reformation, as it was here that Dominican friar Johann Tetzel preached and sold indulgences, thereby enraging Luther in Wittenberg, not far away.

Jüterbog also has an important past as a medieval metropolis and trading centre; today this is reflected in its preserved medieval buildings. At that time Jüterbog belonged to the Erzstift Magdeburg, the secular dominion of the archbishopric of Magdeburg.

Architecture and art reveal changing Magdeburg, Brandenburg and Saxon influences.

Brick Gothic highlights Located on the market square is the best-preserved medieval town hall in the Land of Brandenburg, serving as the seat of the city administration to this day.

The building, which was already mentioned in 1285, received its monumental late Gothic appearance in the late 15th and early 16th century. While the striking court loggia shows forms of the Mark Brandenburg Brick Gothic, modern Saxon forms were adopted in the long building with the department store and ballroom. For the splendid council chamber, ashlars were also used.

The access roads to the old town of Jüterbog are still marked by the towers of the three town gates. Defensive Zwinger walls connected them with outer gates, 32

which have been preserved at the Neumarkt and Dammtor.

To this day the hall church of St. Nicholas’ towers above the city. Its two different spires make it particularly memorable. This largest and most elaborate church in a wide area was built in several construction phases in the course of the 14th and 15th centuries.

The highlights of the rich and varied decoration are the panel paintings of the winged altarpiece from the Cranach workshop and the so-called Tetzel box, a relic of the Reformation. The old sacristy with its well-preserved painting offers a rare impression of the intense colours of medieval rooms.

The former Franciscan monastery, today the Kulturquartier Mönchenkloster, was built around 1500. The Lutherans

Town hall

Tourist information Mönchenkirchplatz 4, D–14913 Jüterbog tel +49 3372 463113 www.jueterbog.eu in the city were a thorn in the side of the Franciscans – they refuted Luther’s theses and, in 1519, one of their monks denounced the reformatory preacher Thomas Müntzer to the bishop of Brandenburg. For a long time, the convent resisted dissolution.

In 1564 two monks were still living in the convent. The lateGothic church was redesigned as a library and location for events in 1981–85. The cloister is home to the town museum.

The former Cistercian monastery Zinna is only 3 km away from Jüterbog. It was founded in 1170 by the Archbishop of Magdeburg.

The Late Romanesque fieldstone church is the oldest of its structures. The Brick Gothic style is evidenced by the “Siechenhaus”, an infirmary, built in the first half of the 14th century and also used as a hostel for guests, and by the New Abbey, built in 1433, which today is open to the public as a museum. Historically, important political meetings were also held in this magnificent late medieval palace building.

The first printed book of the region, a Marian Psalter, was published in the monastery in

1492. The Archbishop of Magdeburg made several vain attempts to use the monastery as a bulwark of Catholicism and to restore the old order. The last abbot left the monastery in 1553.

↑ Church of St. Nicholas

↑ Zinna Abbey

33

St. Mary’s Church

UniversitätsHanseatic City und of Hansestadt

Greifswald Lübeck

PD1

Over several centuries, the “Queen of the Hanseatic League” played a leading role, and this is still clearly visible today. The selfconfidence, power and wealth of its free citizens and merchants during the Middle Ages are reflected in the Brick Gothic buildings of this Hanseatic city, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. A prime example of this is Lübeck’s historic market square with its famous town hall and the mother church of Brick Gothic, St. Mary’s Church.

Brick Gothic highlights There is a long list of Brick Gothic buildings in Lübeck. Each of these buildings has its own history and deserves special appreciation.

Of course, there are famed celebrities such as the Holsten Gate or the historic town hall.

But there are also magnificent buildings that literally stand out from the city silhouette – most notably the imposing churches.

No fewer than seven towers signal that Lübeck was once a great metropolis: St. Mary’s Church with its double tower, St. Peter’s Church, the Cathedral, St. James’ Church and St. Giles’ Church.

architectural feat even today. The successor to a Romanesque market church and basilica, its thorough and ground-breaking conversion into a Gothic cathedral began in 1251. The result was a High Gothic basilica of enormous dimensions.

St. Mary’s has the highest brick vault in the world at 38.5 metres.

Its two towers are about 125 metres high.

There are 18 chapels of various designs attached to the two nave aisles. These include a memorial chapel with broken bells, the

St. Mary’s can confidently be called the mother church of Brick Gothic. Its construction is closely connected to the development of Lübeck and remains an exceptional 34

Panoramic view of St. Mary’s Church and St. Peter’s Church ↑

St. Mary’s Church

Parish office Marienkirchhof 2-3, D–23552 Lübeck tel +49 451 397700 www.st-marien-luebeck.de Chapel of Indulgences with its elaborate star vault and pillars made of Bornholm granite, and the Lady Chapel with its magnificent gilded carved altar from the late Gothic period, made in Antwerp.

On Palm Sunday 1942, an Allied air raid seriously damaged this church, as well as St. Peter’s.

The fire caused most of the plaster to flake off the walls and the original medieval paintings were exposed.

The Reformation, which took hold of Lübeck around 1531, brought changes to the interior of the church. Its most visible sign was the new pulpit from 1534, with its elaborate reliefs. Besides this, the walls were whitewashed and a number of splendidly designed epitaphs of senior Lübeck citizens were placed on the pillars of the naves.

After the Second World War the church was secured and restored.

The astronomical clock from the 16th century was replicated and the Brabender reliefs were restored. The stained-glass windows in the Chapel of the Dance of Death were replaced as well. Today’s windows are reminiscent of the original artwork, Lübeck’s Dance of Death.

↓ St. Mary’s Church

35

St. John’s Church

UniversitätsHanseatic City und of Hansestadt

Greifswald Lüneburg

PC1

Its brick gables and its charm of a bustling university town give the thousand-year-old Lüneburg an exciting flair. Narrow cobblestone streets and an abundance of small shops and restaurants invite you to explore and discover the town. The harbour is another tempting attraction with its centuries-old houses towering over the river, its Old Crane and a quaint mile of pubs right on the waterfront.

Brick Gothic highlights The town hall, a historically grown complex of buildings, is one of the most important town halls in Germany. Its architecture and interior design reflect the political development and economic power of the town.

The oldest preserved parts of the building date from the early 14th century, the court room (“Gerichtslaube”) with floor and heating system from around 1400. Further noteworthy features include: stained glass windows from the early 15th century, the Renaissance ceiling and wall paintings, the mayoral election chamber with its unique wood panelling and stained glass windows (1491), the Princes’ Hall with paintings of the princes of the House of Brunswick-Lüneburg (mid-15th century) as well as enormous antler chandeliers and rich Renaissance furnishings, the old chancellery with wall and ceiling paintings (15th century) 36

and the large council chamber with oak carvings and paintings from the Renaissance.

The Baroque façade overlooking the market square has remains of Gothic pillars and sandstone figures from around 1604/07.

St. John’s Church is thought to be one of the oldest baptisteries in Lower Saxony. Construction of the brick hall church with five aisles began in the 1270s.

The tower has richly decorated triangular gables. The winged altar in the chancel was built between 1430 and 1485, the inner panels are by H. Funhoff. Note the canopy altar (around 1510), the Crucifixion altar (around 1520) and the Christ Carrying the Cross altar (around 1536). A host casket in the form of a Gothic church (around 1480) can be seen in a wall niche in the chancel. The relief of the Annunciation in the northern aisle (around 1515) is an excellent work in sandstone.

Further highlights include Town hall →

Town hall, court room

Tourist information Rathaus/Am Markt, D–21335 Lüneburg tel +49 4131 2076620 www.lueneburg.info important epitaphs, a bronze baptismal font and parts of the choir stalls. No less significant is the organ with a Baroque case.

It was inaugurated in 1553 and was enlarged several times. It was here that Johann Sebastian Bach composed his first works.

The Basilica of St. Nicholas was consecrated in 1409 and was the church of the boatmen and salt barrel makers in the Wasserviertel neighbourhood. The basilica has three aisles and side chapels which, with their galleries above, almost match the height of the side aisles. The central nave, which is over 30 metres high, bears a unique eight-pointed star vault. The church is richly decorated with Gothic works of art. The four-winged high altar

(Hans Bornemann/Hans Snitger around 1450) comes from St. Lambert’s Church, which was demolished in 1860/61. In the ambulatory you can see parts of the high altar of the former Heiligental monastery church showing the oldest views of Lüneburg (around 1445).

The Benedictine monastery of St. Michael’s was first mentioned in 956. Together with the ducal castle it was initially situated on the Kalkberg rock. After the castle was destroyed by the citizens of Lüneburg in 1371, the monastery was moved to its present site.

The foundation stone of the new monastery and the three-aisled hall church was laid in 1376. The twostorey abbey chapel on the north side was completed in 1412.

Under the chancel is the lower church with two side chapels.

The medieval furnishings are scattered today. The main work of Lüneburg painting and sculpture around 1415 was the monumental high altar and shrine (“Goldene Tafel”). St. Michael’s Church was the burial place of the ruling families of Lüneburg until the end of the 15th century. To the north of the church there are excavated relics of the monastery buildings.

37

St. Nikolaihof

Universitäts- und Hansestadt

Bardowick Greifswald

PC1

Bardowick is one of the oldest settlements in Northern Germany.

It was an important trading centre in the medieval times and was destroyed by Henry the Lion in 1189. After 1400 it developed into a flourishing centre for vegetable growing.

Brick Gothic highlights The Church of St. Peter and Paul, collegiate church of the collegiate monastery of Bardowick, was first mentioned in 1146.

The substructure of the towers is made of gypsum blocks and dates from the time after the destruction by Henry the Lion.

Construction of today’s threeaisled brick hall church began at the end of the 14th century.

Special furnishings include the baptismal font from 1367, the excellently preserved Gothic choir stalls from 1486/87 and the high altar from the 15th century.

Above the south portal is an oak lion with a gilded lead mantle, in memory of Henry the Lion.

St. Nikolaihof was first mentioned in 1251. It was the hospital of the city of Lüneburg for lepers and was located far from the Lüneburg’s gates, on the southern edge of Bardowick. After a gradual decrease of leprosy, the hospital became an old people’s 38

home towards the end of the 15th century. In the centre of the complex, marked by large trees, is the Chapel of St. Nicholas, whose origins date back to 1310.

The entrance portal is preserved from this time. The west tower was built in the first quarter of the 15th century. The entire brick building was rebuilt in 1435.

The men’s house was erected in 1316, the women’s house was newly built in 1720/21. Both buildings show the characteristic structure of a hospital building with small rooms on both sides of a long corridor. Remarkably, large kitchens have been preserved in both houses.

The unity of the complex, its historical fabric, the vegetation and its location on the river still convey the image of a medieval hospital complex.

A documentation of the history of Nikolaihof is on display in two almost authentically preserved cells of the women’s house.

Church of St. John in Adendorf

UniversitätsChurch district und Hansestadt of

Greifswald Lüneburg

PC1

The church district around the Hanseatic City of Lüneburg has numerous communities with a remarkable variety of Brick Gothic churches. These include Adendorf, Barskamp, Betzendorf, Dahlenburg, Embsen, Lüdersburg, Neetze, Radegast, Scharnebeck and Thomasburg.

Brick Gothic highlights The brick church of St. John (“St. Johannes”) in Adendorf dates from the 13th century.

The half-timbered bridal house with a wooden ridge turret became part of the chapel in the 16th century. Special features inside the church include an oaken baptismal font (around 1400), a winged altar (around 1700) and a brass chandelier from the 18th century. The stained glass windows were created by W. Petzold (1998).

Inside the three-aisled church of St. Peter and Paul in Betzendorf you will find an exquisite medieval work of art: an impressive carved altar from the 15th century with numerous iconographic features.

↓ Church of St. John in Adendorf

↑ Church of St. Peter and Paul in Betzendorf

39

Ebstorf Abbey

Universitäts- und Hansestadt

Lüneburg convents PB-C0-1 Greifswald The six Lüneburg convents still bear witness to the once rich monastic landscape in the Principality of Lüneburg. The oldest foundation is Walsrode (before 986), then followed Ebstorf (around 1160), Lüne (1172), Wienhausen (around 1230), Medingen (1241) and Isenhagen (1243). Ebstorf, Lüne and Walsrode followed the Regula Benedicti (Rule of Benedict). Medingen, Wienhausen and Isenhagen belonged to the Cistercian Order.

The convents are remarkable not only for their architectural features, but also for the continuity of their use: after the Reformation, they were used by now Protestant nuns. The convents also house many important medieval and early modern objects. The Ebstorf Map, the sculpture of Christ in Wienhausen, created around 1500, and the abbess’s crook in Medingen, made in 1494, are just a few examples.

Brick Gothic highlights Ebstorf Abbey is a captivatingly beautiful and cohesive medieval convent. Some of its most important art treasures are the Madonna in the nun’s choir and a copy of the Ebstorf Map, depicting the Christian world view of medieval Europe. www.kloster-ebstorf.de Duchess Agnes of Landsberg, a daughter-in-law of Henry the Lion, founded Isenhagen Abbey in 1243. At its present location, the Cistercian convent was built from 1345 onwards. At the beginning of the 18th century, the south and west wings were demolished 40

and rebuilt as half-timbered structures in Baroque style. www.kloster-isenhagen.de The former Benedictine Abbey Lüne is only a few minutes’ walk from the centre of Lüneburg.

It was built in its present form after a fire in 1372. The imposing courtyard is flanked by Gothic buildings and a late Baroque guesthouse. www.kloster-luene.de Medingen Abbey was founded in 1241 and took its current location in Bad Bevensen in 1336. The only remaining Brick Gothic building is the brewery from the 15th century. All other buildings were

Isenhagen Abbey

Contact: Kloster Lüne Am Domänenhof, D–21337 Lüneburg tel +49 4131 52318 www.kloster-luene.de built in Classicist style after a fire in 1781–1788. www.kloster-medingen.de You will find Walsrode Abbey directly within the town of Walsrode, surrounded by an old wall. The park-like grounds invite you to stay and relax. The Lange Haus and the main residential building are both impressive and unusual, as are the magnificent stained-glass windows of the late 15th century in the chapel. www.kloster-walsrode.de Wienhausen Abbey was founded around 1230. The oldest surviving building of the convent is the small All Saints’ Chapel, built around 1290. The western wing was built around 1310, followed twenty years later by the adjacent nuns’ choir. Its gables give the convent its characteristic appearance. www.kloster-wienhausen.de

↑ Medingen Abbey

All of the convents may only be visited as part of a guided tour, as they are still inhabited.

Lüne Abbey →

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New Gate

UniversitätsCity of Four Gates und Hansestadt

Greifswald Neubrandenburg

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Neubrandenburg is situated in an idyllic landscape directly by a lake, the Tollensesee. The third largest city in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is the economic and cultural centre of the Mecklenburg Lake District region. The town centre’s historical layout, its medieval fortifications with integrated watch houses (the magnificent “Wiekhäuser”) and Gothic town gates give Neubrandenburg its special charm and attraction, making it a perfect place to visit.

Brick Gothic highlights St. Mary’s Church, consecrated in 1298, is one of the most important works of North German Brick Gothic. The church was severely devastated during World War II.

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A modern reconstruction with excellent acoustics now makes it one of the Germany’s most formidable concert halls.

Whether philharmonic concert, opera, musical or ballet – all St. Mary’s Church ↓

Tourist information Marktplatz 1, D–17033 Neubrandenburg tel +49 395 5595127 www.neubrandenburg-touristinfo.de genres come into their own thanks to the special sound of the building. Since July 2017, a new organ with 2,852 pipes has contributed significantly to the concert programme. The church tower has a permanent exhibition “Paths to Brick Gothic”, showcasing Neubrandenburg’s religious and secular architecture.

The medieval fortifications have been almost entirely preserved and completely enclose the old town. A double rampart is also still in place. The four city gates (Friedland Gate, Stargard Gate, Treptow Gate and New Gate) were designed as double gate complexes, protecting the city with front and main gates.

↑ Friedland Gate

Treptow Gate ↓

Immediately following the founding of the town in 1248, the Franciscan Order settled in Neubrandenburg. The monastery church of St. John’s and the east wing are the oldest parts of the Franciscan monastery and were built in 1260. Around the beginning of the 15th century, the margravial court to the north was integrated in an extension.

Today the monastery is home to the Regional Museum.

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Stargard Castle

Universitäts- und Hansestadt

Burg Stargard PC4 Greifswald Just a few kilometres outside the gates of Neubrandenburg is a medieval gem whose restoration is the result of many years of hard work: Burg Stargard, a castle in a town bearing its same name of Slavic origin. The castle is the northernmost preserved hilltop castle in Germany and the oldest secular building in MecklenburgVorpommern. Scenic highlights nearby include the vast lakeland of the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte, the highest natural elevation of the whole region and the Müritz National Park.

Brick Gothic highlights Stargard Castle was once the political and strategic centre of the Stargard region. The Margraves of Brandenburg had the castle built over a Slavic rampart between 1236 and 1260. Despite being destroyed over the centuries, the main parts of the complex have been preserved and still show their Brick Gothic characteristics. These include the gates, the “Krumme Haus” (literally: curved house), the “Alte Münze”, formerly used ↓ Upper Gate

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as a mint, as well as parts of the massive castle walls, which are up to four metres strong. A mighty moat surrounds the whole complex. Standing at an altitude of 95 metres above sea level, the castle’s landmark, it’s round keep, rises another 38 metres high and offers a sweeping view of the rolling countryside.

As well as the castle, make sure you also visit the old town, the Church of St. John and the former Chapel of the Holy Spirit.

Every

3rd Saturday in June

hic Got ck

Day of Br i

You will find details on all the participating towns and cities and their diverse programme at www.eurob.org www.eurob.org |

backsteingotik |

brick_gothic

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Sonnenkamp convent

Universitäts- und Hansestadt

Neukloster Greifswald

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Neukloster, which was largely spared by the Second World War, is a town rich in history and medieval buildings. 800 years ago Cistercian nuns found a place in the sun here and called this Campus Solis – Sonnenkamp. From 1648 to 1803, the tranquil Neukloster belonged to the Kingdom of Sweden, as did Wismar. From the 1860s onwards, the town gained supra-regional importance through its grand ducal teacher training college and the state institute for the blind. Today Neukloster is a modern small town with a school centre.

Brick Gothic highlights St. Mary’s Church of the Sonnenkamp convent dates back to the 13th century; construction began around 1235. The church is excellently preserved, furnished with impressive works of art and a monument of national importance. The meticulously designed windows, made around 1250, are

among the oldest stained-glass windows in Northern Germany.

In addition to the famous polychrome windows, there are also some spectacular patterns in Cistercian grisaille technique.

The glass panels have had an eventful life: several times they have swapped places, including life-size representations of apostles and saints, they survived the Second World War in a cellar and then an acid bath, only to shine again in their former splendour since 1995 in an arrangement from 1950/51.

The chancel shows five figures: St. Catherine, St. Magdalene, the apostles Matthias and Matthew as well as St. Elizabeth, who was canonized in 1235, making this one of her oldest representations.

Sonnenkamp was the first foundation of a nunnery in Mecklenburg and one of the richest in the

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St. Elizabeth ↑

St. Mary’s Church

Tourist information Hauptstraße 27, D–23992 Neukloster tel +49 38422 44030 www.neukloster.de country, equipped with numerous relics. In addition to the church, the also well-preserved provostry building with its ornamental gables was also part of the monastery.

Its former use is unknown.

In 1586 the height was increased and it was rebuilt as a bell tower.

In 1989 it suffered damage from a fire; at the end of the 1990s it was restored.

The Provosts’ house, once the home of the provost, is a particularly beautiful example of medieval Brick Gothic. It was built around 1300. With its splendid stair-like east gable decorated with blind arches, the vaulted two-aisled cellar hall (formerly used for storage purposes) and the oak roof, which is still completely preserved from the time of its construction, the Provost’s house is one of the most important high Gothic secular buildings in Mecklenburg. After 1555, the Swedish district court sat here. Today the provost’s building houses a kindergarten.

A barn is now used by a school and youth centre, the gatekeeper’s house accommodates a lovingly designed town museum.

Of the former monastic complex, parts of the cloister can still be seen. The present park was once the monastic garden. Starting from the courtyard, you can take a walk past a high ropes course and a natural spring that has been bubbling out of the Sonnenberg down to the nearby lake, the Neuklostersee, for centuries. ↓ Provosts’ house

The bell tower has also survived the times. The lower part of this brick building with a pointed arched portal, built around 1280, was originally eight metres high.

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Panoramic view with St. Mary’s and St. George’s Churches

Universitäts- und Hansestadt

Parchim Greifswald

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Pütt, as Parchim is affectionately called in Low German, is situated in the hilly setting of a terminal moraine, halfway between the German conurbations of Hamburg and Berlin and at equal distance from the Mecklenburg Baltic coast. The surrounding area, rich in forests, rivers and lakes, has the highest Douglas firs in Europe, numerous wetlands and a well-developed tourist infrastructure, offering a wide range of activities on land, water and in the air.

Brick Gothic highlights St. George’s Church next to the town hall is the larger one of the town’s two brick churches.

Construction of this Gothic hall church started in 1289, probably including a tower that had been abandoned around 1260. The church was only completed after the middle of the 14th century.

Its formidable interior includes a neo-Gothic altarpiece by Gotthilf Ludwig Möckel, an altar and wooden sculptures from the 15th century, a magnificent Renaissance pulpit from 1580 and the 17th century council pews.

The church still has a bell dating from around 1400 and one that was cast in 1613. It is possible to see the medieval roof truss on a 107-metre-long walk-way above the vaulting.

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St. George’s Church →

St. Mary’s Church is the smaller one of the two churches.

The construction of the chancel had probably begun when the church was mentioned in 1249.

The chancel was completed around 1260 and the church was first consecrated in 1278. At the time of its second consecration, before 1314, the nave was completed as well. Some of the most precious furnishings are the

Old Town and lake Wockersee

Tourist information Blutstraße 5, D–19370 Parchim tel +49 3871 71550 www.parchim.de bronze baptismal font (1365), the exquisitely carved winged altar (around 1500), the Renaissance carvings of the pulpit, the organ gallery and the organ case from the 17th century. Also worth noting are Jewish gravestones from the Middle Ages that are set in the wall. The roof truss is accessible here as well.

The core of the town hall dates back to the 14th century.

However, it was not until 1818 that the building received its present façade following a radical reconstruction. Given that this reconstruction project dates back 200 years, the town hall ranks as one of the oldest neo-Gothic buildings in Germany.

↑ St. Mary’s Church

↑ Town hall

The impressive Gothic rib-vaulted cellar of the town hall is well preserved. Massively bricked octagonal pillars support the vault in the middle of the room.

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St. Mary’s Church

Universitäts- und Hansestadt

Pasewalk Greifswald

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This more than 750-year-old town on the Uecker river was badly damaged in the Second World War. Nevertheless, large parts of the 2.5-kilometre-long town walls with towers and defensive watch houses integrated into the walls (“Wiekhäuser”) have been preserved. The town centre has also been largely restored to its former glory. Today Pasewalk is a small yet charming town where people love to live and where peace and relaxation can be found.

Brick Gothic highlights St. Mary’s Church, a three-aisled hall church, was built between 1325–50. The north chapel was added in late Gothic style in the beginning of the 15th century.

The church was badly damaged during the Thirty Years’ War. In 1984, the tower collapsed, and the remains had to be taken down.

The reconstruction was then carried out in line with monument conservation principles.

The parish church of the first market settlement, St. Nicholas’ Church, was built in the middle of the 13th century as a fieldstone structure with lateral extensions and a west tower as well as brick gables with blind arcatures.

At the beginning of the 16th century it was converted into a three-aisled hall church.

On the church square of St. Mary’s Church is the Elendenhaus, 50

a house for pilgrims and the poor. It belonged to a charitable brotherhood offering hospitality to needy strangers, the “Elendenbruderschaft” (confraternitas exulum) and was probably built around 1350.

St. Mary’s Church ↓

Detail of the Elendenhaus

Tourist information Am Markt 12, D–17309 Pasewalk tel +49 3973 251232 www.pasewalk.de The Prenzlau Gate is 25.6 meters high and one of the two remaining gates of the medieval town fortifications.

It was completed in 1474.

Above the archway there are three floors that can be visited as part of the city museum.

St. Spiritus was built in the 14th and 15th century. A hotair heating system of the 13th century from a preceding building still exists in parts.

Also known as the “Black Hospital”, the building was severely damaged in the Second World War. Beginning in 1952, it was rebuilt and has since then been run as a Protestant nursing home.

↑ St. Spiritus

Prenzlau Gate ↓ ↘

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Church of St. Mary

Universitäts- und Hansestadt

Prenzlau Greifswald

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The towers of St. Mary’s Church stand out from afar. Together with the tower of the Holy Spirit Chapel and the central gate tower, they make up the familiar four-tower sight of the town. The well-preserved Dominican monastery, St. George’s Chapel and the town wall with its six towers also bear witness to the flourishing of Prenzlau in the Middle Ages. In 2013, an important regional garden show turned the town on lake Unteruckersee into an even greener and livelier place.

Brick Gothic highlights The town’s landmark is the threeaisled hall church of St. Mary, one of the most important buildings of North German Brick Gothic of the 13th and 14th centuries. Its highlight is the splendid eastern gable, where filigree tracery and a multi-layered structure echo Gothic stonemasonry. The church was gutted by fire in the last days of the Second World War, and in 1970 the Uckermark church district began its reconstruction.

With the introduction of the new vaults to be completed in 2020, the interior will also regain its spatial quality.

The Dominican monastery is one of the best-preserved mendicant monasteries in Northern Germany.

Outstanding features are the elaborately restored cloister, the refectory with its wall paintings, 52

the former sacristy and the high Gothic church. The donation of the margravial town courtyard in 1275 provided the basis for the construction. In return, the sovereigns were granted hospitality in the monastery during their stays in Prenzlau.

The Franciscan monastery church was built between 1235 and 1250 as a single-nave building made from granite ashlars with brick window jambs. The five-bay aisleless church is one of the oldest Franciscan churches in Germany that has largely been preserved in its original form.

The monastery buildings were demolished in the 18th century.

The Chapel of the Holy Spirit was built in two building phases at the beginning of the 14th century as a rectangular granite ashlar building with hexagonal, Detail of St. Mary’s Church →

Dominican monastery

Tourist information Marktberg 2, D–17291 Prenzlau tel +49 3984 75163 www.prenzlau-tourismus.de two-storey bell towers. It was used as a chapel for the Holy Spirit Hospital, directly to its western side. From 1899 it was home to the regional museum.

In 1945 the chapel was gutted by fire. In 2013 a new roof was put on the building and it now serves as an exhibition venue.

The 15th century Middle Gate Tower is the youngest gate tower of the Prenzlau fortifications, and with its artistic, ornate design and octagonal roofed gallery, it is also its most beautiful. In the 19th century the Middle Gate Tower even served as a model for the two towers of the Berlin’s Oberbaum Bridge. The northern extension with the passageway was built in 1928. At the top of the tower is a wrought-iron eagle with a golden ring in its beak.

It is traditionally also known as the “raven of the Middle Gate Tower”.

St. George’s Chapel belonged to a hospital for people suffering from infectious diseases and was therefore built outside the city walls. It probably also served as a shelter for travelling merchants and pilgrims. The small brick chapel has a fieldstone base and a decorative gable. It was built around 1300. Today it is privately owned and is the site of an architectural office.

More than half of the town wall is still preserved and the medieval fortifications with six towers have been restored. You can take a circular walk of about three kilometres around them.

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Clarissan convent

UniversitätsAmber Town und Hansestadt

Greifswald Ribnitz-Damgarten

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The amber town Ribnitz-Damgarten is the economic, cultural and geographical centre between the Hanseatic cities of Rostock and Stralsund. It is the gateway to the charming peninsula FischlandDarß-Zingst. Since 1950 the former Pomeranian border town of Damgarten and the Mecklenburg town of Ribnitz have been united.

The double town offers beautiful leisure ports and a lovingly renovated and lively town centre. The fascination and variety of the “gold of the sea”, the Baltic amber, and its impressive presentation in the German Amber Museum in the Ribnitz Monastery, give the town of Ribnitz-Damgarten its byname.

Brick Gothic highlights The Ribnitz town church of St. Mary, a three-aisled hall church, originates from the 13th century. After being repeatedly extended and rebuilt following destruction by town fires it now preserves in its interior the remains of the late baroque furnishings after 1759.

The church was restored and redesigned in 1980. An ascent to the tower is highly recommended.

tradition of the mendicant order.

Significantly, the former nuns’ gallery has been preserved. After 1840, the altar and galleries were redesigned in neo-Gothic style.

Apart from the Amber Museum, there is also an exhibition on the history of the convent, and later of the noble convent for

The Clarissan convent of Ribnitz was the only convent of this order in north-eastern Germany. It was founded in 1323 by Heinrich II of Mecklenburg. The first consecration of the convent church by the bishop of Schwerin is attested in 1330. The simple brick hall of the church was built at the end of the 14th century and is fully in the 54

↑ Rostock Gate

Church of St. Mary

Tourist information Am Markt 14, D–18311 Ribnitz-Damgarten tel +49 3821 2201 www.bernsteinstadt.de ladies, with outstanding medieval wooden sculptures and many small finds from the nuns’ pews.

Princely abbesses and noble nuns tell of their fate here.

Convent church ↓

The Rostock Gate is the last remaining gate of the former town fortifications in Ribnitz and one of the oldest preserved town gates in MecklenburgVorpommern. It was built in the first half of the 15th century, but dates back to a building from the 13th century. The white background to its blind arcatures shines out far into the countryside. The gate has survived many wars, defied numerous attempts to demolish it and has served as a model for several artists, notably Lyonel Feininger.

The Damgarten town church of St. Bartholomew with a square chancel dates from around 1280/90, and the nave from the late 15th century. The church tower is a neo-Gothic addition

by Stralsund’s town planning director Ernst von Haselberg from 1880/90.

↑ Church of St. Bartholomew

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St. Mary’s Church

UniversitätsHanseatic andund University Hansestadt City of

Greifswald Rostock

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The Hanseatic city of Rostock was granted the city rights in 1218.

It is a city of crafts and industry, home to one of the oldest universities in Europe (1419) and the centre of a strong bourgeoisie.

Today, Rostock is a modern centre on the southern Baltic Sea. From the 13th to the 16th century, Rostock was one of the leading Hanseatic cities and acquired a highly representative character due to its large number of stately patrician and trading houses.

The brick buildings still preserved from that period demonstrate the diligence and craftsmanship of their builders.

Brick Gothic highlights For centuries, the mighty edifice of the St. Mary’s Church has dominated Rostock’s market square and the town’s silhouette.

It is a testimony and monument to the history of the city and its importance during the heyday of urban development in the Middle Ages. Its present-day form is the result of several construction phases. They reflect the typical stylistic changes and growing ambitions in urban religious architecture in the southern Baltic Sea area from the 13th to the 15th century.

The astronomical clock from 1472 by Hans Düringer, a clockmaker from Nuremberg, still works with its clockwork from the time it was built. The late Gothic parts include the ring with the signs of the zodiac in the lower 56

part, the reliefs of four wise men of the ancient world and in the upper part the clock face with moon phases and symbols of the evangelists.

Built between 1953 and 1958, Lange Straße in Rostock is the largest contiguous urban development to have been realised in the north of the former German Democratic Republic.

Following Stalinallee in Berlin and alongside Dresden’s Altmarkt, the ensemble is one of the most representative building projects of that time. The row of arcades is part of a design that incorporates not only traditionalist forms and materials into the facades but also stylistic elements of Brick Gothic.

The Convent of the Holy Cross is a former Cistercian convent founded by Queen Margarethe

Convent of the Holy Cross

Tourist information Universitätsplatz 6, D–18055 Rostock tel +49 381 3812222 www.rostock.de of Denmark in 1270. It was built in several phases in the 14th and 15th centuries. Since the 1980s it has been used as a cultural history museum.

Standing 54 metres high, the Kröpelin Gate is the tallest of Rostock’s numerous city gates.

It was built in the 13th and 14th centuries as part of the medieval defences. The four gables with blind arches in front of the intersecting roof with a ridge turret still characterise the appearance today.

The gable of the house at No. 82, Kröpeliner Straße (from 1493) is one of the most important examples of Late Gothic gable design in Rostock.

It is distinguished by an extremely elaborate design with alternating layers of glazed and unglazed bricks as well as bricks with relief decoration.

Today, this building houses the municipal library.

Kerkhofhaus is a Late Gothic gabled house built around 1460/70. In the 16th century it was decorated with coloured terracottas from a Lübeck workshop for mayor Kerkhof, who lived in this house at that time. ↓ Detail of the Kerkhofhaus

← Kröpelin Gate

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Winged retable

Universitäts- und Hansestadt

Schwerin Greifswald

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The historical heart of Schwerin is on an idyllic island in the middle of Lake Schwerin, which already had an important Slavic settlement in the 10th century. The majestic palace that stands there today, surrounded by water and enchanting gardens, reflects the eventful history of the old ducal residence. Its golden towers dominate the historic cityscape together with the cathedral, the baroque Schelf Church and the neo-gothic St. Paul’s Church. The old town is characterised by its magnificent classicist buildings and impressive half-timbered houses. On the Alter Garten square you will find the State Museum with its outstanding medieval collections and the theatre. The tower of the mighty brick cathedral offers a fantastic view over the large expanse of water of Lake Schwerin set in a charming landscape.

Cathedral ↘

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Cathedral

Tourist information Am Markt 14, D–19055 Schwerin tel +49 385 5925212 www.schwerin.de Brick Gothic highlights Schwerin Cathedral is one of the most important buildings of the North German Brick Gothic style.

The 105-metre-long cathedral was begun around 1300 and completed in 1416. This large three-aisled brick basilica with a transept and apsidal chapels is one of the most famous brick churches of the High Gothic period. The remains of medieval wall paintings and stained-glass windows are well worth seeing, as are the winged retable from 1495, a bronze baptismal font from 1325 and the Flemish brass tomb slabs from the 14th century. Every year, organists from all over the world come and give recitals on the Ladegast organ with its 5,100 pewter pipes.

The West Tower, completed in 1892 to replace of the old tower, measures 117.5 metres and is the tallest in MecklenburgVorpommern.

� Castle

↑ Cathedral

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Panoramic view with Uenglinger Tor town gate

UniversitätsHanseatic town undofHansestadt

Greifswald Stendal

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The Hanseatic town of Stendal is the economic, cultural and administrative centre of the Altmark region. Around 1165 it was granted market and town rights and in the 15th century it turned into a flourishing Hanseatic town. It was during this period that the characteristic religious and secular buildings of the Brick Gothic style were built, giving the townscape its distinctive character to this day. Its numerous towers give Stendal a silhouette reminiscent of Lübeck. The well-preserved and restored town centre not only has those older buildings, but also many residential buildings from the Wilhelminian period.

Brick Gothic highlights St. Nicholas’ Cathedral, a wide hall church with a transept and a double tower façade, ranks among the most important buildings of North German brick art of the Late Gothic period. A unique treasure of international standing are the 22 medieval stained glass windows. You can find their no less significant but older “sisters” in the church of St. James the Great.

the 15th century and the fully functional astronomical clock.

The oldest part of the town hall, the court loggia, a 14th century brick building, as well as the area of the former cloth hall and the main corps are all essentially late Gothic. The council hall has one of the oldest secular carved wood panelling in Germany, dating

The towers of St. Mary’s Church hold one of the most important and most sonorous medieval grand chimes in northern Germany.

Formerly the church of the town council, the interior of this hall church with an ambulatory is harmonious and richly furnished.

Highlights are the chancel screen and the elaborate high altar from 60

↑ Town hall and St. Mary’s Church

Carved wood panelling

Tourist information Markt 1, D–39576 Hansestadt Stendal tel +49 3931 65-1190 www.stendal-tourist.de from 1462. The colossal figure of Roland, symbol of the town privileges, has stood in front of the Gerichtslaube since 1525.

The Uenglinger Tor town gate was built around 1450/60 and is one of the finest late medieval town gates of North German Brick Gothic. The gate tower with its pointed-arched gateway has a round top and rich decorative blind arcading.

St. Peter’s Church is a small Late Gothic hall church made of fieldstone and brick. Johann Joachim Winckelmann, founder of scientific archaeology and art historiography, was christened here.

↑ St. Nicholas’ Cathedral

↑ Roland

↑ Tangermünder Tor town gate

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Town hall and St. Nicholas’ Church

UniversitätsHanseatic City und of Hansestadt

Greifswald Stralsund

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Only an anchor’s throw away from Stralsund harbour, the old market square is dominated by St. Nicholas’ Church and the town hall with its filigree façade. They are the landmarks of the UNESCO World Heritage city of Stralsund. The Hanseatic city is rich in historical buildings of all stylistic periods. And yet it is primarily characterised by the bright red of the bricks. As an archetype of a medieval city, Stralsund’s almost unchanged ground plan still bears witness to the power and wealth of the Baltic cities in the Middle Ages.

Brick Gothic highlights St. Nicholas’ Church was first mentioned in 1276 as one of Stralsund’s three large parish churches and is closely related to St. Mary’s Church in Lübeck.

When the Gothic style of the French cathedrals was first adopted along the Baltic coast, St. Nicholas’ Church was ground-

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breaking. With its rich furnishings from the Gothic period to the present day, it is considered one of the most beautiful churches in Northern Europe.

The town hall from the 13th century together with St. Nicholas’ Church makes up for one of the most impressive urban ensembles in northern Germany.

Town hall and St. Nicholas’ Church ↑

Wulflam house

Tourist information Alter Markt 9, D–18439 Stralsund tel +49 3831 252340 www.stralsundtourismus.de Its magnificent façade was restored in the Gothic style as part of a comprehensive restoration.

The two mendicant order monasteries of the Dominicans and Franciscans were founded around 1250 and count among the oldest preserved monasteries in northern Germany today.

The Franciscan monastery holds parts of the town archive, the Baroque library, the chapter room and the Pietà by Ernst Barlach.

All that remains of its monastery church are the ruins of the chancel and the outer walls, while the preserved Dominican monastery church has the oldest known large-scale roof of a hall church in north-eastern Germany, dating from 1291.

St. Mary’s Church, first mentioned in 1298, was once considered the tallest building in the world. A masterpiece of late Brick Gothic architecture and the largest parish church in Stralsund, it contains the altar of the Coronation of the Virgin Mary as well as the baroque Stellwagen organ. From its tower you have a panoramic view over the Hanseatic city as far as the island of Rügen.

The most famous of the medieval gabled houses was built by the Wulflam family of mayors. There is proof that the Wulflam house must have been erected before 1358. ↓ St. Mary’s Church

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St. Stephen’s Church

UniversitätsImperial andund Hanseatic Hansestadt town of

Greifswald Tangermünde

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The town of Tangermünde was founded around the year 1000 on the watermeadows by the small river Tanger, protected by a castle.

The importance of Tangermünde as a Hanseatic town and secondary residence of Emperor Charles IV is evident in its Brick Gothic buildings. To this day the town has been able to preserve its ancient townscape with numerous half-timbered houses. The old town is almost completely enclosed by an impressive fortification with three remaining gates. While the mighty castle tower is testimony to early brick building, the town hall, the Neustädter Tor town gate and St. Stephen’s Church are part of the magnificent expansion of the town in the late Middle Ages.

Brick Gothic highlights The historic town hall is one of the most famous secular buildings of North German Brick Gothic. It was probably built around 1430 by master builder Hinrich Brunsberg from Szczecin.

A striking feature is its 24-metre high façade. Behind it is the municipal festival hall with its magnificent stellar vault and a central pillar that runs through all levels of the town hall.

In 1480, the western wing with the court loggia was added, where weddings are held today.

Originally, the two-storey building did not have an external staircase. Since 1929, the ground floor and the vaulted cellars of the town hall have been home to Tangermünde’s oldest museum.

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The tower of St. Stephen’s Church is 87.5 meters high.

With its baroque spire it dominates the appearance of the town like no other building in Tangermünde. The stately Brick Gothic hall church is the result of several building phases and has rich ornaments made of terracotta. Much of the interior furnishings, however, fell victim to the town fire of 1617. The most valuable pieces of equipment are a sandstone pulpit dating from the 17th century and an organ

by Hans Scherer the Younger, recognised as world heritage.

The double gate complex of the Neustädter Tor town gate is the most splendid part of the medieval town fortifications.

The angular tower from the 13th Town hall →

Town wall with Elbtor town gate

Tourist information Markt 2, D–39590 Tangermünde tel +49 39322 22393 www.tourismus-tangermuende.de century and the round tower built in 1450 have been preserved, as well as the central building with a pointed-arched gateway.

A protected walkway connects both towers.

A breach in the town wall, which was caused in the 19th century when a primary school was built, was closed in 2019. Besides the Neustädter Tor, two more town gates have been preserved: the Hünerdorfer Tor with the owl tower and the Elbtor.

Neustädter Tor town gate →

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St. Nicholas’ Church

UniversitätsHanseatic town undofHansestadt

Greifswald Wismar

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In 2002, the Hanseatic town of Wismar became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, together with Stralsund. Wismar is distinguished by its historic harbour, mighty brick churches, gabled houses and the market square. The historic town centre has retained its medieval ground-plan almost unchanged and bears witness to the layout of the maritime trading towns under Lübeck law. The preserved building fabric with numerous individual monuments testifies to the political importance and wealth of the Baltic cities in the Middle Ages.

Brick Gothic highlights St. Nicholas’ Church was built in the 14th and 15th centuries as a church for seafarers and fishermen and stands on one of the oldest artificial watercourses in Germany, the Frische Grube. St Nicholas’ Church is the only one of the three large city parish churches to have survived the Second World War intact. At a height of 37 metres, the nave is almost as tall as Lübeck’s St. Mary’s Church. In fact, it is the second-highest nave in any Brick Gothic church. A special feature are the porches on the north and south sides, which resemble the arms of a transept. The extraordinarily richly decorated southern gable, with its abundance of glazed figurative shaped bricks, is a unique feature of brick architecture. Of the medieval furnishings of St. Nicholas’ Church, the granite baptismal font dating 66

from the late 13th century and the naval altar made at the beginning of the 16th century have survived. However, the interior is characterised by its fully preserved baroque furnishings.

St. George’s Church in Wismar is recognised as an outstanding example of North German Brick Gothic. The first church to be built in today’s site was erected between 1260 and 1270.

Its nearly two hundred and fifty years of building history make St. George’s a monument to the blossoming and decline of the medieval Hanseatic town.

The Second World War caused damage; the era of the German Democratic Republic brought decay. Today, however, Wismar’s reconstruction is complete. The impressive brick scenery serves as a backdrop for concerts of the NDR orchestra, the Mecklenburg-

St. George’s Church

Tourist information Lübsche Straße 23 a, D–23966 Wismar tel +49 3841 19433 www.wismar-tourist.de Vorpommern Film Festival, readings, congresses and theatre performances. A viewing platform at a height of 35 metres offers an impressive view of Wismar. The platform has a lift for access.

The 80 metre-high tower of St. Mary’s Church is a symbol of the Hanseatic town, visible at great distances from both land and sea. St. Mary’s was the council parish church of Wismar.

Of the earliest stone church building from around 1260, only one buttress at the northern corner of the tower remains today. The basement and the neighbouring chapels date from 1280/1290. During the Second World War the church was severely damaged by an air raid. In 1960 plans to remove the nave became public and despite protest it was blown up the same year.

In the middle chapel the 3D video presentation “A medieval church building site” is shown, which gives insights into the development of the Gothic St. Mary’s Church in Wismar.

There is a permanent exhibition “Paths to Brick Gothic” both in St. Mary’s Church and in St. George’s Church.

The 14th century Church of the Holy Spirit obtained its present form in the 16th century and is part of an almost completely preserved medieval hospital.

In addition to Baroque ceiling paintings and a valuable Renaissance pulpit, the church also has a fresco, unique in German art, which shows the words Deo Gracias (“thanks to God”) in 504 variations arranged like a crossword puzzle.

Another characteristic feature is the large number of medieval, mostly gabled town houses.

One of these is the house at No. 12, Mecklenburger Straße, which dates from 1295 and has a cycle of murals from the first half of the 14th century. ← Detail of St. Nicholas’ Church

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Church of St. Peter

UniversitätsDucal town ofund Hansestadt

Greifswald Wolgast

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The 750-year-old ducal city of Wolgast, situated on the Peene River, currently has about 12,500 inhabitants and is often referred to as the “gateway to the island of Usedom”. The Peene Bridge, Northern Germany’s largest bascule bridge, connects the town with the island of Usedom. Its beautiful waterfront location gives this port town a unique flair.

Brick Gothic highlights The Church of St. Peter, founded by Otto von Bamberg as early as 1128 in place of a Slavic temple, has seen many architectural changes over the centuries. Work on the existing building began in the 14th century. A three-aisled basilica with a mighty west tower, it was completed in 1415 and served simultaneously as court church and burial place of the Pomeranian dukes of the Pomerania-Wolgast line. A spiral staircase leads up to the tower, which has a wonderful view over the town.

The church was awarded the Europa Nostra 2010 heritage award by the European Union for the restoration of the sarcophagi of the dukes of Pomerania carried out between 2002 and 2007.

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St. Gertrude’s Chapel was built in 1420 and is a Late Gothic hospital with a central plan. It is a replica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Its founder is believed to have been Duke Wartislaw IX of Wolgast, who recently had made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem himself. The Wolgast chapel is one of only three comparable hospital chapels that are still preserved in Pomerania.

In nearby Lassan there is St. John’s, a three-aisled hall church of the first half of the 15th century with a rectangular chancel of the 13th century, which is worth seeing.

St. Michael’s Church in Krummin is another brick church from the 13th century with neo-Gothic extensions and a west tower from the 19th century.

Tourist information Rathausplatz 10, D–17438 Wolgast tel +49 3836 600118 www.wolgast.de

↑ St. Gertrude’s Chapel

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Panoramic view of Chełmno

City of Lovers®

CHEŁMNO

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The Hanseatic City of Chełmno (Latin: Culmen) was the former capital of the historic Chełmno Land. First documented in 1065, the town was granted its famous city charter, the “Chełmno law”, by the Teutonic Order on 28 December 1233. Until the 18th century this law served as a model for the foundation of over 225 towns (including Warsaw, Gdańsk and Toruń) and 1364 villages and settlements. The significance of the magnificent medieval old town of Chełmno was acknowledged with the inclusion in the List of Historic Monuments by the President of the Republic of Poland in 2005. Thanks to the relic of St. Valentine, which has been kept in the parish church for centuries, and Valentine’s Day, celebrated annually on 14 February, Chełmno is also known as the “City of Lovers®”.

Brick Gothic highlights The Parish Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is one of the oldest and largest churches in northern Poland.

An east-facing Gothic three-aisled hall church with two towers of unequal height, it was built between 1280 and 1320. Since 1649 it has been a sanctuary of the Virgin Mary. The interior decoration dates from the Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo periods. Its precious furnishings include the relic of St. Valentine, the patron saint of lovers, eleven medieval apostle figures, baptismal and votive basins, tombstones and medieval wall paintings. The 60-metre-tall steeple, the city’s highest vantage point is also well worth a visit.

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The former Cistercian and Benedictine nuns’ convent complex was built in the 13th and 14th centuries. Not to be missed are the convent, the Merseburg Gate, the Gothic cellar, the treasury and the two-storey Church of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist (1290–1330) with the crypt of Abbess Magdalene Mortęska, a reformer of the Polish Benedictine Sisters in 1605.

The former Franciscan Church of St. James the Elder and St. Nicholas’ was built in the 13th and 14th centuries. It is a Gothic three-aisled pseudobasilica with a slender bell tower on the south side. In the chancel you will find precious medieval wall paintings and in the nave an impressive stellar vault.

Tourist information Ratusz/Rynek 28 (28 Market Square), PL–86-200 Chełmno tel +48 56 6862104 www.chelmno.pl The former Dominican Church of St. Peter and Paul was built in the 13th/14th century as a Gothic three-aisled basilica. Noteworthy furnishings include polychromes (13th/14th century) and the carved grave slab (14th century) of the first Chełmno bishop Heidenreich who, in 1253, crowned the first King of Lithuania (Mindaugas).

The Church of the Holy Spirit was built around 1280–1290 as a hospital church. The interior of this simple hall church has fragments of original medieval painting.

Cistercian and ↓ Benedictine nuns’ convent complex ↓

↑ Franciscan church

The chessboard-like grid of streets in the old town, dating from the 13th century, is surrounded by an almost completely preserved 2,270-metrelong medieval town wall with two gates and 23 fortified towers.

St. Martin’s Chapel (14th century) and the Gothic/ Renaissance town hall with the 4.35 metre long “Chełmno rod”, a medieval scale bar, are also worth a visit, as well as the Miniature Park of the Castles of the Teutonic Order and the Knight’s Settlement with a torture chamber.

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St. Mary’s Church

Universitäts- und Hansestadt

Gdańsk Greifswald

PD9

The former Hanseatic City of Gdańsk used to be the most important Baltic Sea port in the historical region of Pomerilia. Its history goes back more than a thousand years. Around 1224, the merchant settlement was granted city rights by the Pomeranian Duke Swantopolk II. It quickly developed into an important trade location, making it the object of desire of numerous territorial lords over the centuries. During its eventful history, the city reached its greatest economic boom in Hanseatic times during the 14th and 15th centuries, a period of affluence evidenced by its impressive Brick Gothic buildings.

Brick Gothic highlights St. Mary’s Church is Europe’s largest brick church. This monumental hall church was built over a period of 150 years during the Hanseatic heyday of the city.

The vast interior has a breathtaking wealth of stellar and net vaults with an amazing variety of different rib patterns.

The furnishings of St. Mary’s Church include numerous masterpieces of medieval and baroque art, including the main altar by the Augsburg master Michael Schwarz, a stone pietà from around 1410, a copy of Hans Memling’s triptych “The Last Judgement” and the famous 15th century astronomical clock.

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The Crane, the largest port crane of medieval Europe, is one of the most characteristic buildings of Gdańsk. It was used to reload goods and to put up ship masts and it also served as a city gate.

Inside the building is the reconstructed drive mechanism of the crane, a set of wooden treadmills that were powered by human legs.

The municipal government had its seat in the Main Town Hall, which was also the most important public building.

Built towards the end of the 14th century, it was extended and embellished over the following centuries. It contains one of the most beautiful medieval rooms in Northern Europe, the Great Council Hall. Today it is the main seat of the Museum of the City of Gdańsk.

Crane

Tourist information Długi Targ 28/29, PL–80-830 Gdańsk tel +48 58 3014355 www.visitgdansk.com The Great Mill, dating from the middle of the 14th century, is an outstanding technical monument of the Middle Ages. It was built by the Teutonic Order on the Radunia Canal and was the largest commercial building in Europe at that time. The building served as a mill, granary and bakery for almost 600 years; after 1945 it was also used as a shopping centre. Following extensive renovation work, the Great Mill will soon be open to visitors again.

During the Gothic period, numerous brick churches and monasteries were built in Gdańsk: the Parish Church of St. Catherine, the Dominican Church of St. Nicholas’, the Franciscan Church of Holy Trinity with its beautiful crown-like gables, the Church of St. John, which was most affected during the Second World War, and many others.

They all have a spacious hall architecture. Inside, you will see beautiful forms of vaulting (reticulated, stellar and cellular), pointed-arched portals, decorative elements made of ashlar and noteworthy altars and choir stalls.

Main Town Hall →

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Panoramic view of St. Nicholas’ Church and the granaries

Universitäts- und Hansestadt

Grudziądz Greifswald

PC9

The town of Grudziądz in former West Prussia is located on the right bank of the Vistula between Toruń and Gdańsk. In 1291 the town was granted municipal privileges by Kulm law and was surrounded by a town wall in the following years. In the course of the 14th century it developed into a centre for grain trade. Even today, the old town on the river still has 26 imposing Gothic granaries.

Besides its Gothic monuments, the medieval town features three Baroque monasteries: the Benedictine Abbey with the Church of the Holy Spirit, the Jesuit College with the Church of St. Francis Xavier and the Reformed Monastery with the Church of the Holy Cross.

Brick Gothic highlights The Gothic granaries are the landmark of Grudziądz. The first bricked storehouses were built in the middle of the 14th century.

The buildings have up to nine storeys on the river side and two to four on the street side.

In many of the granaries the original ceiling beams have been preserved and, on some walls, there are remains of chutes for transporting grain and cannonballs, reminiscent of the many wars that were fought. The most impressive granaries are now used by the town museum.

The parish church of St. Nicholas’ is one of the oldest churches of the former State of the Teutonic Order. →

74 Castle hill with reconstructed keep

The construction of its chancel began around 1300; after the middle of the 14th century the nave was built as a stepped hall.

Note the sexpartite stellar vault, which is rare in the land of the Teutonic Order, as well as the

Tourist information ul. Rynek 3-5, PL–86-300 Grudziądz tel +48 56 4612318 www.it.gdz.pl remains of medieval wall paintings and three original terracotta reliefs on the tower facades. In the chancel there is a Romanesque baptismal font from Gotland with representations of griffins in relief. The main altar and two side altars in Baroque style have paintings and sculptures from the 17th century. The steeple has three historical bells. The oldest of them, St. Nicholas’ bell, was cast in 1482.

The Water Gate is one of four surviving gates leading into the city. It was built in the 14th century and led from the ferry square on the Vistula River into the town and to the castle. ↓ Water Gate

The former Castle of the Teutonic Order was built around 1270–1299 on a high hill above the Vistula River and was considered one of the safest castles of the Order. It had an irregular ground plan with a free-standing round keep in the courtyard. The representative south wing contained the chapel, the refectory and the chapter house. The east and north wings had utility rooms, including a kitchen, a bakery, a brewery and a hospital. In the west wing were the dormitories of the monks and a toilet – the dansker. In the courtyard there was a 50-meter deep well. The remains of the castle have now been excavated and the former keep (“Klimek”) has been reconstructed as a viewing platform.

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Chapel of the Holy Spirit

Universitäts- und Hansestadt

Myślibórz Greifswald

PB5

Myślibórz is located in the south-western part of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, at the heart of the Myślibórz Lake District.

The city was founded in the 13th century under Magdeburg law and was the capital of the historic Neumark for several centuries. Many interesting sights have been preserved from that era to this day.

Brick Gothic highlights The origin of the Collegiate Church of St. John the Baptist, originally built of granite ashlars, is associated with the Knights Templar. The earliest church, built in the second half of the 13th century, was almost completely destroyed soon after by an invasion of the Duke of Greater Poland. Work then began on the construction of today’s brick church. Here too, a collegiate monastery was established by Margrave Albrecht III in 1298, which took control of the churches in the Neumark.

The church was damaged several times by hostilities and fires.

The plain interior of the threeaisled hall church still has the high altar and pulpit from the Baroque period. The classicistic organ is a work of Berlin organ builder C. A. Buchholz.

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Dominican monastery →

The former Dominican monastery was founded in 1275

by Margrave Albrecht III. In the second half of the 13th century the monastery church was built, which served as the court church for the margrave, who often stayed here in town. The threeaisled brick building with a polygonal chancel suffered several construction disasters which severely damaged the nave. The present half-timbered

Collegiate Church

Tourist information ul. Bohaterów Warszawy 74, PL–74-300 Myślibórz tel +48 95 7472448 www.muzeum.mysliborz.pl tower was built in 1738 after its predecessor had fallen onto the nave. The interior of the building was completely redesigned.

The most valuable part, still from the construction period, is the north portal with its pointed arch. Today it is the seat of local cultural centre.

The Chapel of the Holy Spirit was built in the middle of the 14th century. The lower parts of the rectangular building are made of granite ashlars, the upper part is made of brick. On the south side, a preserved pointed arch portal with an oculus leads into the interior. The original use of the chapel is not known. Most probably it served the margrave as court chapel or it belonged to a merchant guild. After the Reformation it was used as a sheepfold, brewery, granary and finally as a fire station. Today the museum of the Myślibórz Lake District is located here.

Pyrzycka Gates, the Powder Tower and the eastern and western sections of the wall still remain from the former fortifications.

Near the Nowogródzka Gate is the former St. Gertrude’s Chapel, dating from the 15th century, which was once a hospital chapel and has now become a training centre for the visual arts.

Just outside the old town wall is the late Gothic Jerusalem Chapel from the beginning of the 16th century, one of the few remaining examples of this type of religious building in the historical region of the Mark Brandenburg. It marked the end of a Stations of the Cross which started at the Chapel of the Holy Spirit.

Immediately after its foundation, the town was protected by a town wall made of field stone and partly of brick, and reinforced by square and round bastions.

Three gates gave access to the town. The Nowogródzka and ↑ Pyrzycka Gate

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Panoramic view with the Warmia Chapter Castle

Universitäts- und Hansestadt

Olsztyn Greifswald

PC10

Olsztyn belonged to the dominion of the Warmia Chapter in Frombork and was granted municipal rights in 1353 by the chapter.

In the Middle Ages Olsztyn was one of the most important centres of power of the Prince Bishopric of Warmia within the State of the Teutonic Order, being the seat of one of the three administrative units subject to the cathedral chapter, which, together with the administrative units directly subordinate to the bishop, formed the Prince Bishopric. Today Olsztyn is the capital of the WarmiaMasuria Voivodeship. The glorious past of the city is well reflected in the Brick Gothic buildings of the Old Town – the Castle of the Warmia Chapter, St. James’ Cathedral, the Old Town Hall, the High Gate and the remains of the fortified walls. The medieval road network is still visible today.

Brick Gothic highlights The Castle of the Warmia Chapter was once an important castle of the Teutonic Order.

Construction began even before the city’s foundation around 1348. The north wing of the castle was built around 1373, the south wing and tower until around 1430. After the Teutonic Order had lost control in Prussia, the castle was used as a residence and seat of the Warmian canons until 1772. One of them, Nicolaus Copernicus, lived in the castle between 1516 and 1521 and carried out his astronomical observations from here. Today the castle is the seat of the Museum of Warmia and Masuria.

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The construction of the St. James’ Cathedral dates back to the end of the 14th and the beginning of the 15th century.

It is a good example of a stringently composed hall church of the Warmia type characterised by the absence of a chancel, a tall stepped gable on the east side, octagonal pillars and stellar vaults. Its prototype is the nave of the cathedral in Frombork.

Inside are two Late Gothic winged altars (triptychs) from the 16th century. Organ concerts are performed here in July and August.

The High Gate was built as part of the town fortification at the end of the 14th and beginning of

Copernicus monument

Tourist information pl. Jana Pawła II 1, PL–10-101 Olsztyn tel +48 89 5210398 www.visit.olsztyn.eu the 15th century. The fortification system consisted of defensive walls surrounding the town, three gates and bastions. The city walls were once connected to the outer ring of the castle walls. These days there is a hotel in the High Gate.

The Gothic wing of the Old Town Hall is its oldest part and was built after 1500. From 1623 to 1624 the building was extended to its present dimensions.

The later building measures had no influence on its shape, but the Gothic character of the representative facades was partially lost. In 2003 the Gothic facade of the south wing was restored. The Old Town Hall now houses the voivodeship library, which is open to the public.

↓ High Gate

↑ St. James’ Cathedral

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View of the Castle of the Mazovian Dukes and the Cathedral Basilica

Universitäts- und Hansestadt

Płock Greifswald

PA10

Płock is the former capital of Mazovia. The city can look back to a thousand years of history and is one of the oldest cities in Poland.

As early as the 12th century, a first church was built on Tumskie Hill in the same site where today’s cathedral is towering majestically over the city. The remains of the Polish rulers Władysław I Herman and Bolesław III Wrymouthrest rest here in a marble sarcophagus.

At the time of their reign, Płock was the capital of Poland. The city is beautifully set on a high embankment above the Vistula. The river itself offers excellent conditions for sailing and other forms of water sports while its embankment is ideal for walking, jogging and cycling.

Brick Gothic highlights The former Collegiate Church of St. Michael originates from the 13th century. In the 15th century a massive tower was added to the west. As early as 1180, a medieval school was founded on the site of the collegiate church and language subjects, the socalled trivium, were taught there.

Today, Małachowianka grammar school is located here. It was named after the delegate and co-author of the constitution of 1791, Stanisław Małachowski and is considered the oldest school in Poland that is still located in its original place. In the historical basement there is a museum with an educational trail.

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The former castle of the Dukes of Mazovia is a Brick Gothic building, whose origins reach back to the 13th century. In the 14th century the castle was extended by the Polish King Casimir the Great.

Medieval remains of the castle that have survived until today are the Noble Tower, the Clock Tower and the western part of the former Benedictine abbey.

The Diocesan Museum is located here now, with precious treasures of Christian art, including Gothic sculptures. The treasure chamber includes the golden jewellery of the diocese and Gothic monstrances.

Płock Scientific Society is based in the Gothic house of Płock canon Stefan of Miszewo, built in 1445.

The Society possesses a collection

Marble sarcophagus in the Cathedral Basilica →

Seat of Płock Scientific Society

Tourist information Pl. Stary Rynek 8, PL–09-400 Płock tel +48 24 3671944 www.turystykaplock.eu of old prints, incunabula and graphics, including “Los Caprichos” by Francisco de Goya.

In the Middle Ages, Płock was protected by a city wall of 1.7 kilometres in length. Its construction was initiated in the middle of the 14th century under Casimir the Great. A fragment of the wall, about 15 metres long, has survived at the intersection of Bielska and Antoniego Juliana Nowowiejskiego streets and recalls the once imposing city fortifications. At Zduńska street there are some remains of a bastion from the 14th century.

Trumpets” (Polish: “Dom pod Trąbami”), a former canon’s house, which was added to the city wall at the end of the 14th century, the Collegiate and Parish Church of St. Bartholomew, which stood out as a Gothic building for 300 years before undergoing Baroque reconstruction, and the Church of St. Dominic, one of the oldest churches in the city, dating from the 13th century.

Further Gothic buildings in Płock are the “House under the

↑ Collegiate Church of St. Michael

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St. Mary’s Church

Universitäts- und Hansestadt

SŁAWNO Greifswald

PD7

Sławno is one of the oldest cities in the north of Poland. Its settlement history dates back to the 12th century. In 1317 the town was founded according to Lübeck law. In its long history the town experienced numerous changes of sovereign: it belonged to various Pomeranian duchies and was temporarily annexed to the Kingdom of Poland and the Mark Brandenburg. The spiritual life in the town was dominated by the Order of the Knights of St. John, who already owned a religious house here before 1155 and had the right of patronage over the town churches.

Brick Gothic highlights St. Mary’s Parish Church is the largest church in Sławno. It was founded by Duchess Sophia, wife of Duke Barnim IV of Pomerania, and built between 1326 and

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1364. The interior, however, was only furnished in the second half of the 15th century. The church belongs to a stylistically uniform group of Central Pomeranian ↓ St. Mary’s Church

Koszalin Gate

Tourist information ul. Dworcowa 4, PL–76-100 Sławno tel +48 519 303031 www.slawno.pl basilicas, which are characterised by their specific wall structure: in the nave, the pillars of the walls of the central nave are carried through to the vault as pilasters, thus creating an impression of continuous upward movement and giving the basilican nave its hall-like character. The church was damaged following the invasion of the Red Army in 1945 and later restored by the Franciscan Order. The plain interior features a baptismal font from the 18th century, a baptismal font from the 16th century and a memorial plaque for the theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

foundation and a remnant of the town fortifications. On the northern side, it has buttresses.

The main axis of the gate is accentuated by a pointed-arched passageway. In 1816 the gate was used for military purposes, then for storage. A relic of the latter function is the wooden hoist under the roof.

Koszalin Gate was first mentioned in 1453. Today a freestanding building, it is made of brick with a substructure of field stones. The small windows originally served as embrasures. Over the years the gate has been used for various purposes – in 1738 it was converted into a garrison and after World War II fire hoses were dried here.

The first mention of Słupsk Gate dates to 1458 and, like Koszalin Gate, it is a free-standing brick building on a fieldstone

↑ Słupsk Gate

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Old Town Hall

Universitäts- und Hansestadt

Szczecin Greifswald

PC5

Szczecin is the largest city in West Pomerania and the economic, scientific and cultural centre of the region. The former residence of the Pomeranian dukes has a wealth of Gothic buildings that bear witness to the city’s Hanseatic past. Following the route of Brick Gothic you will find impressive buildings here such as the Church of St. James, the Church of St. Peter and Paul, the Church of St. John and the Old Town Hall. In addition to the Gothic monuments, there are numerous other attractions from the time of the city’s expansion in the 19th century, including the star-shaped layout of the city centre’s squares and streets, a city plan which is unique in Europe.

Brick Gothic highlights The former Monastery Church of St. John was built by the Franciscan order between approx.

1300–1370. It is one of the most precious Gothic buildings in the city. Despite the city’s eventful history, the church has preserved its medieval roof structure – the oldest completely preserved roof truss in West Pomerania.

The design of the chancel end with its bulging polygon shows connections to the Franciscan monastery church in Berlin.

During the restoration of the interior, previously unknown medieval wall paintings have been brought to light in recent years.

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The start of the construction of St. James’ Church – once the main parish church of the city and nowadays its cathedral – has been dated to 1187. In the course of the 13th century, a reconstruction was carried out following the example of St. Mary’s Church in Lübeck.

During the city’s golden age in the second half of the 14th century, the church was given a new, then ultra-modern type of ambulatory which was to set the trend for the further development of church architecture in West Pomerania.

The shape of its two-storey ambulatory chapels was repeated, for example, in the prestigious Church of Our Lady in nearby Stargard. The present-day shape of St. James’ Church was strongly influenced by its reconstruction Church of St. Peter and Paul →

Church of St. John

Tourist information Plac Żołnierza Polskiego 20, PL–70-551 Szczecin tel +48 91 4340440 www.szczecin.eu after the World War II. In 2008, the church tower was given a new spire. There is a viewing point at a height of 56 metres from where you can enjoy the layout and architecture of Szczecin.

was restored at the end of the 17th century. The exterior of the church is particularly impressive: the design of the facades includes small portrait corbels showing the heads of citizens of Szczecin in realistic detail.

The Church of St. Peter and Paul, located outside the medieval city wall in the vicinity of the ducal castle, was first documented as early as 1124 in connection with the Christianisation of Pomerania by Bishop Otto of Bamberg. Its wooden predecessor was replaced by a richly designed brick building in the 15th century.

The church was severely damaged during the siege of the city by Brandenburg troops in 1677 and

The Old Town Hall regained its Gothic appearance following its reconstruction after the Second World War. Originally built as in Brick Gothic style in the 13th and 14th centuries, it was destroyed in 1677 and 1944.

Since its reconstruction it has been used as a department of the National Museum – Museum of Town History.

↑ St. James’ Church

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Useful information History of brick and brickmaking Traditional brickmaking goes far back in human history to the 8th millennium BC. Those first bricks were airdried bricks made of clayey loam and were found in Jericho in what is now the West Bank. Later on, bricks were usually also fired to make sure that they remained strong and durable.

The production of fired bricks reached Germania via Greece with the Romans.

With the end of the Roman Empire, however, the technology disappeared again from Northern Europe. It was not until the 12th century that shaped bricks were reintroduced by monks.

During what later was to be known as the Brick Gothic period, the use of brick experienced its heyday. The cuboid brick is the simplest and probably also oldest shape of fired brick. Typically, it is about twice as long as it is wide.

For traditional hand-moulded bricks, the clay was first cut into strips and any larger stones and pebbles were removed. Then it was soaked in water.

To soften and mix it, workers had to tread the clay barefoot. Once prepared, lumps of clay were thrown into a

wooden mould, and the brick-maker removed the surplus clay with a strike.

The bricks were then removed from the mould and dried on racks for several weeks. For firing, the workers stacked the green bricks alternately with coal or coke in a clamp or a kiln made of limestone. There they were fired at a maximum of 900 °C for about 14 days, with most of the time needed for heating and cooling.

The technique of brickmaking has remained fundamentally unchanged since the Middle Ages. It was only in the 19th century that technological developments led to a mechanisation or brickmaking, making bricks a mass product.

The Hanseatic League The emergence of the architectural style of Brick Gothic is inextricably linked to the history of the Hanseatic League and its towns and cities and it is generally seen as one of their defining characteristics. Moreover, the Hanseatic League, a confederation of merchant guilds and towns that developed from the 13th century

↑ Stepped gable, No. 82, Kröpeliner Str. in Rostock

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onwards, cannot be explained without the foundation of the city of Lübeck.

This marks the beginning of a unique economic and political success story, starting from the southern edge of the Baltic Sea. In the heyday of the Hanseatic League (14/15th century) well over 70 towns and cities were members of the League and around 130 others were associated to it. The economic upswing brought about by the Hanseatic League led to a boom in construction activity and brick was the main building material used on the Baltic Sea coasts as well as further south. Brick left its mark also on non-members such as Wolgast or Ribnitz-Damgarten which were also founded during this period.

With the beginning of the Thirty Years’ War, the Hanseatic League was effectively a thing of the past. It was not until 1980 that this historic alliance was re-established as the “New Hanse”.

Many cities now proudly carry the old designation of “Hanseatic City” once again in their name.

The Teutonic Order The dissemination of Brick Gothic in Poland is linked not only to the Hanseatic League but in many places also to the Teutonic Order, which founded many towns and brought economic prosperity. The order was first established during the time of the Crusades in 1190 as a brotherhood that ran hospitals in Acre in the Holy Land and shortly afterwards it was raised to the status of a spiritual order of knights. Through donations, the order quickly gained wealth and expanded beyond Acre. The first offshoots of the order were founded in the neighbouring areas of Acre, then in southern Italy. Between 1200 and 1300 a new monastery was founded almost every year.

numerous new towns, including the exemplary Chełmno.

In 1230, the Duke of Mazovia granted the Order the Chełmno Land on the Vistula River with the aim to subjugate and Christianise the heathen Old Prussians. Here, the Teutonic Order established a dominion that at one point extended from the borders of Pomerania to the Gulf of Finland.

After the loss of Acre, the Grand Master moved his official residence to Malbork Castle in 1309. A network of castles was built to secure the Order’s new territory. The order also founded

Grudziądz ↓

A highly developed financial administration provided lavish income and made the State of the Teutonic Order the strongest power in the Baltic Sea region. The Order was the only non-urban member of the Hanseatic League and maintained a trading station in Lübeck. After 1400, however, revolts of the cities and internal disputes within the Order plunged its territory into a deep crisis. In 1525, the monastic state finally became a secular duchy when the Grand Master converted to Protestantism in 1525.

This ended the rule of the Teutonic Order in Prussia and the Baltic region.

Hinrich Brunsberg – “star architect” of Brick Gothic Hinrich Brunsberg (ca. 1350 to after 1428) was a German master builder who played a major role in shaping the medieval Brick Gothic style in the Baltic region. As one of the few architects of this style we know his name from an inscription on St. Catherine’s Church in the town of Brandenburg. It is assumed that Brunsberg was born in State of the Teutonic Order and worked mainly in Pomerania and the Mark Brandenburg.

His usual place of residence was probably Szczecin. Brunsberg was not always the only one in charge on his building sites. Master builder Nikolaus

Craft from Szczecin participated in the construction of St. Catherine’s Church in Brandenburg while at St. Mary’s Church in Prenzlau Hinrich Brunsberg worked together with his relative Claus Brunsberg. Typical for Brunsberg’s buildings is the filigree detail of his design. He created elaborate and richly decorated secular buildings as well as churches, all of which are rich in playful details.

Brunsberg used a wide variety of shaped stone profiles, delicate tracery and fine decorative gables in his buildings. His works include the St. Catherine’s Church and the town hall in Brandenburg, the Churches of St. James and of St. Peter and Paul in Szczecin as well as the town hall in Tangermünde. The architecture of this town hall is an impressive reminder that the Mark Brandenburg and Pomerania belonged to one single cultural area around the year 1400. ← Detail of St. Catherine’s Church in Brandenburg

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Fortifications of towns and cities There are only few Brick Gothic town fortifications that have been completely preserved. Fortifications initially developed from wooden palisades and ramparts, which protected early settlements. Around 7000 BC, Jericho was the first walled town. The first genuine city fortification with around 900 fortified towers was built around

↑ Town wall of Tangermünde

the Mesopotamian city of Uruk in 2700 BC. In contrast to a simple wall, which only protected a town from intruders, a fortification could actively defend the town. Wall and gate towers were added to the town wall.

In addition, there were ditches filled with water in front of the wall, a second ring of walls and double gate complexes, combining two fortified gates, one behind the other. After seizing the front gate, the attackers were forced into a limited space between both gates or both walls.

This space, the Zwinger, could easily be kept in check by the defenders.

Only a few of these double gate complexes have survived until today, for example in Neubrandenburg.

As was the case with town and market rights, the right to build a fortification needed to be granted.

However, there were not only towns and cities with fortifications, but also fortified villages, for example in the Thuringian Basin and in the wine-growing regions of southwest Germany.

Romanesque architecture The late Romanesque architectural style is considered the immediate predecessor of the Gothic style. Along the European Route of Brick Gothic, however, many towns and settlements were only founded from the beginning of the 13th century onwards during the economic boom brought about by the activities of the Hanseatic League and the Christianisation of the region.

This is why the most famous buildings of the Romanesque period are more likely to be found in central and southern Europe. Nevertheless, many of the churches of the European Route of Brick Gothic go back to Romanesque predecessors from the 12th century.

Their modest traces are often of Slavicpagan origin. Early brick structures in Romanesque style can be found in the Altmark or Ratzeburg where this material was used very early. However, as several decades often passed between the start of construction and the completion of a building, almost every externally Romanesque structure shows numerous Gothic stylistic elements and additions, providing it had not been replaced by a modern, i. e. Gothic structure anyway.

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The stories behind Brick Gothic buildings are all the more exciting because they also illustrate the ruptures in regional development, society, economy and religion of the entire region.

↑ Historicism: Villa Möckel in Bad Doberan

Gothic architecture – a glimpse of heaven Gothic art is an artistic and architectural style of the Middle Ages. Originating around 1150 in northern France, the Gothic style became widespread throughout Europe. North of the Alps the Gothic period lasted until around 1550 and the most important religious buildings there are from this time.

Around the Baltic Sea, where hardly any natural stone is found, Brick Gothic developed as a special style of Gothic architecture, based on the reintroduction of fired bricks to northern Europe by monks during the 12th century.

While the churches in the Romanesque period with their massive walls and small windows still corresponded to the idea of a castle of God offering protection, the basic idea of the Gothic period was to offer an experience of heaven: harmonious, bright, flooded with light and rising high. This was made possible by the Gothic rib vault.

Gravity loads were largely transferred to piers and buttresses, thus relieving the walls, which could now be broken through for large stained-glass windows. Moreover, this construction enabled the erection of ever taller structures: many of the world’s highest church towers date from the Gothic period. Pointed arches, round pillars and flying buttresses are also characteristic of the Gothic style, as is the expansion of the ambulatory.

A typical architectural ornament is tracery, i. e. the geometric decoration of windows, parapets and walls with stone profiles. The economic boom of the medieval towns and cities made it possible to erect such elaborate structures and enormous churches were built as symbols of power and piety.

↑ St. Nicholas’ Cathedral in Stendal

Historicism – a revival of previous architectural styles Historicism or Historism refers to a phase in the history of the visual arts that lasted from 1850 to 1914 and during which older styles were drawn upon, especially in architecture. Partly, the various architectural styles of past times were assigned specific functions.

Therefore, churches were often built in Neo-Romanesque or Neo-Gothic style, while theatres were built in Baroque style. In contrast, Neo-Renaissance was used as a revival style for banks, museums and other civic buildings.

Alongside “pure” Historicism, there was also Eclecticism, in which elements of all styles were combined at will.

Historicism went hand in hand with industrialization and the rise of the

bourgeoisie: the rich founders of companies wanted to present themselves in an appropriate manner and style. Historicism was popular at the same time as Art Nouveau and both of them slowly and simultaneously came to an end after 1900. Following the First World War, architecture finally became less ornamental and more functional. However, historical motifs were also drawn upon from time to time in later years. During the 1930s, monumental Neo-Classicism emerged and since the Post-Modern era, from the 1960s onwards, a wide variety of historicist elements have been used in architecture.

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Monastic life and Brick Gothic The cultural heritage of Brick Gothic is differentiated into civic and religious buildings, with the latter forming the vast majority. The large number of churches of different types and sizes on the European Route of Brick Gothic is particularly striking. For the emergence of the architectural style and the rapid development of the region into an economic centre, however, monasteries and convents were of greater importance in the Middle Ages.

The Cistercians in particular played an important role on the European Route of Brick Gothic. They came to the region not only to provide spiritual care for the population in the towns, but also to found new sites from which the population, sometimes still

“pagan”, was to be Christianized.

They brought with them a wide range of knowledge in crafts, horticulture and fish farming, and they also played a key role in the spread of the Gothic architectural style that had originated in France. Furthermore, they were instrumental in the introduction of the ancient technique of firing brick.

In almost all towns along the route there are monasteries and convents, and all of them are Brick Gothic works of art. In addition to the Cistercians, Benedictines, Franciscans, Poor Clares and Dominicans were also active here.

The Reformation eventually brought about a significant and lasting change in the role of their monasteries and convents.

↑ Dominican monastery in Prenzlau

More than a name: the patron saints of churches St. Nicholas’ Church, St. Peter’s Church, St. Mary’s Church – churches usually owe their names to a patron saint.

Originally the namesakes were martyrs who were buried in the respective church. Thus St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome goes back to Peter the Apostle. The medieval cult of relics later made it possible for communities without such a grave to lay the mortal remains of the chosen saint in their church, thereby putting it under his patronage. There may be several explanations for why a specific church was given “its name”.

Often the proximity to the grave or to the place where the saint lived played a role. In addition, some saints were particularly popular during different eras. St. George, for example, was one of the main saints of soldiers and the patron saint of various orders of

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knights. The name can sometimes also indicate who financed the church.

Merchants often donated churches dedicated to St. Nicholas, the patron saint of merchants. After the Reformation, the Protestant Church refused to put churches under the patronage of a saint. Often, however, the churches retained their old names.

↑ St. Mary’s Church in Parchim

Trading in indulgencies – a trigger of the Reformation The Reformation movement formed during the late Brick Gothic period.

There had already been much criticism of the church before then, but it was not until 1517, when Luther wrote 95 theses against the sale of indulgences, that the Reformation truly got underway. Several influences contributed to the formation of the Reformation movement in the early 16th century: humanism, printing, and social and economic factors. Since the 12th century, the wealth of many towns and cities led not only to the construction of magnificent town halls and churches, but increasingly also to an economic imbalance between urban and rural populations. There were famines and uprisings of the peasants; plague epidemics led to an ever-present fear of death. What people feared most was the Last Judgment and purgatory. The Church offered letters of indulgence to the faithful in order to wash away their sins and shorten their time in purgatory.

This is how Johann Tetzel, preacher of indulgences, travelled through the dioceses of Halberstadt and Magdeburg on behalf of the Archbishop of Brandenburg, advertising his indulgences: “As soon as the gold in the casket rings, the rescued soul to heaven springs.“ Tetzel kept the money he collected in the Tetzel box, which can still be seen today in the St. Nicholas’ Church in Jüterbog. When the citizens

of Wittenberg purchased Tetzel’s letters of indulgence believing that they bought forgiveness, their confessor Martin Luther grew so angry that he publicly denounced the indulgence trade, which then led to the Reformation. What was initially only meant as an improvement of the ruling church system led to a split into different Christian denominations.

↑ St. Nicholas’ Church in Jüterbog

Ways of St. James The pilgrimage route commonly understood as the Way of St. James is the “Camino Francés”, which goes back to the 11th century and leads from the French Pyrenees across northern Spain to the tomb of St. James in Santiago de Compostela. There is, however, a whole network of further routes leading to Santiago that start at different places throughout Europe, and several of those also pass through many of the towns on the European Route of Brick Gothic.

There is, for example, the “Via Baltica”, which starts on the island of Rügen and leads west via Greifswald, Stralsund, Bad Doberan, Wismar and Horneburg, closely passing Buxtehude. Flensburg and Lübeck lie on the north-south route “Via Jutlandica”. Other sections also

lead through Frankfurt (Oder), Stendal, Ebstorf, Lüneburg, and, in Poland, through Szczecin, Sławno, Gdańsk, Olsztyn and Płock. In the Middle Ages, the burial place of James the Apostle was the third most important destination for Christian pilgrimage, alongside Rome and Jerusalem. Since the 1970s pilgrimage on the Way of St. James has become very popular. Legend has it that after his execution James was taken to the Iberian Peninsula and buried in Santiago de Compostela. Later, during his Spanish campaign, Charlemagne is said to have been urged by the Apostle to liberate his tomb and the way to it from the Moors.

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Glossary Aisleless church: The simplest and oldest spatial form of church; a single hall-like room common in early parish churches and chapels with an apse or a rectangular chapel.

Altar: Altars of medieval churches consists of several parts: On the flat top, or mensa, there is an elaborate altarpiece, the retable, which often rests on an intermediate element called a predella. In the Gothic period, the altar retable with painted panels developed, often surrounded by an architectural superstructure.

By adding hinged wings, the altar was extended to a winged altar.

The immovable, mostly wooden middle part of a winged altar is called the shrine. Wings and shrine may be decorated with carved or painted representations, but the outer sides of the wings usually show only paintings.

Apse: A semi-circular recess covered with a semi-dome, attached to a main space and open to it in its full width and height.

Arcade: A sequence of columns or pillars connected by arches.

A blind arcade, however, is a decorative element and consists of a sequence of arches without openings that are superimposed to the wall.

Basilica: There are four medieval types of church construction – the aisleless church, the hall church, the church with a central plan and the basilica. The hall church and the basilica both have a multi-aisled space with a central nave; while the side aisles of a hall church are of the same height as the nave, in a basilica, the nave is higher. The basilican system is based on high wall section pierced with windows, also known as the “clerestory”, which allows enough light to enter the central spaces of the structure. The walls are raised to such an extent that windows can be inserted in them above the roof lines of the lower aisles.

Bay: The regular divisions of a church building defined by the positions of the piers, columns and shafts that support the overhead vaults. In a floor plan of a church, the bays are counted in the direction of the longitudinal axis.

Blind arch: A decorative arch that does not bridge a wall opening but is superimposed to the front of a continuous wall (see also arcade).

Blind window (also false window): A faked window opening in a façade where there is no such opening. ↓ Basilica, St. Nicholas’ in Stralsund

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Buttress: When vaulting a space with thin walls, buttresses are used to supply resistance to the lateral thrust of the vault.

Buttresses are usually protruding projections on the outer wall of a building.

Capital: The protruding top of a column or pillar; the term is derived from the Latin capitulum or capitellum, or “head”.

The capitulum acts as an intermediary between the support and the load it carries.

Chancel: In a strict sense, the part of a church around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary. In a broader sense, the part of a church to the east of the transept.

Clerestory: Raised, windowed section of the wall of the central nave of a basilica.

↑ Clerestory of Doberan Minster

Corbel: Protruding structural element, supporting other elements such as an arch, a cornice, sculptures, beams, balconies or oriel windows.

Crossing: The space in a church at the junction of the nave and transept.

Flying buttress: A specific form of buttress, especially in Gothic basilicas, composed a solid pier away from the outer wall and an arch spanning the distance between the pier and the wall.

Like butresses, flying buttresses

↑ Gable and pinnacles, St. Mary’s Church in Greifswald

divert the lateral thrust of a vault away from the wall.

Frieze: Horizontal, smooth or ornamented strip of a wall surface which serves to delimit or divide areas.

Floor plan: The floor plan is a diagram used to represent the architecture of a building. It is the horizontal section through the entire building at a height of about one meter. An exception are church floor plans, where the horizontal section is generally higher to also include windows and vaults.

Gable: A gable is the wall section at the end of a intersecting roof pitches (forming a gable roof) or the crowning of a window. While gables are generally triangular, segmental arched or stepped gables (rising in steps towards the middle) also occur. Stepped gables are common design feature of Brick Gothic architecture.

Hall church: In a multi-aisled hall church the side aisles have the same or nearly the same height as the central nave. The lighting of the central nave is provided by the aisles.

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Lesene or pilaster strip: Slightly protruding wall strip; unlike a respond, the lesene has no base and no capital.

Monastery: The architecture of monasteries and convents was further developed by the Cistercian order in the 12th and 13th centuries. The monastery church is adjoined to the north or south by the cloister (from Latin claustrum, “enclosure”), an area reserved for the monks or nuns.

Nave: Main part of a church between the west façade and the transept or chancel.

Pinnacle: A slender pyramidshaped ornament, often used to crown buttresses.

Refectory: Dining room of a monastery.

↑ Cistercian monastery in Chorin

Tracery: A building ornament, initially made from carved stone, that first appeared on the windows of the cathedral in Reims around 1215/20. It reached its most imaginative forms in the Gothic period and was used in all artistic genres.

Transept: The transverse part of a cruciform church, crossing the nave at a right angle.

The transept separates the nave from the chancel.

↑ Ribbed vault of St. Michael’s in Lüneburg

Ribbed vault: A vault which is divided into webs by a framework of arched ribs.

Shaped brick: A brick, which has been given a special shape and is used for special requirements, as in arches or cornice profiles.

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Vault: A vault spans a space as a self-supporting concave surface.

The individual vaulted areas are separated from each other by arches. In the Gothic period, the cross vault is usually divided by ridges (groined vault) or ribs (ribbed vault) into sectroids, or webs. Ribbed vaults were one of the basic prerequisites for Gothic architecture around the middle of the 12th century. The ribs, however, have no supporting but rather an aesthetic function.

Around 1140, the first ribbed vaulting was probably created at Speyer Cathedral.

Travel tips Discovering the Brick Gothic by bike Cycling is a great way of exploring the Brick Gothic style.

At www.eurob.org you will find several suggestions for routes, each downloadable in PDF format. These include the Baltic Sea Coast Cycle Route, the Mecklenburg Lakes Cycle Route and a circuit around Greifswald, Wolgast and Anklam. Cycle routes in Masuria (Poland) can be found at www.szlaki.mazury.pl/Bicycle-routes Denmark Roskilde • Danish national routes 4 & 6 • Fjord route Germany Anklam • Szczecin Lagoon circular route • Peene Valley circular route Bad Doberan • Western brick circular route • Manor house circular route Brandenburg an der Havel • Havel cycle route • Route 4 of historical town and city centres Buxtehude • Este cycle route • Fruit trail Altes Land Chorin/Eberswalde • Berlin-Usedom cycle route Flensburg • Ox trail • Border trail Frankfurt (Oder) • Oder-Neiße cycle route

• Ilmenau cycle route (Medingen) • Leine-Heide-cycle route (Walsrode) • Aller cycle route (Wienhausen) Neubrandenburg • Tollense Valley circular route Neukloster • Western brick circular route • Residence Cities circular route Parchim • Elde Valley circular route Pasewalk • Brohmer Berge- & Randowtal circular route Prenzlau • Castle and churches tour Ribnitz-Damgarten • Eastern brick circular route • Recknitz Valley circular tour Schwerin • Western brick circular route Stendal • Altmark circular tour Stralsund • Eastern brick circular route

Greifswald • Eastern brick circular route

Tangermünde • Route 2 of historical town and city centres • Altmark circular tour

Güstrow • Manor house circular route • Residence Cities circular route

Wismar • Western brick circular route • Residence Cities circular route

Jüterbog • Route 5 of historical town and city centres • Fläming Skate

Wolgast • Usedom circular tour

Lübeck • Old Salt Route

Chełmno • Vistula cycle route WTR (Wiślana Trasa Rowerowa) • Euro Route R1 (UK-Russia)

Lüneburg • Old Salt Route • Brick and heathland tour Lüneburg convents • Weser-Harz-Heide cycle route • (Isenhagen)

Poland

Gdańsk • „Iron Curtain Trail“ Szczecin • Szczecin Lagoon circular route

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Hotels and restaurants The following hotels and restaurants are supporting partners of the European Route of Brick Gothic.

Buxtehude

Neukloster area

Hotel An der Linah Harburger Straße 44 D–21614 Buxtehude tel +49 4161 60090 www.hotelanderlinah.de

Frankfurt (Oder)

An idyllic lakeside paradise from 79,- € p.p. incl. breakfast, pool, sauna area and much more

Seehotel am Neuklostersee ****

Palais am Kleistpark

Fürstenwalder Straße 47 D–15234 Frankfurt (Oder) tel +49 0335 56150 www.palaisamkleistpark.de

Seestraße 1 | D–23992 Nakenstorf tel +49 38422 4570 www.seehotel-neuklostersee.de

Tangermünde Greifswald

Hotel Kronprinz

Lange Straße 22 D–17489 Greifswald tel +49 3834 7900 www.hotelkronprinz.de

Tangermünde Hotel Schloss Tangermünde Auf der Burg, Amt 1 D–39590 Tangermünde tel +49 39322 7373 www.schloss-tangermuende.de

Enjoy your stay!

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DENMARK

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Roskilde København Løgumkloster

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Flensburg

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RibnitzDamgarten Rostock Stralsund Bad Doberan Greifswald Wismar Wolgast Neukloster Lübeck Bützow Anklam Güstrow Pasewalk Buxtehude Schwerin NeubrandenLüne Szczecin Bardowick burg Burg Parchim Lüneburg Stargard Prenzlau Medingen Ebstorf

Lüneburg convents

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Walsrode

Isenhagen

A

Wienhausen

Stendal

Tangermünde Brandenburg/Havel

Myślibórz

Berlin Jüterbog

Frankfurt (Oder)

GERMANY

Denmark Løgumkloster.......................F0, S. 8 Roskilde..............................F3, S. 10 Germany Anklam..............................D4, S. 12 Bad Doberan......................... D3, S. 14 Brandenburg a. d. Havel.....A3, S. 16 Bützow..............................D3, S. 18 Buxtehude......................... C1, S. 20 Imprint

Chorin & Eberswalde

Chorin & Eberswalde........ B4, S. 22 Flensburg ......................... E1, S. 24 Frankfurt (Oder)................A5, S. 26 Greifswald.........................D4, S. 28 Güstrow............................. C3, S. 30 Jüterbog............................A4, S. 32 Lübeck...............................D1, S. 34 Lüneburg........................... C1, S. 36 Bardowick.......................... C1, S. 38 Kirchenkreis Lüneburg...... C1, S. 39 Lüneburger Klöster......B-C0-1, S. 40 Neubrandenburg............... C4, S. 42

Editor: Europäische Route der Backsteingotik e. V. Littenstraße 10, D–10179 Berlin tel +49 30 206132555 | info@eurob.org www.eurob.org | www.facebook.com/backsteingotik www.instagram.com/brick_gothic

You have noticed the absence of towns and cities with famous monuments of the Brick Gothic style from this travel guide and are wondering why? They are not yet members of our association. We hope to attract them as new members in the future.

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Sławno Gdańsk

Szczecin

Grudziądz

Olsztyn

au

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Chełmno Myślibórz

POLAND Płock

nkfurt (Oder)

Warszawa

Burg Stargard...................C4, S. 44 Neukloster....................... D2, S. 46 Parchim............................C2, S. 48 Pasewalk...........................C4, S. 50 Prenzlau...........................C4, S. 52 Ribnitz-Damgarten.......... D3, S. 54 Rostock............................ D3, S. 56 Schwerin...........................C2, S. 58 Stendal............................. B2, S. 60 Stralsund......................... D4, S. 62 Tangermünde................... B2, S. 64 Wismar............................ D2, S. 66

Wolgast........................... D4, S. 68 Poland Chełmno...........................C9, S. 70 Gdańsk............................ D9, S. 72 Grudziądz.........................C9, S. 74 Myślibórz......................... B5, S. 76 Olsztyn...........................C10, S. 78 Płock.............................. A10, S. 80 Sławno............................. D7, S. 82 Szczecin............................C5, S. 84

Layout: VorSprung Design & Kommunikation | www.werbe-vorsprung.de Translation: Jörg-Peter Riekert (BDÜ), M.Sc Heritage Conservation | http://members.bdue.de/585 Printed by: MOD Offsetdruck GmbH | www.mod-medien.com Status: May 2020 Did you find any errors? We have compiled and checked all information with the greatest possible care. However, it is still possible that some errors may have occurred. We are always happy to receive your suggestions for improvements.

Discover the traces of the Middle Ages and the Hanseatic League in Denmark, Germany and Poland with the help of this cultural travel guide. www.eurob.org