BS ARCH 2B (BOMBIO, PUNAY, ESTANOL, MAHILUM

Romanesque:
Germany
Romanesque
Architecture
THE CONTINUANCE OF ROMAN TRADITION OF BUILDINGS
MAINTAINING THE IDENTIFIABLE ROUNDED ARCH AND
DEFINED FORMS.

ONE OF THE NOTABLE BUILDING IN ROMANESQUE

ARCHITECTURE IS THE QUEDLINBURG COLLEGIATE
CHURCH ST. SERVATIUS.

ARCHITECTURAL STYLE IS INTEGRATED ALONG WITH THE

ROMAN, CAROLINGIAN, OTTONIAN, BYZANTINE, AND THE
LOCAL GERMANIC TRADITIONS.

ONLY MINOR FEATURES DIFFER GERMAN ROMANESQUE

FROM OTHERS.
German Romanesque

ROMANESQUE STYLE MADE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IN

GERMANY DURING THE 6TH AND 11TH CENTURY.
German Romanesque
OTTONIAN ARCHITECTURE STYLE IS FOUNDED IN
GERMANY FROM MID 10TH TO MID 11TH CENTURY.

PRE-ROMANESQUE CONTRIBUTED MORE IN THE

ARCHITECTURE OF GERMANY.

THE BASIC PLAN OF THE BYZANTINE PERIOD

SPECIFICALLY THE BASILICA-TYPE CHURCHES WAS
MODIFIED.

SINCE THE DIVISION OF CAROLINGIAN EMPIRE, THE

GERMANIC EMPERORS INTENDED TO RESTORE
CAROLINGIAN EMPIRE.
St. Cyriakus
Church in
Gernrode,
Germany
INFLUENCES

Geographical

Germany was divided up into 39 independent states.

These regional differences shaped German
Romanesque architecture.

Berlin is a very special place.

INFLUENCES

Geological

Geology is a fertile source for inspiration for Germanic

architecture.

German Romanesque architecture was influenced by

the natural and translucent quality of minerals.

Usual materials include the use of stone, marble, and

ready-made columns from old Roman buildings.

Timber was also abundant in Germany.

INFLUENCES

Climate

The dull climate of Northern portions has led to the use

of several architectural styles such as LARGE
WINDOWS to allow light to pass through and HIGH
PITCH ROOF to easily throw off frequent rain or snow.

Southern portions used SMALL WINDOWS to limit

direct sunlight and common use of flat roofs, especially
in Germany.
INFLUENCES

Religion

The power of individual bishops and the establishment

of cathedrals and monasteries were focused initially in
the south of Germany.
INFLUENCES

Social and Political

The Germanic emperors intended to restore the

Carolingian Empire to the use of Carolingian forms
and styles.

Utilizing of feudal systems in which building of

castles that would separate them from the peasants.
INFLUENCES

Historical

German architecture has been the very sophisticated and

elaborated influence of Roman classic architecture brought
by the Roman conquerors.

German Romanesque churches are one of surviving

Carolingian features as adapted from Byzantine art built for
Charlemagne at Aachen.
Basilica of the
holy apostles,
cologne
ARCHITECTURAL
CHARACTERISTICS
DIFFERENCE IN BUILDING MATERIALS AND LOCAL INSPIRATIONS LED TO
VARIOUS STYLE ACROSS THE REGIONS.

THE STYLE BEARS RESEMBLANCE TO NORTH ITALIAN ROMANESQUE AND

FEW OF LOCAL VARIETIES OF FRANCE.

IT IS GENERAL IN MULTIPLICATION OF CIRCULAR AND OCTAGONAL

TURRETS, TOGETHER WITH POLYGONAL DOMES, AND USE OF ARCADED
GALLERIES UNDER EAVES.
ARCHITECTURAL
CHARACTERISTICS
BOTH ECCLESIASTIC AND DOMESTIC.

ALTERNATION OF PIERS AND COLUMNS.

MAJORITY OF BUILDINGS HAVE WOODEN ROOFS, CONSISTING OF

SIMPLE TRUSS, TIE BEAM, OR KING POST FORM.

VAULTS MADE OF STONE OR BRICK, WHICH IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF

THE EVOLVING CHARACTERISTICS OF GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE.
 ELEMENTS

MOST GERMAN ROMANESQUE CHURCHES HAVE TWO APSES, ONE AT EACH END OF THE
CENTRAL NAVE, A TRADITIONAL LAYOUT SINCE ROMAN TIMES AS IT WAS ALREADY USED
IN THE BASILICA ULPIA IN TRAJAN’S FORUM.

THE CIRCULAR WALL OF THE APSES THERE ARE APSIDIOLES AND THERE ARE ALSO APSES
BUILT ON THE CROSSING.

THE PARTICULAR FEATURE OF THESE TWO-FACED MAJOR APSES ARRANGED FOR EACH
ONE OF THESE TWO APSES IN ORDER TO GIVE SYMMETRY TO THE CHURCH

IN GERMANY, FOUR TOWERS RECENTLY OCCUR WITH SPIRES THAT ARE FOUR OR EIGHT-
SIDED.

01 — Opera House, 1685

ELEMENTS

Plan

The naves and aisles are vaulted in square bays, one vaulting bay of the nave being equal
to two of the aisles.

The choir is always apsidal, and often raised, as in Lombardy, to admit of crypts beneath.

Western, as well as eastern transepts, occur in respect with Italian examples over the
crossing a tower, sometimes octagonal.

Western apses are frequent at Treves and the Abbey Church at Laach.

01 — Opera House, 1685

Apses occur at the ends of transepts, as in the Church of the Apostles at Cologne
ELEMENTS

Plan
The naves and aisles are vaulted in square bays, one vaulting bay of the nave being equal
to two of the aisles.

The choir is always apsidal, and often raised, as in Lombardy, to admit of crypts beneath.

Western, as well as eastern transepts, occur in respect with Italian examples over the
crossing a tower, sometimes octagonal.

Western apses are frequent at Treves and the Abbey Church at Laach.

Apses occur at the ends of transepts, as in the Church of the Apostles at Cologne.
01 — Opera House, 1685
ELEMENTS

Plan
Numerous towers, either square, circular, or polygonal, producing a rich and varied outline
was employed, two being usually at the east end flanking the apse, and two at the west
end, connected by a gallery.

During the first period of the German Romanesque style, the types of the Carolingian
basilica were repeated, and their floor plans were completely inscribed inside a square or
a circle.

The building characteristic of the Carolingian no longer had a basilica floor plan; An
example is the church of Theodulf in Germigny-des-Prés.

01 — Opera House, 1685

 Walls
The church has walls that are massively thick with few
openings. Building material differs across Europe,
depending upon the local stone and building traditions.

The blank walls are cut up by flat pilaster strips, connected

horizontally by ranges of small arches springing from
corbels. The smallness feature of scale may be considered
as a string course or cornice.

Open arcades occur under the eaves of roofs, especially

round the apses. The churches have sometimes a triforium
and always a clerestory.

01 — Roxborough House, 1997

Opening
In Romanesque architecture, arches are semicircular. Small
windows adorn the buildings, usually in a semicircle shape
as well. Doorways are also typically enclosed by a semi-
circle arch.

No tendency towards tracery and the windows are usually

single, being rarely grouped.

The doorways are placed at the side, rarely in the west front
or transept ends.

L-R
01 — Roxborough House, 1997
02 — Opera House, 1685
Roofs
Churches were covered with a flat painted
wooden roof and the naves were divided
by rows of columns with capitals trying to
imitate the classical models but
with a clear barbarian style.

Timber roofs were also employed for large

spans.

A gable on each tower face, with high

pitched intersecting roofs, is common.

01 — Roxborough House, 1997

02 — Opera House, 1685

Columns
The nave arcades were generally constructed of
square piers, with half-columns attached, and tin
elimination of piers and columns is a favorite
German feature.

The capitals, though bold in execution, are well

designed, being superior to the later Gothic
examples.

L-R
01 — Roxborough House, 1997
02 — Opera House, 1685
Mouldings
These are as a rule of indifferent design, but the
capitals and bases take a distinctive form, leading
from Roman through Romanesque to Gothic.
Ornament
The flat plain surfaces were occasionally
decorated in fresco are examples of the early
Christian and Byzantine mosaic decorations and
are in color.

In the north colored bricks were

used, and were unsuitable for rich decoration.

The monumental sandstone construction shows

strong Lombard influences both on the façade and
in the ornamentation of the interior.
Romanesque
Architecture in
Germany
Romanesque
Architecture in
Germany
URL
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