German Architecture

The German architecture is a merger of all the influences that Germany has gone through-pre war and post war. Repository of the era and the age, the Germany architecture was symbolical of the various contemporary art movements, which envisaged new forms of art and architecture blending the newer and the traditional forms of art. Germany art and architecture was basically simpler in nature, with simple spires and cathedrals but subsequent influences gradually resulted into a more complicated architectural form in Germany.

Highly influenced by the western European form of art and architecture, the German architecture acquired a completely new form. Briefly, the German architecture can be divided into four different eras:

• The Carolingian and Ottonian Periods. Inhabiting the artistic grandeur of the massive palace chapel in Aachen, the Carolingian and Ottonian architecture were considered to be the earliest forms of German art. The churches and the cathedrals in this period exhibited the grandness of mosaic art accompanied by the serendipity of the beauty of ivory diptychs and book covers. This era is specifically known for its lovely paintings and sculptures. Cologne, during this period grabbed the limelight for its miniature paintings. Some of the other masterpieces in the field of architecture include the bronze doors in the church of St. Michael at Hildesheim. The highly symmetrical bifurcations in the church into several units was symptomatic of the architectural skill of that period. This method was the initial source of the Romanesque design.
  
  
• The Romanesque and Gothic Periods. This period is particularly known for its fresco paintings, which characterize the art and architecture of this period. The living examples are that of the cathedrals in Worms, Mainz and Speyer. This period is usually associated with the origination and the development of the basilica form of art and architecture. Some of the most beautiful evidences of fresco paintings can be seen in the Regensburg and the Salzburg regions in Germany. Another major influence on the architectural style of the country was that of the French neo-classical style, which are characterized by heavy ornamentation, which is evident in the cathedrals on Cologne. The French Gothic influence can be seen in the remains of the Bamberg, Strasbourg, and Naumburg cathedrals, which were destroyed in the 13th century.
  
  
• The Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries. With the advent of the Swabian school by the sculptor and painter Hans Multscher, the German architecture saw a turnover. Stained glass paintings took over illumination and fresco paintings. The fifteenth century also saw the Flemish influence on German art and architecture. This was evident in the paintings, the woodcrafts and the engravings of that period. 16th century saw the advent of baroque architecture , subsiding the Gothic architectural influence. The Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries. This particular period in the country saw the advent of the rococo architecture and the apex of baroque style of art. The churches and the palaces in this period were characterized by the spatial complexity prevalent in the architecture of this era. This period was also characterized by ceiling decoration.
  
  
• The Nineteenth Century. This century saw the advent of romanticism, which were characterized by the nostalgic and the utopic paintings of the romantic artists.
  
  
• The Twentieth Century subsided the romantic sentimentality and replaced it with the English art nouveau design. This was blended with that of the applied arts in Germany and the resultant art was called the jugendstil.