Brick Gothic in the context of "St. Nicholas' Church (Stralsund)"

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⭐ Core Definition: Brick Gothic

Brick Gothic (German: Backsteingotik, Polish: Gotyk ceglany, Dutch: Baksteengotiek) is a specific style of Gothic architecture common in Northeast and Central Europe especially in the regions in and around the Baltic Sea, which do not have resources of standing rock (though glacial boulders are sometimes available). The buildings are essentially built using bricks. Buildings classified as Brick Gothic (using a strict definition of the architectural style based on the geographic location) are found in Belgium (and the very north of France), Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Kaliningrad (former East Prussia), Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden and Finland.

As the use of baked red brick arrived in Northwestern and Central Europe in the 12th century, the oldest such buildings are classified as the Brick Romanesque. In the 16th century, Brick Gothic was superseded by Brick Renaissance architecture.

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In this Dossier

Brick Gothic in the context of Roskilde Cathedral

Roskilde Cathedral (Danish: Roskilde Domkirke), in the city of Roskilde on the island of Zealand (Sjælland) in eastern Denmark, is a cathedral of the Lutheran Church of Denmark.

The cathedral is one of the most important churches in Denmark, and the official royal burial church of the Danish monarchs. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is due to two criteria: the architecture of the cathedral shows 800 years of European architectural styles, and it is one of the earliest examples in Scandinavia of a Gothic cathedral to be built in brick; it encouraged the spread of the Brick Gothic style throughout Northern Europe. Constructed during the 12th and 13th centuries, the cathedral incorporates both Gothic and Romanesque architectural features in its design. The cathedral has been the main burial site for Danish monarchs since the 15th century. As such, it has been significantly extended and altered over the centuries to accommodate a considerable number of burial chapels and the many added chapels show different architectural styles.

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Brick Gothic in the context of Toruń

Toruń (Polish: [ˈtɔruɲ] ; German: Thorn [ˈtoːɐ̯n] ) is a city on the Vistula River in north-central Poland and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its population was 196,935 as of December 2021. Previously, it was the capital of the Toruń Voivodeship (1975–1998) and the Pomeranian Voivodeship (1921–1945). Since 1999, Toruń has been a seat of the local government of the Kuyavian–Pomeranian Voivodeship and is one of its two capitals, together with Bydgoszcz. The cities and neighboring counties form the Bydgoszcz–Toruń twin city metropolitan area.

Toruń is one of the oldest cities in Poland; it was first settled in the 8th century and in 1233 was expanded by the Teutonic Knights. For centuries it was home to people of diverse backgrounds and religions. From 1264 until 1411, Toruń was part of the Hanseatic League and by the 17th century a leading trading point, which greatly affected the city's architecture, ranging from Brick Gothic to Mannerist and Baroque.

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Brick Gothic in the context of St. Mary's Basilica, Kraków

The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Polish: Kościół Wniebowzięcia Najświętszej Marii Panny), known colloquially as the St. Mary's Church (Polish: Kościół Mariacki), is a historic Roman Catholic parish church located at Mariacki Square at the north-eastern corner of the Main Market Square in the Old Town of Kraków, Poland.

It is a Brick Gothic church. Built in the 14th century, its foundations date back to the early 13th century and serve as one of the best examples of Polish Gothic architecture. Standing 80 m (262 ft) tall, it is particularly famous for its wooden altarpiece carved by Veit Stoss (Wit Stwosz). Some of its monumental polychrome murals were designed by Poland's leading history painter, Jan Matejko (1838–1893). In 1978, it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site alongside the Historic Centre of Kraków.

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Brick Gothic in the context of St. John's Archcathedral (Warsaw)

St John's Archcathedral (Polish: Archikatedra św. Jana w Warszawie) is a Catholic church within the Old Town precinct in Warsaw, Poland. The Brick Gothic structure stands on Świętojańska Street [pl], adjacent to the Jesuit Church. St John's is one of three major cathedrals in the city, but it is the only temple that also possesses the title of an archcathedral. It is the mother church of the Archdiocese of Warsaw and one of Poland's national pantheons. Along with the old town, the church has been listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

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Brick Gothic in the context of St. Mary's Church, Gdańsk

St. Mary's Church (Polish: Bazylika Mariacka, German: St. Marienkirche) is a Roman Catholic church and co-cathedral located in central Gdańsk, Poland. Completed in 1502 in the Brick Gothic architectural style, it is one of the world's largest brick churches and among the city's most important landmarks, known to its inhabitants as the Crown of Gdańsk (Polish: Korona Gdańska). Together with Oliwa Cathedral, it serves the Archdiocese of Gdańsk.

The groundbreaking ceremony took place in 1343, however, the construction of the present church began in 1379. St. Mary's is an aisled hall church with a transept; its exterior was largely influenced by other churches and temples built across cities or townships in proximity to the Baltic Sea that were part of the Hanseatic League. Between 1536 and 1572, St. Mary's Church was used for Catholic and Lutheran services simultaneously. Additionally, a domed side chapel in the Baroque fashion was erected for the Kings of Poland and Catholic worship in the late 17th century.

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Brick Gothic in the context of Ritzebüttel Castle

Ritzebüttel Castle in Cuxhaven was the residence of the Hamburg bailiffs, back when Ritzebüttel still belonged to the city of Hamburg. The castle, part of which dates back to the 14th century, is one of the oldest preserved secular buildings of the North German Brick Gothic style in the region and is now open to visitors.

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Brick Gothic in the context of St. John's Church, Tartu

St. John's Church, Tartu (Estonian: Jaani kirik, German: St. Johanniskirche zu Dorpat) is a Brick Gothic Lutheran church, one of the landmarks of the city of Tartu, Estonia. It is dedicated to John the Baptist.

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Brick Gothic in the context of St. Martin's Church, Landshut

The Church of St. Martin is a medieval church in Landshut, Bavaria. St. Martin's Church, along with Trausnitz Castle and the celebration of the Landshuter Hochzeit (wedding), are the most important landmarks and historical events of Landshut. The Brick Gothic building features Bavaria's tallest church tower, and this steeple is also the 2nd tallest brick structure in the world (after Anaconda Smelter Stack) made without steel supports. St. Martin's church's bell tower has a height of 130.6 metres (428 ft), which makes it one of the tallest churches in the world.

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Brick Gothic in the context of European Route of Brick Gothic

The European Route of Brick Gothic (EuRoB) is an association of cities, towns, regions, municipalities and institutions that have Brick Gothic buildings in their territory or have their headquarters in a Brick Gothic building. The network also includes several sponsors and cooperation partners.

The route joins several hundred religious and secular buildings from Denmark, Germany and Poland, including monasteries, churches, town halls and town houses, as well as city fortifications such as city walls, towers and city gates.

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