Brick Renaissance Explained

Brick Renaissance is the Northern European continuation of brick architecture after Brick Romanesque and Brick Gothic. Although the term Brick Gothic is often used generally for all of this architecture, especially in regard to the Hanseatic cities of the Baltic, the stylistic changes that led to the end of Gothic architecture did reach Northern Germany and northern Europe with delay, leading to the adoption of Renaissance elements into brick building. Nonetheless, it is very difficult for non-experts to distinguish transitional phases or early Brick Renaissance, as the style maintained many typical features of Brick Gothic, such as stepped gables. A clearer distinction only developed at the transition to Baroque architecture. In Lübeck, for example, Brick Renaissance is clearly recognisable in buildings equipped with terracotta reliefs by the artist Statius von Düren, who was also active at Schwerin (Schwerin Castle) and Wismar (Fürstenhof).

More clearly recognisable as Renaissance are brick buildings strongly influenced by the Dutch Renaissance style, such as Reinbek Castle at Reinbek near Hamburg, the Zeughaus at Lübeck, or Friedrichstadt in Schleswig-Holstein.

Belarus

PlaceBuildingMain period of constructionSpecial featuresImage
Mir Castle15th-16th century Late 16th century additions to Gothic structure

Denmark

PlaceBuildingMain period of constructionSpecial featuresImage
1619–1640Dutch Renaissance style (architects Hans and Lorents van Steenwinckel) renaissance
Rosenborg Castle1606–1624Built in the Dutch Renaissance style by Architects Bertel Lange and Hans van Steenwinckel
Frederiksborg Palace1602–1620 Dutch Renaissance style (architects Hans and Lorents van Steenwinckel)

Germany

PlaceBuildingMain period of constructionSpecial featuresImage
Market Square early 17th century Plastered brick
Mühlentor1550s (model)
Schiffergesellschaft1535–1538
Zeughaus1594
Castle 1572–1576

Italy

PlaceBuildingMain period of constructionSpecial featuresImage
Castello Estense1385–1450, early 16th century The castle essentially presents the appearance given to it by Girolamo da Carpi in the second half of the 16th century
Castello Sforzesco14th century, 1450

Lithuania

Town/cityBuildingMain period of constructionSpecial featuresImage
VytėnaiPanemunė Castle1604–1610
Raudondvaris Castle16th century, 1615 Rebuilt 1653–1664
Siesikai Siesikai Castlec. 1517
JonavaSt. Anne's Church in Skaruliaic. 1622

Poland

PlaceBuildingMain period of constructionSpecial featuresImage
Fortified church 1551–1561, 1596Gothic-renaissance church established by Jan Brochowski and his family as a three-nave church with three side towers
Church of the Assumption of Mary 1582–1645
1564–1568Example of the Flemish mannerism in the city inspired by the Antwerp City Hall (architect Regnier van Amsterdam)[1]
Old Arsenal 1602–1605Built in Dutch/Flemish mannerism by Anthonis van Obbergen, Jan Strakowski and Abraham van den Blocke[2]
Church of St. Catherine and St. Florian 1628–1638 Polish mannerism style
Fortified manor house 16th century Built for Wojciech Baranowski, is a rare example of defense housing architecture in northern Poland[3]
Royal Castle1512–1519 Gothic-renaissance
Płock Cathedral Dome1531–1534Romanesque cathedral, rebuilt several times
Collegiate Church Pułtusk vault 1551–1556Renaissance frescoes on the vault cover more than 1000 square meters in total[4] (brick church built between 1449 and the first half of the 16th century)
SandomierzTown Hall14th centuryRebuilt in the renaissance style in the 16th century
Orthodox Monastery
- Church of the Annunciation
1503–1511Gothic-renaissance, destroyed in 1944 by retreating German army,[5] rebuilt since 1985
Mikołajowski House 15th centuryRebuilt in the renaissance style in 1524
Town Hall 14th centuryRebuilt in the renaissance style in the 16th century
Zamość Fortress1579–1618

Sweden

PlaceBuildingMain period of constructionSpecial featuresImage
Holy Trinity Church (Swedish: Helga Trefaldighetskyrkan)1617–1628The city of Kristianstad was founded by king Christian IV of Denmark in 1614 at a time when Scania was part of the Kingdom of Denmark (until 1658).
1537–Built on the site of a medieval castle, which is partly preserved in the current castle.
Swedish House of Nobility (Swedish: Riddarhuset)1641–1675 The building is more or less unchanged since its construction.
Trolle Ljungby Castle1620s–1630sThe castle was mainly constructed when Scania was part of the Kingdom of Denmark (until 1658).

Notes and References

  1. Book: Juliette Roding . Lex Heerma van Voss . The North Sea and culture (1550–1800): proceedings of the international conference held at Leiden 21–22 April 1995. 1996 . 103 . Uitgeverij Verloren. 90-6550-527-X .
  2. Book: Lech Krzyżanowski . Michał Wożniak . Marek Źak . Wacław Górski . Beautiful historic Gdańsk. 1995 . 769 . Excalibur . 9788390343150 .
  3. Web site: Historia . www.grocholin.pl . 2009-12-17. pl.
  4. Web site: Paweł Giergoń . Pułtusk Kolegiata p.w. Zwiastowania NMP . www.sztuka.net . 2009-12-17 . pl . https://web.archive.org/web/20111003074736/http://www.sztuka.net/palio/html.run?_Instance=www.sztuka.net.pl&_PageID=445&newsId=6640&callingPageId=487&_CheckSum=-1298036063 . 2011-10-03 . dead .
  5. Web site: Geschichte . www.monaster-suprasl.pl . 2009-12-17 . de . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080501051409/http://www.monaster-suprasl.pl/geschichte.htm . May 1, 2008 .