4 min read•june 18, 2024
Nathan Wichert
Nathan Wichert
Germany is filled with an incredible variety of architectural styles with powerful landmark structures in the hearts of cities, Disney-esque castles in the southern most region, and rural historic homes sprawling across the countryside. Traditional timbered German houses and chalets can be found all over the south of the country, while from the Medieval era are still found in northern towns today. In the cities, a blend of Gothic and Romanesque structures sit happily alongside , Modernist, and Contemporary buildings.
The most ancient architectural designs are from 800 AD when German architecture was featured with the mosaics and bright miniatures in the Carolingian style of art.
The period of German architecture from 780-900 AD is known as Carolingian. The Carolingian influence made its way to the masses and artists presented their work on massive items such as doors, walls, and ceilings of the German chapels and churches ⛪
After the Carolingian years came the flourishing of the . This style was quickly forgotten because the incredibly well-known was developing at the same time as Romanesque art 🎨
German architects 📐, painters 🖌️, and sculptors ⚒️ preferred the Gothic style for their country's cathedrals and churches ⛪ One of the most famous examples of Gothic churches is the in Munich.
The next style of art is the , characterized by miniature statuettes and extremely luxurious décor inside of palaces.
The modern directions of and began in the nineteenth century and developed till the middle of the twentieth century when World War II started.
Several styles of avant-garde throughout the 20th century shaped modern art. Many of these genres include those based in the subconscious. Just as and appeared most often as paintings, the Bauhaus movement appeared in a wide array of mediums, materials, and disciplines.
A 20th-century avant-garde movement in art and literature which sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, like with the irrational juxtaposition of images (lexico.com).
A modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radically for emotional effect in order to evoke moods or ideas (webarchive).
Bauhaus art dominated many outlets of experimental European art throughout the 1920s and 1930s and ranged from paintings and graphics to architecture and interiors. Though it is most closely associated with Germany, it attracted and inspired artists of all backgrounds. Today, its influence can be found in art and design all over the world, whether within the walls of a museum or on a suburban street.
Bauhaus literally translated means “construction house.” The movement originated as a German school of the arts in the early 20th century and was founded by . The school eventually morphed into its own modern art movement characterized by its unique approach to architecture and design.
Bauhaus as an educational institution existed in three cities:
Gropius laid the foundation for what Bauhaus was to become in . Art, according to his manifesto and to the program as a whole, should serve a social role and should no longer be a division of craft-based disciplines.
The movement spread to after the politically motivated closure of the Weimar facilities. Dessau set forth on the path of designing new industrial products for mass consumption.
Berlin was the last phase of Bauhaus. The time in Berlin was ultimately cut short due to mounting pressures from the Nazis and cutbacks in funding. The teaching staff dissolved the Bauhaus in July 1933. But even after facing permanent closure, the influence and aesthetic of the school persisted, culminating in the Bauhaus movement.