Brick Romanesque is an architectural style and chronological phase of architectural history. The term described Romanesque

Romanesque architecture

Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...

 buildings built of brick; like the subsequent Brick Gothic

Brick Gothic

Brick Gothic is a specific style of Gothic architecture common in Northern Europe, especially in Northern Germany and the regions around the Baltic Sea that do not have natural rock resources. The buildings are essentially built from bricks...

, it is geographically limited to Northern Germany

Northern Germany

- Geography :The key terrain features of North Germany are the marshes along the coastline of the North Sea and Baltic Sea, and the geest and heaths inland. Also prominent are the low hills of the Baltic Uplands, the ground moraines, end moraines, sandur, glacial valleys, bogs, and Luch...

 and the Baltic region

Baltic region

The terms Baltic region, Baltic Rim countries, and Baltic Rim refer to slightly different combinations of countries in the general area surrounding the Baltic Sea.- Etymology :...

. Structures in other regions are not described as Brick Romanesque but as "Romanesque brick-built church" or similar terms.

In comparison to Brick Gothic, Brick Romanesque is a less established and less frequently used term. One the one hand, this is caused by the fact that the Baltic region was only beginning to develop its own stylistic identity during the Romanesque period, on the other by the relatively low number of surviving buildings. Many of the major Brick Gothic edifices had Brick Romanesque predecessors, remains of which are often still visible. Nearly all preserved buildings are churches. The buildings contrast with earlier stone-built churches (Fieldstone church

Fieldstone church

The term fieldstone church denotes a type of church, built using fieldstone of glacial erratics and glacial rubble. Such churches occur mostly in areas where the ice ages have deposited such rock material on the one hand, and where on the other hand there is little or no access to natural rock for...

es or Feldsteinkirchen), which were constructed of glacial erratic

Glacial erratic

A glacial erratic is a piece of rock that differs from the size and type of rock native to the area in which it rests. "Erratics" take their name from the Latin word errare, and are carried by glacial ice, often over distances of hundreds of kilometres...

s and rubble

Rubble

Rubble is broken stone, of irregular size, shape and texture. This word is closely connected in derivation with "rubbish", which was formerly also applied to what we now call "rubble". Rubble naturally found in the soil is known also as brash...

. Such rounded stones limit the potential size of a building; the material and technique do not permit the construction of structures larger than a village church for static reasons

Structural analysis

Structural analysis is the determination of the effects of loads on physical structures and their components. Structures subject to this type of analysis include all that must withstand loads, such as buildings, bridges, vehicles, machinery, furniture, attire, soil strata, prostheses and...

. Monumental constructions only became possible through the growing use and perfection of brick

Brick

A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...

 building.

St. John's Church (Sankt-Johannis-Kirche) in Oldenburg (Holstein)

Oldenburg (Holstein)

Oldenburg in Holstein is a town at the southwestern shore of the Baltic Sea. The nearest city is Lübeck. The town belongs to the region of Holstein, today in the state Schleswig-Holstein of Germany....

 is considered to be the oldest brick church in Northern Europe

Northern Europe

Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...

. The first monumental churches were Ratzeburg

Ratzeburg

Ratzeburg is a town in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is surrounded by four lakes—the resulting isthmuses between the lakes form the access lanes to the town. Ratzeburg is the capital of the Kreis of Lauenburg.-History:...

 cathedral and Lübeck Cathedral

Lübeck Cathedral

The Lübeck Cathedral is a large brick Lutheran cathedral in Lübeck, Germany and part of Lübeck's world heritage. It was started in 1173 by Henry the Lion as a cathedral for the Bishop of Lübeck. It was partly destroyed in a bombing raid in World War II , and later reconstructed. The organ by Arp...

, both begun shortly after 1160 under Henry the Lion

Henry the Lion

Henry the Lion was a member of the Welf dynasty and Duke of Saxony, as Henry III, from 1142, and Duke of Bavaria, as Henry XII, from 1156, which duchies he held until 1180....

. Lübeck Cathedral was later converted into a Gothic hall church

Hall church

A hall church is a church with nave and side aisles of approximately equal height, often united under a single immense roof. The term was first coined in the mid-19th century by the pioneering German art historian Wilhelm Lübke....

 (1266 to 1335). Jerichow Abbey with its convent church of which construction started in 1148 played an influential role for the brick architecture in the Margraviate of Brandenburg

Margraviate of Brandenburg

The Margraviate of Brandenburg was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806. Also known as the March of Brandenburg , it played a pivotal role in the history of Germany and Central Europe....

. For Scandinavia

Scandinavia

Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...

, the stylistically independent Roskilde Cathedral

Roskilde Cathedral

Roskilde Cathedral , in the city of Roskilde on the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark, is a cathedral of the Lutheran Church of Denmark. The first Gothic cathedral to be built of brick, it encouraged the spread of the Brick Gothic style throughout Northern Europe...

, started in the 1170s and used as the burial church for Danish monarchs, is of special importance. A last flourish and the transition to the Gothic

Gothic architecture

Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....

 style is marked by the Cistercian Lehnin Abbey

Lehnin Abbey

Lehnin Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery in Lehnin in Brandenburg, Germany. Since 1911 it has accommodated the Luise-Henrietten-Stift, a Protestant women's community.-History:...

 in the Margraviate of Brandenburg.

Denmark

Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

 

Place	Building	Main period of construction	Special features	Image
Kalundborg Kalundborg Kalundborg is a city with a population of 16,434 in Kalundborg municipality in Denmark and the site of its municipal council. Kalundborg is on the main island Zealand, with Copenhagen, but opposite on the far western edge....	Church of Our Lady Church of Our Lady, Kalundborg The Church of Our Lady is a historical building in Kalundborg, northwestern Sealand, Denmark. The precise date of construction is not known with any certainty, though its architecture indicates the early part of the 13th century...	Circa 1170-1200	Central structure on Greek cross plan. Central tower and 4 side towers of nearly of nearly same height
Ledøje	Residential church	Circa 1225
Ringsted Ringsted Ringsted, a city in Ringsted municipality, is in the middle of the Danish island of Zealand. The municipal population is about 31,000 and the city population is 21,151 .Ringsted is approximately 60 km from Copenhagen.-Modern hotspot:...	St. Benedict St. Bendt's Church St. Bendt's is a church in Ringsted, Denmark, which was originally part of a Benedictine monastery that burnt down in the 18th century. Built in the Romanesque style, it is the oldest brick church in Scandinavia, dating back to about 1170 when it replaced a travertine church from about 1080. It is...	Built 1163-1170	One of the earliest brick churches in Northern Europe, basilica
Roskilde Roskilde Roskilde is the main city in Roskilde Municipality, Denmark on the island of Zealand. It is an ancient city, dating from the Viking Age and is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network....	Cathedral Roskilde Cathedral Roskilde Cathedral , in the city of Roskilde on the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark, is a cathedral of the Lutheran Church of Denmark. The first Gothic cathedral to be built of brick, it encouraged the spread of the Brick Gothic style throughout Northern Europe...	Mainly 1170-1280	UNESCO World Heritage Site, burial church of Danish monarchs
Sorø Sorø Sorø is a town in Sorø municipality in Region Sjælland on the island of Zealand in east Denmark. The population is 7,805 . The municipal council and the regional council are located in Sorø....	Abbey Sorø Klosterkirke Sorø Klosterkirke is located in the Danish town of Sorø. It was founded by Danish archbishop Absalon and built by Cistercians in the period from 1161-1201. It is made of red brick, which was a new material for the time. It is built similar style to the Abbey of Fontenay. The church contains royal...	After 1161	Former Cistercian basilica

Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 

Place	Building	Main period of construction	Special features	Image
Altenkirchen Altenkirchen, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Altenkirchen is a municipality in the north of the island of Rügen on the Baltic Sea coast of Germany. It is in the Vorpommern-Rügen district, in the federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern....	Parish Church	Begun probably about 1185	Near previous Slavic cult place of the god Svantevit on Cape Arkona Cape Arkona Cape Arkona is a cape on the island of Rügen in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. Cape Arkona is the tip of the Wittow peninsula, just a few kilometres north of the Jasmund National Park....
Altenkrempe	Basilica Basilica The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...	1190 to 1240
Bad Segeberg Bad Segeberg Bad Segeberg is a German town of 16,000 inhabitants, located in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, capital of the district Segeberg. It is situated approximately northeast of Hamburg, and west of Lübeck.It is famous for its annual Karl-May-Festival...	St. Mary's
Bergen auf Rügen Bergen auf Rügen Bergen auf Rügen is the capital of the former district of Rügen in the middle of the island of Rügen in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. Since 1 January 2005, Bergen has moreover been the administrative seat of the Amt of Bergen auf Rügen, which with a population of over 23,000 is...	St. Mary's
Dessau-Roßlau Dessau-Roßlau ' is an independent city and urban district in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is situated at the confluence of the rivers Elbe and Mulde. The town was formed by merger of the independent city of Dessau with the town of Roßlau in the course of the Kreisreform Sachsen-Anhalt on 1 July 2007...	Pötnitz church	Consecrated 1198	Originally triple-aisled basilica. Side aisles demolished in 17th century. Southernmost Brick Romanesque in Central Germany.
Eutin Eutin Eutin is the district capital of Eastern Holstein located in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein. As of 2005, it had some 17,000 inhabitants....	St. Michael's	1180s to early 13th century
Gadebusch Gadebusch Gadebusch is a town in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, in the district Nordwestmecklenburg, half-way between Lübeck and Schwerin.The town is known for two notable monuments: the Stadtkirche , built in 1220, considered the oldest brick church in Mecklenburg, and the Schloss , built in 1580-1583...	Town Church St. Jacob and St. Dionysius	Late Romanesque, begun around 1220
Near Greifswald Greifswald Greifswald , officially, the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald is a town in northeastern Germany. It is situated in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, at an equal distance of about from Germany's two largest cities, Berlin and Hamburg. The town borders the Baltic Sea, and is crossed...	Eldena Abbey Eldena Abbey Eldena Abbey , originally Hilda Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery near the present town of Greifswald in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany...	South transept Transept For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...  and choir are Romanesque, pre-1249	Ruin
Jerichow Jerichow Jerichow is a town in the Jerichower Land district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Elbe, northwest of Genthin....	Jerichow Abbey	1148-1172	Former Premonstratensian Premonstratensian The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré, also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines, or in Britain and Ireland as the White Canons , are a Catholic religious order of canons regular founded at Prémontré near Laon in 1120 by Saint Norbert, who later became Archbishop of Magdeburg...  abbey church, oldest brick structure East of the Elbe Elbe The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
Lehnin Lehnin Kloster Lehnin or Lehnin is a municipality in the German state of Brandenburg, about southeast of Brandenburg an der Havel.-Overview:It was established on April 1, 2002 by the merger of 13 villages:...	Lehnin Abbey Lehnin Abbey Lehnin Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery in Lehnin in Brandenburg, Germany. Since 1911 it has accommodated the Luise-Henrietten-Stift, a Protestant women's community.-History:...	Circa 1185-1235, altered up to 1260
Lübeck Lübeck The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...	Cathedral Lübeck Cathedral The Lübeck Cathedral is a large brick Lutheran cathedral in Lübeck, Germany and part of Lübeck's world heritage. It was started in 1173 by Henry the Lion as a cathedral for the Bishop of Lübeck. It was partly destroyed in a bombing raid in World War II , and later reconstructed. The organ by Arp...	1163-1230	Romanesque nave, Gothic choir
Lübow Lübow Lübow is a municipality in the Nordwestmecklenburg district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany....	Village church	1st half 13th century	Possibly residential church of nearby Mecklenburg Castle
Melkow	Village church	Circa 1200
Mölln Molln Molln is a municipality in the district of Kirchdorf an der Krems in Upper Austria, Austria.-References:...	St. Nicholas	Early 13th century	Basilica
Neubukow Neubukow Neubukow is a town in the Rostock district, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It is situated 18 km southwest of Bad Doberan, and 21 km northeast of Wismar. The archeologist Heinrich Schliemann was born in Neubukow.-Partnerships:...	Parish church		Double-naved hall church
Neukloster Neukloster Neukloster is a town in the east of the district of Nordwestmecklenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. This town is the administrative center of the bureau Neukloster-Warin, which includes eight more communes.-Geography:...	Abbey church	before 1227
Oldenburg (Holstein) Oldenburg (Holstein) Oldenburg in Holstein is a town at the southwestern shore of the Baltic Sea. The nearest city is Lübeck. The town belongs to the region of Holstein, today in the state Schleswig-Holstein of Germany....	St. John's	Mainly built 1156-1160	Oldest brick church in Northern Europe
Ratzeburg Ratzeburg Ratzeburg is a town in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is surrounded by four lakes—the resulting isthmuses between the lakes form the access lanes to the town. Ratzeburg is the capital of the Kreis of Lauenburg.-History:...	Cathedral	Mainly 1160-1220	Oldest fully preserved brick church east of Elbe
Rehna Rehna Rehna is a town in the Nordwestmecklenburg district, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It is situated 26 km southeast of Lübeck, and 28 km northwest of Schwerin....	Abbey	Late Romanesque	Single-naved abbey church
Rieseby Rieseby Rieseby is a municipality in the district of Rendsburg-Eckernförde, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany....	Village church	Circa 1220/1230
Schaprode Schaprode Schaprode is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Rügen district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.-External links:*...	Village church	1st half 13th century
Schlagsdorf Schlagsdorf Schlagsdorf is a municipality in the Nordwestmecklenburg district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany....	Village church	1st half 13th century
Schleswig	Schleswig Cathedral Schleswig Cathedral Schleswig Cathedral , officially the Cathedral of St. Peter at Schleswig , is the main church of Schleswig and was the cathedral of the Bishop of Schleswig until the diocese was dissolved in 1624...	1134 to circa 1200, built of granite Granite Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic... , tufa Tufa Tufa is a variety of limestone, formed by the precipitation of carbonate minerals from ambient temperature water bodies. Geothermally heated hot-springs sometimes produce similar carbonate deposits known as travertine...  and brick, Gothic additions 1275-1300
Schönhausen	Village church	Consecrated 1212
Vietlübbe (near Dragun Dragun Dragun is a municipality in the Nordwestmecklenburg district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.... )	Village church	Early 13th century	Latin cross plan
Wust	Village church	Circa 1200	Tower added in 18th century

Poland

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

 

Place	Building	Main period of construction	Special features	Image
Chwarszczany Chwarszczany Chwarszczany is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Boleszkowice, within Myślibórz County, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, in north-western Poland, close to the German border. It lies on the river Myśla, approximately south-east of Boleszkowice, south-west of Myślibórz, and south of...	Templar Knights Templar The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...  chapel	c. 1280
Inowłódz	St. Giles-Church	c. 1138
Inowrocław	St. Mary's Church	12th and 13th century	Brick towers
Kamień Pomorski Kamien Pomorski Kamień Pomorski is a town in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship of northwestern Poland. The capital of Kamień County, the town had 9,129 inhabitants as of June 30, 2008.- History :...	Cathedral St. John	after 1175 to 1250
Kołbacz	Abbey	Begun shortly after 1200	Former Cistercian basilica
Lublin Lublin Lublin is the ninth largest city in Poland. It is the capital of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 350,392 . Lublin is also the largest Polish city east of the Vistula river...	Lublin Castle Lublin Castle The Lublin Castle is a medieval castle situated in Lublin, Poland, adjacent to the Old Town district and close to the city center. It is one of the oldest preseved Royal residencies in Poland, established by king Casimir II the Just.-History:...  Donjon Keep A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...	12th century	Upper parts in brick, rest limestone
Oliwa Oliwa Oliwa, also Oliva is one of the quarters of Gdańsk. From east it borders Przymorze and Żabianka, from the north Sopot and from the south with the districts of Strzyża, VII Dwór and Brętowo, while from the west with Matarnia and Osowa...	Abbey	After 1178	Former Cistercian Monastery
Płock	Płock Cathedral	1130-1144	Rebuilt several times
Poznań Poznan Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...	Church of St. John of Jerusalem Outside the Walls Church of St. John of Jerusalem Outside the Walls The Church of St. John of Jerusalem Outside the Walls is a Roman Catholic parish church in the city of Poznań in western Poland. The original church on this site was built at the end of the 11th century, making it one of the oldest churches within the present boundaries of Poznań.It stands on the...	c. 1187	It was one of the first brick-built churches in Poland
Sandomierz Sandomierz Sandomierz is a city in south-eastern Poland with 25,714 inhabitants . Situated in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship , previously in Tarnobrzeg Voivodeship . It is the capital of Sandomierz County . Sandomierz is known for its Old Town, a major tourist attraction...	Church of St. Jacob	13th century
Strzelno Strzelno Strzelno is a town in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland. The town is located south of Inowrocław. According to the June 2005 Census, the population numbered 12,486.-History:...	Church of the Holy Trinity St. Trinity-Church in Strzelno St. Trinity Church, polish Kościół Świętej Trójcy in Strzelno is consecrated in 1216 romanesque basilica....	12th century-1216
	Rotunda Rotunda (architecture) A rotunda is any building with a circular ground plan, sometimes covered by a dome. It can also refer to a round room within a building . The Pantheon in Rome is a famous rotunda. A Band Rotunda is a circular bandstand, usually with a dome...  of St. Prokop	Before 1133
Wąchock Wachock Wąchock is a town in Starachowice County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, Poland, near Starachowice. In 2006, it had 2,777 inhabitants.- History :...	Cisterian monastery	After 1179	Brick and sandstone
Wrocław	St. Egidius Church	c. 1242

Sweden

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

 

Place	Building	Main period of construction	Special features	Image
Vinslöv Vinslöv Vinslöv is a locality situated in Hässleholm Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 3,865 inhabitants in 2005.In 1999, a documentary film portraying some of the town's inhabitants was produced. The documentary was called Plötsligt i Vinslöv .- References :...	Gumlösa parish church	consecrated 1192	Oldest brick building in Southern Sweden (then Danish)
Linköping Linköping Linköping is a city in southern middle Sweden, with 104 232 inhabitants in 2010. It is the seat of Linköping Municipality with 146 736 inhabitants and the capital of Östergötland County...	Cathedral Linköping Cathedral The Linköping Cathedral is a church in the Swedish city of Linköping. The cathedral is the seat for the bishop in the Church of Sweden Diocese of Linköping. It is situated opposite Linköping Castle.-History:...	1230 onwards	Took 250 years to build, so most visible parts Gothic