Middle German house
Encyclopedia
The Middle German house is a style of traditional German farmhouse which is predominantly found in Central Germany.
It is known by a variety of other names, many of which indicate its regional distribution:
The Middle German house first emerged in the Middle Ages
as a type of farmhouse built either using timber framing
or stone. It is an 'all-in-one' house (Einhaus) with living quarters and livestock stalls under one roof. This rural type of farmstead still forms part of the scene in many villages in the central and southern areas of Germany
. The northern boundary of its distribution area is roughly where the Central Uplands
merge into the North German Plain
. There, its place is gradually taken by the Low German house (Fachhallenhaus), known colloquially as the Niedersachsenhaus (Low Saxon house). An important distinction between the two types of farmhouse is that the roof of the Middle German house is supported by its outer walls, whereas that of the Low German house is supported by internal, wooden posts.
expression for the central hallway or Flur, and cooking area.
The house is divided into three zones:
The Ern is the central area of the house and has a stove area (later a kitchen) at the back This developed from the ancient hearth near the main entrance or between the doors if the house had a "crosspassage". On one side of the Flur there is a doorway to the living area and on the other to the working area. From the outset the house had two fireplaces. In the living room, the Stube, there was a tiled stove, and in the Flur was a stove for cooking, which was later partitioned off to form a kitchen.
Initially this type of house only had one storey, but from about the 15th century they were usually built in two storeys with a ground floor and upper floor. From the 17th century the upper storey was built as a jetty
and had artistic features such as beam heads (Balkenköpfe) and wall plates (Schwellen). In this period, the larger farms were built with several buildings that served as the living accommodation, barn and stable or byre of a two-, three- or four-sided farmyard.
It is known by a variety of other names, many of which indicate its regional distribution:
- Ernhaus (hall house, hall kitchen house)
- oberdeutsches Haus (Upper German house)
- thüringisches Haus (Thuringian house)
- fränkisches Haus (Frankish house)
The Middle German house first emerged in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
as a type of farmhouse built either using timber framing
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
or stone. It is an 'all-in-one' house (Einhaus) with living quarters and livestock stalls under one roof. This rural type of farmstead still forms part of the scene in many villages in the central and southern areas of 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...
. The northern boundary of its distribution area is roughly where the Central Uplands
Central Uplands
The Central Uplands is one of the three major natural regions of Germany and covers most of the land area of the country. To the north lies the North German Plain or Northern Lowland; to the south, the Alps and the Alpine Foreland.- Formation :...
merge into the North German Plain
North German plain
The North German Plain or Northern Lowland is one of the major geographical regions of Germany. It is the German part of the North European Plain...
. There, its place is gradually taken by the Low German house (Fachhallenhaus), known colloquially as the Niedersachsenhaus (Low Saxon house). An important distinction between the two types of farmhouse is that the roof of the Middle German house is supported by its outer walls, whereas that of the Low German house is supported by internal, wooden posts.
Construction
The Middle German house is a byre-dwelling (Wohnstallhaus) with entrances to the various rooms down one side. The front door is thus at the side of the building and opens into the Ern, a FranconianFranconian
Franconian may refer to:*anything related to Franconia , a historic region in Germany, now part of Bavaria, Thuringia and Baden-Württemberg*Franconian languages*Franconian , a stage in North American stratigraphy...
expression for the central hallway or Flur, and cooking area.
The house is divided into three zones:
- Living quarters (Stube)
- Hallway (Flur or Ern) (with the stove or kitchen)
- Working area - stalls or stables (Stall)
The Ern is the central area of the house and has a stove area (later a kitchen) at the back This developed from the ancient hearth near the main entrance or between the doors if the house had a "crosspassage". On one side of the Flur there is a doorway to the living area and on the other to the working area. From the outset the house had two fireplaces. In the living room, the Stube, there was a tiled stove, and in the Flur was a stove for cooking, which was later partitioned off to form a kitchen.
Initially this type of house only had one storey, but from about the 15th century they were usually built in two storeys with a ground floor and upper floor. From the 17th century the upper storey was built as a jetty
Jettying
Jettying is a building technique used in medieval timber frame buildings in which an upper floor projects beyond the dimensions of the floor below. This has the advantage of increasing the available space in the building without obstructing the street...
and had artistic features such as beam heads (Balkenköpfe) and wall plates (Schwellen). In this period, the larger farms were built with several buildings that served as the living accommodation, barn and stable or byre of a two-, three- or four-sided farmyard.
Literature
- Karl Baumgarten: Das deutsche Bauernhaus - Eine Einführung in seine Geschichte vom 9. bis zum 19. Jahrhundert, Berlin 1980
- Richard AndreeRichard AndreeRichard Andree was, like his father Karl Andree, a German geographer noted for devoting himself especially to ethnography...
: Braunschweiger Volkskunde, Braunschweig 1901