Product Description

Unfortunately, French architecture normally dominates discussion (and works published on) Gothic architecture, missing some of the most beautiful buildings constructed in medieval Europe. Unlike the Gothic buildings in France and England, royalty or the church did not commonly fund Germanic architecture. It was a product of the towns, whose parish churches reflect the distinct style of the area- creating an almost incomprehensible richness of forms, types and decorative system not confined by a monarchy bent on self-representation, yet building of some of the same ideals of the better known examples of Gothic. Nussbaum looks at the period from a variety of perspectives, a method far closer to the actual buildings themselves, the churches and halls that give each Germanic town its own distinct look and grandeur.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1378584 in Books
• Published on: 2000-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 240 pages

From Library Journal
Long given short shrift by architectural historians, Germany's medieval Gothic churches, from small parish buildings and private chapels to major cathedrals, are the focus of this excellent overview. Nussbaum (architectural history, Univ. of Dortmund, Germany) encompasses a wide swath of church construction from 1200 to 1500 in the Holy Roman Empire's Nationis Germanicae. The author traces French origins, details German Gothic development and stylistic manifestations, and concludes with important Saxon and southern German churches of the late 15th and early 16th centuries. The work is thorough and scholarly (746 footnotes), heavily illustrated (246 photographs, maps, floorplans, and elevations), and well documented (a multipart bibliography of mainly German sources, a glossary, a chronology, and persons and places indexes). Above all, the breadth is formidableDchurches in over 600 places are covered. Nussbaum writes intelligently about Gothic research and sagely accommodates regional variations. Highly recommended for academic collections.DRussell T. Clement, Northwestern Univ. Lib., Evanston, IL
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German

About the Author
Norbert Nussbaum is university professor and holds the chair for architectural history at the University of Dortmund, Germany.