Romanesque Architecture: Germany

For the general characteristics of the style of European architecture known as Romanesque, see Romanesque architecture.

Aachen Cathedral built by Charlemagne in 796–804 epitomizes Carolingian architecture, the first Western development of Romanesque. It is a domed polygon based on S Vitale Ravenna. Other examples of Romanesque architecture include the abbey church of Centula (799); the west end of St Pantaleon in Cologne (980); the abbey of Gernrode in the Harz (961); the cathedrals of Worms (about 1175), Mainz (1081), Speyer and Trier; the abbey church of Laach; and in Cologne, the churches of S Maria im Kapitol, St Martin, and the Holy Apostles.

Outside the Rhineland the finest Romanesque churches are the cathedral at Bamberg, and St Godehard and St Michael at Hildesheim. Several of these great churches have apses at both the west and east ends, each generally flanked by gabled towers. Arcading is freely used as external decoration, this being a feature borrowed from Italy.

For later German architecture, see Gothic Architecture: Germany. See also German architecture.