GERMANY - Historic Centres of Stralsund and Wismar

Postcard sent by Eule on a Show your offer tag .

Sent- 09 de Setiembre del 2018.

INSCRIPTION/INSCRITO: 2002

The medieval towns of Wismar and Stralsund, on the Baltic coast of northern Germany, were major trading centres of the Hanseatic League in the 14th and 15th centuries. In the 17th and 18th centuries they became Swedish administrative and defensive centres for the German territories. They contributed to the development of the characteristic building types and techniques of Brick Gothic in the Baltic region, as exemplified in several important brick cathedrals, the Town Hall of Stralsund, and the series of houses for residential, commercial and crafts use, representing its evolution over several centuries.

Founded in the 13th century, the medieval towns of Wismar and Stralsund, on the Baltic coast of northern Germany, represent different but complementary trading structures as leading centers of the Wendish section of the Hanseatic League from the 13th to the 15th centuries. In the 17th and the 18th centuries the towns became major administrative and defense centers within the Swedish kingdom, contributing to the development of military art and integrating another layer of cultural influences.

The towns contributed to the development of the characteristic building types and techniques of the Brick Gothic in the Baltic region, using fired brick. On the main elevations the bricks could be moulded in different decorative forms, thus permitting some very elaborate architecture. This is exemplified in several churches, the Town Hall of Stralsund, and in the series of houses for residential, commercial, and craft use, representing an evolution over several centuries. The typology of houses, such as the Dielenhaus and the Kemläden, were developed in the 14th century and became a characteristic feature of many Hanseatic towns.

Wismar has preserved its medieval harbour basin, whereas the island location of Stralsund has remained unchanged since the 13th century. To this day the unmistakable silhouette of Stralsund is characterized by the outstanding buildings of Brick Gothic architecture.

 

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