Brick Gothic

Until the High Middle Ages, and even longer in rural areas, most churches in northern Europe were built of wood. As prosperity grew in the 12th and 13th centuries, and with it the demands of the North Germans, they wanted to build churches out of stone. However, there were no significant natural stone deposits in this region.

What was available was clay-rich loam, which could be used to fire bricks. Using this material, builders attempted to construct something similar to the well-known monumental churches, which were mostly built from sandstone – initially in the Romanesque style, as in Ratzeburg or Jerichow, but soon in the Gothic style. However, Gothic architecture had to be adapted to the possibilities offered by brick: less ornamentation, but more structural variation in the masonry.

Although St Marien is not one of the very first buildings of this style, it is considered the "mother church of North German brick Gothic" because it served as a model for churches throughout the medieval Hanseatic League region – from Haderslev in Denmark to Tartu in Estonia.