Brick Renaissance is the
Northern European continuation of
brick architecture after
Brick Romanesque and
Brick Gothic. Although the term Brick Gothic is often used generally for all of this architecture, especially in regard to the
Hanseatic cities of the
Baltic, the stylistic changes that led to the end of
Gothic architecture did reach
Northern Germany and northern Europe with delay, leading to the adoption of
Renaissance elements into brick building. Nonetheless, it is very difficult for non-experts to distinguish transitional phases or early Brick Renaissance, as the style maintained many typical features of Brick Gothic, such as
stepped gables. A clearer distinction only developed at the transition to
Baroque architecture. In
Lübeck, for example, Brick Renaissance is clearly recognisable in buildings equipped with terracotta reliefs by the artist Statius von Düren, who was also active at
Schwerin (
Schwerin Castle) and
Wismar (Fürstenhof).
Renaissance frescoes on the vault cover more than 1000 square meters in total[4] (brick church built between 1449 and the first half of the 16th century)