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The German Buildings and Monuments ClipArt gallery offers 87 illustrations of churches, cathedrals, government buildings, castles, monuments, and other famous German structures.

"Nikolai Kirche, Potsdam." — The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1910

Potsdam

"Nikolai Kirche, Potsdam." — The Encyclopedia Britannica, 1910

Ramparts or limes, defensive walls or fortifications constructed for defense of ancient cities or settlement from aggressors. Some constructed as early as the 1st century A.D. when the Romans conquered the land and defended their position there by constructing a rampart (limes). A limes (or the Limes Romanus) was a border defense of Ancient Rome. It marked the boundaries of the Roman Empire. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements. Generally, these are referred to as city walls or town walls.

Ramparts of Ulm

Ramparts or limes, defensive walls or fortifications constructed for defense of ancient cities or settlement…

Regensburg, also Ratisbon, Ratisbona, is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate. The large medieval center of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The first settlements in Regensburg date to the Stone Age. The Celtic name Radasbona was the oldest name given to a settlement near the present city. Around AD 90 the Romans built a small "cohort-fort" in what would now be the suburbs.

Ratisbon

Regensburg, also Ratisbon, Ratisbona, is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the…

"It is a gorgeous structure decorated with statues, carvings, and gold leaf, situated close by the Thiergarten." —Carpenter, 1902

Reichstag

"It is a gorgeous structure decorated with statues, carvings, and gold leaf, situated close by the Thiergarten."…

A historical ediface in Berlin, Germany. It is the meeting place of the modern German parliament.

The Reichstagsgebäude

A historical ediface in Berlin, Germany. It is the meeting place of the modern German parliament.

Line drawing of a large Romanesque church. The illustration is similar to the Imperial Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption and St Stephen in Speyer, Germany, although it differs in some details. The original source <em>(Winston's Encyclopedia)</em> incorrectly identifies the structure as the "Cathedral of Worms."

Romanesque Church

Line drawing of a large Romanesque church. The illustration is similar to the Imperial Cathedral Basilica…

The collegiate church of St. Peter was built in the Romanesque style in the twelfth century. The burial ground of St. Peter is situated directly south of the church and is the most ancient place of sepulture in Salzburg. In this view, we see the churchyard, situated at the base of an overhanging rock, from which hangs rich and luxurious foliage; before us, in the open space, are monuments in every style of mortuary design, while cowled monks kneel before the ancient symbol of Christianity, or converse together within this sacred enclosure.

Peter's Churchyard in Salzburg

The collegiate church of St. Peter was built in the Romanesque style in the twelfth century. The burial…

A German poet, translator and critic.

August Schlegel

A German poet, translator and critic.

"This structure stands on the banks of the Rhine near Coblenz. On the top are stone seats where the Electors met to elect the German king. The building shown is an eighteenth-century restoration."&mdash;Myers, 1905

The Electors' Seat

"This structure stands on the banks of the Rhine near Coblenz. On the top are stone seats where the…

The Cathedral of Spires was built between 916 and 1097. It is the largest church in Germany. Designed in a Romanesque style, it has two towers in the front with spires on top, similar to a pointed spear.

The Cathedral at Spires

The Cathedral of Spires was built between 916 and 1097. It is the largest church in Germany. Designed…

The old Byzantine church, St. Martin's Church was the beloved church of the poor. It stood by the Cathedral of Cologne and represented the old Catholic city of the Rhine.

St. Martin's Church

The old Byzantine church, St. Martin's Church was the beloved church of the poor. It stood by the Cathedral…

A church of both Roman and Gothic architectural design. From the wall of the presbytery and extending the height of the first story, is an octagonal projection known as The Choir of St Sebald.

Choir of the Church of St. Sebald

A church of both Roman and Gothic architectural design. From the wall of the presbytery and extending…

St. Sebald is a church of both Roman and Gothic architectural design. On the northern side is the Bride's Door, a work attributed to the fifteenth century. The beauty and the design of this doorway delights us with its various carvings.

Bride's Door at Church of St. Sebald

St. Sebald is a church of both Roman and Gothic architectural design. On the northern side is the Bride's…

Strasburg, originally known as Strateburguen in the sixth century, on the first partition of the Frankish territory this ancient city was included in the kingdom of Austria; on the second partition in Lorraine, In the tenth century it belonged to the German emperors, and subsequently became a free city of the empire, until 1681, when it was finally annexed to France.

Ancient Houses in Strasburg

Strasburg, originally known as Strateburguen in the sixth century, on the first partition of the Frankish…

The architectural and ornamental style of the ancient German homes appealed to the storks, who arrived every spring and built their nests on the highest points and chimneys. The building of a nest upon a house by a pair of storks is considered as a presage of good fortune to the inhabitants, and they often suffered great inconvenience rather than drive away the birds. It is known that one man gave up the use of one of his rooms during the winter rather than destroy a nest two storks had built over the aperture of his chimney.

Stork's Nest in Strasburg

The architectural and ornamental style of the ancient German homes appealed to the storks, who arrived…

Street scene in Strasburg with public square in the foreground and a church spire in the background.

Street Scene in the City of Strasburg

Street scene in Strasburg with public square in the foreground and a church spire in the background.

Strassburg Cathedral is classed among the most magnificent examples of Gothic architecture. It was begun in 1015, the work of Erwin of Steinbach, and finished in 1601. After the death of Erwin of Steinbach, the work was continued by his son and his daughter Sabina. It was completed by John Stultz of Cologne.

Strassburg Cathedral

Strassburg Cathedral is classed among the most magnificent examples of Gothic architecture. It was begun…

"The Berlin school, whose founder was Schinkel, the architect of the noble Berlin Theatre, and of the Museum, which is noteworthy for its magnificent fa&ccedil;ade, exhibited a decided inclination towards Grecian architecture, and strove to attain a certain purity of form, and delicacy and elegance in details, which where for the most part carried out in the Grecian style. He had to contend against a deficiency in building material. Owing to want of building-stone, the mouldings, and indeed all the architectural details, were unavoidably carried out in stucco; nor was this all, but in order to give the same durability, they were made to project as little as possible. Consequently this architectural style, with the exception of some few public buildings, seemed flat and wanting in power, especially in the case of private dwelling-houses, and frequently presented the appearance of pasteboard-work, or cabinet-work, rather than of a structural edifice. This facility also which stucco afforded for enriching the fa&ccedil;ade, caused more attention to be paid to decoration than it was entitled to, for ornament should always be kept in subservience to the main and constructive architectural forms." The Konzerthaus Berlin (once called the Schauspielhaus Berlin) is a concert hall situated on the Gendarmenmarkt square in the central Mitte district of Berlin. Since 1994 it has been the seat of the German orchestra Konzerthausorchester Berlin. The building's predecessor, the National-Theater in the Friedrichstadt suburb, was destroyed by fire in 1817. It had been designed by Carl Gotthard Langhans and inaugurated on January 1, 1802. The hall was redesigned by Karl Friedrich Schinkel between 1818 and 1821, and the new inauguration of the K&ouml;nigliches Schauspielhaus on June 18, 1821 featured the acclaimed premiere of Carl Maria von Weber's opera Der Freisch&uuml;tz. Other works that have premiered at the theatre include Undine by E. T. A. Hoffmann in 1816 and Penthesilea by Heinrich von Kleist in 1876. After World War I the Schauspielhaus reopened under the name of Preu&szlig;isches Staatstheater Berlin in October 1919. Under the direction of Leopold Jessner it soon became one of the leading theatres of the Weimar Republic, a tradtion ambivalently continued by his successor Gustav Gr&uuml;ndgens after the Nazi takeover in 1933, including his famous staging of Goethe's Faust and the premiere of Gerhart Hauptmann's tragedy Iphigenie in Delphi in 1941. Severely damaged by Allied bombing and the Battle of Berlin the building has been rebuilt from 1977 on and reopened as the concert hall of the Berliner Sinfonie-Orchester in 1984. The exterior, including many of the sculptures of composers by Christian Friedrich Tieck and Balthasar Jacob Rathgeber, is a faithful reconstruction of Schinkel's designs, while the interior was adapted in a Neoclassical style meeting the conditions of the altered use. The great hall is equipped with a notable four-manual pipe organ including 74 stops and 5811 pipes.

Theatre at Berlin

"The Berlin school, whose founder was Schinkel, the architect of the noble Berlin Theatre, and of the…

"The Berlin school, whose founder was Schinkel, the architect of the noble Berlin Theatre, and of the Museum, which is noteworthy for its magnificent fa&ccedil;ade, exhibited a decided inclination towards Grecian architecture, and strove to attain a certain purity of form, and delicacy and elegance in details, which where for the most part carried out in the Grecian style. He had to contend against a deficiency in building material. Owing to want of building-stone, the mouldings, and indeed all the architectural details, were unavoidably carried out in stucco; nor was this all, but in order to give the same durability, they were made to project as little as possible. Consequently this architectural style, with the exception of some few public buildings, seemed flat and wanting in power, especially in the case of private dwelling-houses, and frequently presented the appearance of pasteboard-work, or cabinet-work, rather than of a structural edifice. This facility also which stucco afforded for enriching the fa&ccedil;ade, caused more attention to be paid to decoration than it was entitled to, for ornament should always be kept in subservience to the main and constructive architectural forms." The Altes Museum (German for Old Museum), is one of several internationally renowned museums on Berlin's Museum Island in Berlin, Germany. Since restoration work in 1966, it houses the antique collection (Antikensammlung) of the Berlin State Museums. The museum was built between 1825 and 1828 by the architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel in the neoclassical style to house the Prussian Royal family's art collection. Until 1845, it was called the Royal Museum.

Theatre at Berlin

"The Berlin school, whose founder was Schinkel, the architect of the noble Berlin Theatre, and of the…

"In Dresden, owing to the method of instruction in the technical schools, as well as to the influence of the buildings, as, for instance, those by Zwinger, and the new theatre by Semper, the Renaissance style is the one preferred by the architects who have been there educated." The Semperoper is the opera house of the Saxon State Opera Dresden (German: S&auml;chsische Staatsoper Dresden) and the concert hall of the S&auml;chsische Staatskapelle Dresden in Dresden, Germany. It was first built in 1841, by architect Gottfried Semper. The building style itself is debated among many, as it has features that appear in the Early Renaissance style, Baroque and even features Corinthian style pillars typical of classical Greece (classical revival). Perhaps the most suitable label for this style would be Eclecticism; where influences from many styles are used- a practice most common during this period. It had to be rebuilt after a fire destroyed it in 1869. The citizenry demanded that Gottfried Semper do the reconstruction, even though he was in exile at the time because of his activities in the May Uprising in Dresden in 1849. So the architect had his son Manfred Semper complete the second opera house with his father's plans. This second one was constructed in Neo-Renaissance style in 1878. During construction, performances were held at the Gewerbehausall, which opened in 1870. The building is considered to be a prime example of "Dresden-Baroque" architecture. It is situated on the Theater Square in central Dresden on the bank of the Elbe River. On top of the portal there is a Panther quadriga with a statue of Dionysos. The interior was created by such famous architects of the time as Johannes Schilling. Monuments on the portal depict famous artists such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Friedrich Schiller, William Shakespeare, Sophocles, Moli&egrave;re and Euripides. The building also features work by Ernst Rietschel and Ernst Julius H&auml;hnel. In the pre-war years, the building premiered many of the works of Richard Strauss. During the last weeks of World War II in 1945 the building was destroyed again - this time by Allied bombing and the subsequent fire storms. Exactly 40 years later, on February 13, 1985 the opera was rebuilt almost the same as it was before the war. It reopened with the same opera that was performed last before the destruction in 1945: Weber's Der Freisch&uuml;tz. During the flood of the Elbe in 2002 the building suffered heavy water damage. With substantial help from around the world, it reopened in December 2002. Today, most operas are accompanied by the S&auml;chsische Staatskapelle Dresden.

Theatre at Dresden

"In Dresden, owing to the method of instruction in the technical schools, as well as to the influence…

Located in Heilbronn, a city in the north of Baden-Wirttemburg, Germany, is the tower of an old fortress , formerly the donjon-keep. The tower received its name from the fact that a celebrated warrior, Goetz von Berlichingen, was confined there for a short time. Goetz von Berlichingen was elected leader of the peasants who revolted in 1526. During one of his battles his left hand was cut off by a grape-shot. He had a skilful armorer to make him a hand of steel which enabled him to continue his warrior life. His iron hand is still preserved in the little town of Jaxthausen, near Berlichingen.

Tower of Goetz

Located in Heilbronn, a city in the north of Baden-Wirttemburg, Germany, is the tower of an old fortress…

"Tower of a German Feudal Castle." -Foster, 1921

Feudal Castle Tower

"Tower of a German Feudal Castle." -Foster, 1921

The Castle of Munnoth, sometimes called Unnoth, was erected in 1564, is a singular specimen of fortification with bomb-proof casemates, and walls eighteen feet thick.

Castle of Unnoth

The Castle of Munnoth, sometimes called Unnoth, was erected in 1564, is a singular specimen of fortification…

The Prince Royal of the kingdom of W&uuml;rtemberg, Germany, built a villa of Italian imitation with open galleries suited to the climate of Naples. Considered his "folly" since the harsh winter climate of Germany would deprive it of its sun and gentle comfort.

Villa of the Prince Royal

The Prince Royal of the kingdom of Würtemberg, Germany, built a villa of Italian imitation with…

Walhalla, or German Temple of Fame and Honor is a neo-classical hall of fame located on the Danube River 10 km east of Regensburg, in Bavaria, Germany. The exterior is a close imitation of the Parthenon (a temple of the Greek goddess Athena), and is constructed of gray marble. It was the idea of 20-year-old Crown Prince Ludwig I of Bavaria in 1807, at a time when the German states were defeated and occupied by Napoleon. It was meant as a place for the commemoration of great figures and events in ethnic German history, at the time covering 1,800 years, beginning with the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest (AD 9). Whereas the Valhalla of Norse mythology was home to those gloriously slain in battle, Ludwig's Walhalla was intended not only for warriors but also for scientists, writers, clerics and specifically also for women.

Exterior of Walhalla

Walhalla, or German Temple of Fame and Honor is a neo-classical hall of fame located on the Danube River…

Walhalla, or German Temple of Fame and Honor is a neo-classical hall of fame located on the Danube River 10 km east of Regensburg, in Bavaria, Germany. It was the idea of 20-year-old Crown Prince Ludwig I of Bavaria in 1807, at a time when the German states were defeated and occupied by Napoleon. It was meant as a place for the commemoration of great figures and events in ethnic German history, at the time covering 1,800 years, beginning with the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest (9 AD). Whereas the Valhalla of Norse mythology was home to those gloriously slain in battle, Ludwig's Walhalla was intended not only for warriors but also for scientists, writers, clerics and specifically also for women. The walls are lined with marble, and the ceiling is very richly gilded and decorated. The busts that are placed in rows along the walls are, as far as possible, likenesses of celebrated Germans deemed worthy of a place in the Temple of Fame.

Interior of Walhalla

Walhalla, or German Temple of Fame and Honor is a neo-classical hall of fame located on the Danube River…

German walled town during the Middle Ages.

Walled Town

German walled town during the Middle Ages.