At Maulbronn Monastery there is very early evidence of Gothic architecture in Germany. A master craftsman who had received his training on the buildings of the French early Gothic period was probably at work here.
EarlyGothic construction units from outgoing 12. to center 13. Century in Maulbronn:
- The Paradies
- Southern cloister
- Laities refectory (Laienrefektorium)
- Men's refectory (Herrenrefektorium)
- "Frühmesserhaus" (residential house for the monk who celebrated early mass)
A striking characteristic of the transition from the Romanesque period to the Gothic period can be seen in the "Paradies" (porch of the church). Carrying parts of the architecture are broken up into column bundles. The so-called "Dienste" are introduced. These are thin supports which can be laid before the wall or on the column bundles - as though the architect (Called "Paradies" Architect) wanted to use "lines of force" to show how the construction of a vault functions.
The "Paradies" Architect came to Maulbronn via Burgundy, the region of origin of the Cistercians. His name is unknown, as is usually the case with medieval architects. He has left behind his signature: a coat of arms with back-to-back half moons.When the architect - or a group of artisans and workmen in the building trade - came to Maulbronn, he (or they) found the already completed monastery church and several wooden structures. Construction of the stone structures of the other sections of the inner monastery area, the "Klausur" (enclosure), had very certainly been started based on the pattern of the Cistercian monastery building system. Up until today building research has been unable to clearly prove whether parts had also already been completed here. more
Other signs for the transition to the Gothic age
- Plate-shaped column bases
- Capital sculpture with plant motifs
- Six-part ceiling vault
The language of shapes used in the Maulbronn buildings of the early Gothic period can also be found in other church buildings, e.g. somewhat later in Magdeburg, in Walkenried and in Halberstadt. An example in Baden-Württemberg is the vestry of the Alpirsbach Monastery Church.
The remaining cloister and the dormitory building of the monks with the "Kapitelsaal" (Chapter Hall) were built from the end of the 13th to the middle of the 14th century. With its multiple-ray ribbed vaults, the Chapter Hall already leads the way to the decorative vaults of the late Gothic. The details of the star-shaped vault with its beautiful keystones are particularly worthy of note. The fountain house with its three-bowl fountain (typical of the Cistercian order) was given its current shape in this phase."The fountain is more of a loose reconstruction from the 19th century for which unrelated pieces were used."
Late Gothic alterations
- Parlatorium/Oratorium with net vault
- Choir windows in the church
- Vaulting of the church