394 COMPARATIVE ARCHITECTURE. vi. Historical. — ^In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries Germany was the heart and centre of the Western Empire. Under the Swabian Emperors long wars occurred with the Lombard league of the north Italian towns {cf. page 234). The years 1 254-1 274, known as the "great interregnum," because no king was universally acknowledged by all Germany, were times of great confusion and lawlessness, until the house of Hapsburg came into power in 1273. The " Hanseatic league," an alliance of the great commercial towns of North Germany, exercised considerable influence on the peaceful arts. 2. ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER. The Gothic architecture of Germany was borrowed directly from France, and was not a pure development of the Romanesque, as in the latter country. This may be ascribed to the monu- mental character of buildings in the Romanesque style, which had been developed to a greater extent than in other countries, no Gothic building being erected in Germany before the thirteenth century. Gothic was, therefore, reluctantly adopted at the time when it was attaining its great perfection in France, but the Romanesque precedents were long adhered to. In Northern Germany, in the valley of the Elbe, a brick architecture was developed, as at Lubeck and the neighbouring cities, which, although not equalling that in the valley of the Po, has that special character belonging properly to the material, although expressed in a somewhat meagre manner. 3. EXAMPLES. ECCLESIASTICAL ARCHITECTURE. Cologne Cathedral (Nos. no c and 170) may be regarded as the great cathedral in this style. It resembles Amiens (No. 159 b), the eastern portion being a direct copy in plan and dimensions. It is the largest cathedral of North Europe, having an extreme length of 468 feet and a width of 275 feet, giving a superficial area of 91,464 square feet. It was commenced in 1270, and the choir was completed in 1322, the remainder of the building being completed according to the original design in the nineteenth century. The clear width of nave between piers is 41 feet 6 inches, and the nave vault is 155 feet in height, being nearly as great as that of Beauvais (page 376).
