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Miscellaneous Churches, Cathedrals, Monasteries: Sacred Germanic Architecture by Ulrike Laule, Barbara Borngaesser, Rolf Tolman, and Achim Bednorz / $19.95 / Feierabend Verlag / 2005 Recalling inspirational visits to ancient sacred buildings in Germany and Austria, the churches, cathedrals, and monasteries featured here are exceptionally well-photographed and the book is informative, although the text struggles to compete with the extraordinary color photos. The earliest Germanic architectural period-the pre-Romanesque-relates to Charlemagne's empire, from roughly 750 to 1000 AD. An example of this style of architecture is the relatively simple church of St. Georg, built between 890 and 895 to house the reliquary head of the saint, on the island of Reichenau in southern Germany. Associated with the monastic period, Romanesque architecture lasted to the middle of the 13th century. Along the central Rhine, Speyer Cathedral (1061), and the Cathedral of St. Peter at Worms, where Martin Luther defied the pope, are examples of this type of architecture, which is typified by rounded arches, thick, heavy walls, and a restrained use of decorative ornament. Easily the most recognizable style, the French-influenced Gothic, with its gargoyles, flying buttresses, and stained glass windows, endured into the 16th century. Although, according to the authors, the Italian Renaissance exerted little influence on Germanic sacred architecture, toward the end of the 16th century, a new architectural style, Baroque, emerged and went on to dominate the next century, a style that was characterized by elaborate ornamentation. Although this book offers photos of many sacred Germanic buildings, the authors do not succeed completely in articulating the various styles. For example, the reader gets little help in differentiating Baroque from Rococo. However, even with this shortcoming, this is an excellent work that describes German religious architecture. Those who have visited some of these places will particularly enjoy this book, and those who have not will soon want to see them. —Ron Hunka

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