Brick Expressionism - The Ruhr

The Ruhr

Brick Expressionism had its densest distribution in the Rhine-Ruhr area, developing the character of a regional style. The material could withstand difficult industrial conditions and permitted the creation of well-balanced and varied facade designs with relatively little effort. But hard-fired clinkler was comparatively expensive, so many buildings were designed with part-clinkered and part-whitewashed facades. Examples were created all over the Ruhr, including industrial architecture (assembly halls, office buildings, water towers, etc.) and residential buildings. Brick was also used for representative buildings, such as town halls, post offices, churches and villas.

An important example is Alfred Fischer's Hans-Sachs-Haus in Gelsenkirchen, planned as multi-functional a building but eventually used as the city hall. Its comparatively simply brick facade and rounded corners characterise it as a synthesis between expressionism and New Objectivity.

Also in Gelsenkirchen, in the Ückendorf area, is the main work of Josef Franke, the Parabola Church of Heilig-Kreuz (Holy Cross). Its vault has the shape of a tall parabola. The top of the square tower is crowned by a brick-built figure of Christ. The church was deconsecrated on 18 August 2007.

Other important Brick Expressionist buildings in the Ruhr area are the police headquarters, Bert-Brecht-Haus and city hall in Oberhausen, Alfred Fischer's offices for the Regionalverband Ruhrgebiet (regional development authority) in Essen, the BOGESTRA building and the police headquarters in Bochum, and the pediatric surgery ward of Dortmund city hospital.

• Examples, Ruhr, Westphalia, Rhineland

• Hans-Sachs-Haus, Gelsenkirchen

• Tramyard, Gelsenkirchen

• Shop and apartment house "Ring-Eck", Gelsenkirchen

• Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche, Gelsenkirchen-Ückendorf

• Rotthausen multi-purpose hall, Gelsenkirchen

• Shop and apartment house Lommel, Hamm by Max Krusemark, 1927

• BOGESTRA headquarters, Bochum

• St. Antonius, Castrop-Rauxel-Ickern

• Oberhausen Central Station

• St. Engelbert, Essen