Beschreibung Aller Kirchen- Gebäude der Stadt Dantzig (1695) by the Gdańsk Builder Bartel Ranisch. The Book, its Readers and Contexts
Beschreibung Aller Kirchen- Gebäude der Stadt Dantzig (1695) by the Gdańsk Builder Bartel Ranisch. The Book, its Readers and Contexts

Summary/Abstract: This article examines Beschreibung Aller Kirchen-Gebäude der Stadt Dantzig(1695) by the master builder Bartel Ranisch, one of the first European architectural treatises presenting Gothic architecture from a historiographical perspective. The book describes Gdańsk churches, illustrating ribbed vault construction to inspire patrons and revive builders’ skills. It was widely read among the Gdańsk elite and classified as historical literature. The study contextualises Ranisch’s work within early modern antiquarianism and urban identi-ty, emphasising his novel use of guild documents. Unlike many contemporaneous authors, Ranisch avoided religious disputes, instead highlighting the continuity of Christianity from the Teutonic Order onward. His book diverged from dominant classicist discourse, focusing on practical construction methods rather than theoretical treatises. Ultimately, it serves as a key source for understanding early modern medievalism and architectural historiography in Central and North-Eastern Europe.

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