Heinrich Parler the Elder (also ''Heinrich of Gmünd'', ; c. 1310 – c. 1370), was a German architect and sculptor. His masterpiece is Holy Cross Minster, an influential milestone of late

Gothic architecture Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High Middle Ages, High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved f ...

in the town of

Schwäbisch Gmünd Schwäbisch Gmünd (, until 1934: Gmünd; Swabian: ''Gmẽẽd'' or ''Gmend'') is a city in the eastern part of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. With a population of around 60,000, the city is the second largest in the Ostalb district ...

Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg ( ; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a states of Germany, German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million i ...

, Germany. Parler also founded the

Parler family The Parler family ( ) was a family of German architects and sculptors from the 14th century. Founder of the dynasty, Heinrich Parler, but later lived and worked in Gmünd. His descendants were working in various parts of central Europe, especial ...

of master builders and his descendants worked in various parts of central Europe, especially

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...

. His son,

Peter Parler Peter Parler (, , ; 1333 – 13 July 1399) was a German-Bohemian architect and sculptor from the Parler family of master builders. Along with his father, Heinrich Parler, he is one of the most prominent and influential craftsmen of the Middle Ag ...

, became one of the major architects of the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

. The family name is derived from the word ''Parlier'', meaning " foreman".

Life and work

Heinrich Parler was probably born in

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

between 1300 and 1310, where his earliest known work was supervising the construction of

Cologne Cathedral Cologne Cathedral (, , officially , English: Cathedral Church of Saint Peter) is a cathedral in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia belonging to the Catholic Church. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and of the administration of the Archd ...

. He later lived and worked in Gmünd, an Imperial City () of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

. Sometime around 1333, Parler was invited to become construction manager of the Holy Cross Minster () in Gmünd. Construction had already begun in 1315 to replace an existing Romanesque church with a Gothic basilica form. He amended the plan of this new building and completed the nave as a

hall church A hall church is a Church (building), church with a nave and aisles of approximately equal height. In England, Flanders and the Netherlands, it is covered by parallel roofs, typically, one for each vessel, whereas in Germany there is often one s ...

(), the first of its kind in southern Germany. Rounded pillars with leaf wreath capitals, elongated tracery windows, and complex colored vaults are the first tangible evidence of his new style, which became even more pronounced with the laying of the foundation stone of the

choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

in 1351. His son

(1333–1399) began working alongside him on the choir, designed as an

ambulatory The ambulatory ( 'walking place') is the covered passage around a cloister or the processional way around the east end of a cathedral or large church and behind the high altar. The first ambulatory was in France in the 11th century but by the 13t ...

with chapels lying flat between the

buttress A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall. Buttresses are fairly common on more ancient (typically Gothic) buildings, as a means of providing support to act ...

es. The number of required internal support columns was therefore reduced and the

aisle An aisle is a linear space for walking with rows of non-walking spaces on both sides. Aisles with seating on both sides can be seen in airplanes, in buildings such as churches, cathedrals, synagogues, meeting halls, parliaments, courtrooms, ...

s were built as tall as the nave, creating an expanded sense of space. Heinrich Parler was also responsible for experimental, more lifelike sculptures than had hitherto been created in previous churches. Holy Cross therefore marks an important milestone in late Gothic architecture and sculpture. Father and son did not live to see the consecration of the church, which took place in 1410. Work continued into the 16th century. As was customary, Heinrich the Elder was also responsible for other construction sites in addition to

. Although undocumented, he most likely designed the Frauenkirche, Nuremberg working with his son Peter. The relationship between the design of the church is strikingly close to the prototype of Holy Cross Minster. This comparison also applies to the choir of

Augsburg Cathedral The Cathedral of Augsburg (German: ''Dom Mariä Heimsuchung'') is a Catholic cathedral in Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany, founded in the 11th century in Romanesque style, but with 14th-century Gothic additions. Together with the Basilica of St. Ul ...

, begun in 1356. He may also have had a hand in the design of

Ulm Minster Ulm Minster () is a Gothic Architecture, Gothic church (building), church located in Ulm, State of Baden-Württemberg (Germany). It was originally built as a Roman Catholic church (building), church but became a Lutheran Church in the 16th Cen ...

, begun in 1366 and today the tallest church in the world, although his family members are more clearly documented as carrying forward the work.

Legacy

Heinrich Parler's architectural style and contemporary sculptural designs were taken up by many other masons and further developed, ranking him as one of the most influential craftsman of the 14th century. What became known as the "Parler style" spread across central Europe and can be seen at St. Martin's Church, Landshut;

St. Lorenz, Nuremberg St. Lorenz (St. Lawrence) is a medieval church of the former free imperial city of Nuremberg in southern Germany. It is dedicated to Saint Lawrence. The church was badly damaged during the Second World War and later restored. It is one of the m ...

; St. George's Minster,

Dinkelsbühl Dinkelsbühl () is a historic town in Central Franconia, a region of Germany that is now part of the state of Bavaria, in southern Germany. Dinkelsbühl is a former free imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire. In local government terms, Dinkelsb ...

;

St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna St. Stephen's Cathedral ( ) is a Roman Catholic church in Vienna, Austria, and the mother church of the Archdiocese of Vienna. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna, Christoph Schönborn. The current Romanesque and Gothic form of the ca ...

; and numerous examples throughout the

Hanseatic League The Hanseatic League was a Middle Ages, medieval commercial and defensive network of merchant guilds and market towns in Central Europe, Central and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Growing from a few Northern Germany, North German towns in the ...

from the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

. Examples can also be found in

Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...

, such as at St. Mary's,

Helsingør Helsingør ( , ; ), classically known in English as Elsinore ( ), is a coastal city in northeastern Denmark. Helsingør Municipality had a population of 63,953 on 1 January 2025, making it the 23rd most populated municipality in Denmark. Helsin ...

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

. Heinrich Parler's son,

, became one of the greatest architects of the Gothic era. Heinrich's eldest son, Johann Parler the Elder, worked as a builder in

Zwettl Zwettl (; Central Bavarian: ''Zwedl''; Czech: ''Světlá'') is a town and district capital of the Austrian state of Lower Austria. It is chiefly known as the location of Zwettl Abbey, first mentioned in October 1139. History The name origina ...

and then at Basel Cathedral. Heinrich could have had a brother, the foreman Peter von Reutlingen, who presumably built the Marienkirche and the Nikolaikirche in

Reutlingen Reutlingen (; ) is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is the capital of the eponymous Reutlingen (district), district of Reutlingen. As of June 2018, it had an estimated population of 116,456. Reutlingen has a Reutlingen University, univ ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

.Klemm, p. 178

Notes

References

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External links

Münsterbauverein e.V.
foundation which supports conservation of the Holy Cross Minster (in German).
Heilig-Kreuz-Münster
at the official website of the city of Schwäbisch Gmünd (in German).
Minister of the Holy Cross Schwäbisch-Gmünd
at Stuttgart Regional Tourist website (in English). {{DEFAULTSORT:Parler, Heinrich Gothic architects Architects from Cologne 14th-century German artists Year of birth uncertain People from Schwäbisch Gmünd

Life and work

Legacy

Notes

References

Further reading

External links