Page:A History of Architecture in All Countries Vol 2.djvu/73

Bk. IV. Ch. V. CHURCH AT ALTENBURG. 57 of the same height. The latter must be considered as a serious defect, for, besides the absence of contrast, either the narrow side- aisles appear too tall or the central one too low. This has also caused the defect of two stories of windows being placed throughout in one height of wall, and without even a gallery to give meaning to sucli an arrangement. No French architect ever fell into such a mistake, and it shows how little the builders who could not avoid such a solecism understood the spirit of the style they were copying. The. west front with its two spires is somewhat later in date, but of elegant design, and is pleasingly proportioned to the body of the church, which is rarely the case in Germany. The otiier church is that at Altenburg, not far from Cologne, on the opposite side of the river Rhine. The foundation-stone was laid in 1255, and the chapels round the choir completed within a few years of that time, but the works were then inter- rupted, and the greater part of the chui-ch not built till the succeeding cen- tury. Like all the eai'ly churches of the Cistercian Order it is without towers, and is extremely simple in its outline and decorations. It is, in fact, almost a copy of the abbey of Pontigny (Woodcut No. 409), which was built fully a century earlier, and though it does show some advance in style in the introduction of tracery into the windows, and more variety of outline externally, it is re- markable how little ])rogress it evinces in the older parts. In the subsequent erection there are some noble windows filled with tracery of the very best class, which render this church the best coun- terpart Germany can produce of our Tintern Abbey, which it resem- bles in many respects. Indeed, taken altogether, this is perhaps the most satisfactory church of its age and style in Germany, and in the erection of which the fewest faults have been committed. It was res- cued from ruin by the late King of Prussia, but its extensive conven- tual buildings have been destroyed by fire. 510. Plan of Church at Altenburg. Scale 100 ft. to 1 iu. These examples bring us to the great typical cathedral of Germany, that of Cologne, which is certainly one of the noblest temples ever erected by man in honor of his Creator. In this respect Germany has been more fortunate than either France or England ; for though in the number of edifices in the jjointed style and beauty of design these