Lübeck has one of the most beautiful examples of Gothic architecture in
Germany. Because of the high number of well preserved buildings the UNESCO
declared the city as a world cultural heritage site.

The name Gothic was first used in Italy in the 16th century as a description of the
excessive and barbarous architecture, in comparison to the Renaissance style. The
Gothic Epoch covers the artistic development of style in northern Europe from the 13th until the 15th century. It directly followed the Romanesque period, which
need not be dealt with, because there are no Romanesque buildings left in
Lübeck.  The Gothic Epoch  culminated at the end of the Hundred Years War
(1453), which resulted in a boom in building throughout France. From France the
Gothic Epoch spread out to the rest of Europe. The Gothic Epoch was a noble,
church art. The greatest expansion of this form is in the construction of cathedrals, but it was also a civil style (buildings for citizens, townhalls, castles, furniture...).
It is subdivided into three phases: early Gothic Epoch, high Gothic Epoch and late
Gothic Epoch.

The early Gothic Epoch, which existed until the middle of the 13th century, was
decorated simply, with wide acute bows and massive buttresses.

The high Gothic Epoch, which reached on until the middle of the 14th century,
brought finer detail and more subdivisions. In addition to this the acute bows
became higher and narrower. It was normal for the buildings to increase in height
throughout the epoch.

The late Gothic Epoch prefered simple buildings with vaulted ceilings.