ARCHITECT, German
(active 1317-1337 in Rhineland-Palatinate)

Exterior view

1317-37
Photo
Katharinenkirche, Oppenheim

Katharinenkirche (Church of St. Catherine) stands in the small town of Oppenheim, a former free town of the Holy Roman Empire. The style of the church places it between the Gothic of Upper and Lower Rhine. Cologne as well as Strasbourg and Freiburg were the major influences. Built on a plateau overlooking a vineyard, the church dominates the townscape with its magnificent south side, begun in 1317 and completed about 1337. Its complex style, in particular its window tracery, makes it one of the riches examples of Gothic architecture. In contrast, however, the north side, which did not command a fine view, was kept significantly simpler and plainer.

The photo shows the north side of the church.