Abstract

During the last 7 years, intensive fieldwork campaigns in Lübeck unearthed more than 160 timber buildings from the late 12th century and first decades of the 13th century. Interestingly, now there is archaeological evidence for the use of early brickwork in a periode once known as a "pure timber-time". But the discovery of bricklines staircases leeding to timber cellars, bricklines foundation for half-timberd houses and sills whose framework had been filled up with bricks are newly and highly important features of urban architecture. It seems to become more clear now that the use of brick has to be seen as "likely" common at the end of the 12th century in Lübeck in secular architecture - apart from Ribe with its bricklined espicopal palace - this might be the starting point for an urban "Baltic-brick-phenmonena".