Rundbogenstil

Rundbogenstil, literally round-arch style, is a 19th-century architectural style that developed in the German-speaking lands. It is part of historicist architecture and is defined by the prominence of rounded arches in façades, arcades, and doorways. The style emerged in the 1830s and 1840s as cities expanded and states standardized public buildings, and it was seen as a German alternative to pure neoclassicism and to more exuberant Romantic or Gothic revivals. Rundbogenstil sought a pragmatic, locally rooted language that combined elements of Romanesque revival with classical balance.

Key features include the emphasis on rounded arches over windows and arcades, robust masonry—often brick on the exterior with stone detailing—symmetrical or orderly plans, and restrained decorative detailing that evokes medieval craft without excessive ornament. The façade treatments often display rusticated ground floors, cornices, and a rhythm of arches that unify the composition. The style was versatile, applied to town halls, schools, churches, and especially railway stations and industrial buildings, reflecting modernization and public investment.

Regional variants developed in major urban centers. The Münchner Rundbogenstil, the best documented variant, and other regional forms in Prussia, Austria, and the German south and east circulated widely, producing a recognizable vocabulary for civic architecture. In the latter half of the 19th century, Rundbogenstil gradually yielded to other historicist idioms and to later movements, but it remained influential as a bridge between neoclassicism and later revival styles.

The Rundbogenstil is valued for its accessibility, its legibility for large public programs, and its role in shaping the 19th-century German urban landscape.