Brandenburg Evangeliary
In the early 13th century, Brandenburg was on the edges of Christendom; the Eastern Baltic was still largely pagan and facing the wrath of the Northern Crusades. Immigration from the south fueled the growth of cities across what is now northern Germany and cathedrals were being erected. A scriptorium in the city of Magdeburg was commissioned with the creation of the splendid manuscript at hand by the Premonstratensians, a religious order consisting of Canons Regular engaged in preaching instead of monks. The manuscript is a magnificent example of the Late Romanesque style in Germany exhibiting artistic influences from across Europe. Full-page miniatures and large historiated initials are executed with great mastery in a wonderful variety of bright, opaque colors as well as gold and silver leaf. More than 800 years later, the impressive manuscript still resides in the treasury of Brandenburg Cathedral.
Brandenburg Evangeliary
One of the last and greatest artistic accomplishments of German Romanesque art: the Brandenburg Evangeliary was created ca. 1210 in the city of Magdeburg. It was commissioned by the Brandenburg chapter of the Premonstratensians, a religious order consisting of Canons Regular engaged in preaching instead of monks, and has remained in Brandenburg Cathedral’s treasury for all 800+ years of its existence. It is in fact one of the few manuscripts to spend its entire life in its original location, although the jeweled binding was lost in the course of World War II. Gorgeous full-page miniatures and large historiated initials, some of which fuse figure and letters, are created using rich opaque colors accented with gold and silver leaf. Its splendid combination of contemporary styles makes it a landmark of medieval German illumination.
The Pride of Brandenburg Cathedral
This manuscript is part of a tradition of large Gospel Books intended for public display, usually in cathedrals or large abbeys. It is also a gorgeous testament to the period, when the Northern Crusades were engaged in the conversion of pagan Slavs living in the region of the Eastern Baltic, and when modern northern Germany was experiencing an influx of settlers from the south. It was doubtless meant to impress both the faithful and the unconverted. As an evangeliary, the text consists of readings from the Gospels that were arranged in accordance with the liturgical year, arranged for the purpose of being recited during Mass. The picture cycle depicts scenes from the Life of Christ going up through the Pentecost presented in richly colored full-page miniatures with gold leaf.
An Impressive Mix of Styles
Although distinctly German in character, artistic influences from across Europe are evident in the 18 full-page miniatures, one full-page historiated initial, ten large historiated initials, and numerous other initials all painted with intense, bright colors embellished with gold and silver leaf. The glimmering gold backgrounds that give a timeless and spaceless feeling to the miniatures and historiated initials is derived from Byzantine art, as are certain iconographic forms. The tendril initials are inspired by the “Channel Style”, a Romanesque fusion of English and northern French styles. Meanwhile, Italian influences can also be seen in many of the initials and frames that incorporate acanthus, palmette, and ivy motifs. The manuscript could even be considered proto-Gothic because of its more naturalistic body posturing highlighted by a skillful play of light and shadow. Furthermore, jagged fall of folds, rocky edges, and similar stylized elements seem to foretell the coming Zackenstil, a “jagged style” of early German Gothic art. It is precisely the manuscript’s hard-to-define hybrid style that, along with the extremely high quality of its execution and quality of its materials, makes the Brandenburg Evangeliary a milestone of German illumination.
Codicology
- Alternative Titles
- Brandenburger Evangelistar
- Size / Format
- 218 pages / 33.6 × 24.0 cm
- Origin
- Germany
- Date
- Ca. 1210
- Epochs
- Style
- Language
- Script
- Protogothic
- Illustrations
- 18 full-page miniatures, one full-page ornamental initial, ten large miniature-like ornamental initials, numerous multi-line gold initials on coloured ground and coloured initials on gold ground, large areas of gold leaf, shiny silver, intensively bright colours
- Content
- Pericopes - Texts for the liturgical year beginning with Christmas
- Patron
- Brandenburg Cathedral chapter
Brandenburg Evangeliary
The Last Temptation of Christ
After Satan tempts Jesus in the desert and on the pinnacle of the Temple, he takes Jesus to the top of a mountain to offer Him dominion over all the earthly kingdoms, but this appeal to pride and ambition for power was useless against the King of Kings. While Jesus is depicted standing upright with his serene gaze fixed slightly upward, Satan is a squat, hairy, winged beast who looks directly out from the page with a pitiful expression of frustration and defeat on his face.

Brandenburg Evangeliary
Historiated “L” Initial
Appearing across from two miniatures of the Nativity and the Annunciation to the Shepherds, this splendid gold, red, green, and blue full-page “L” initial introduces the first line of the Book of Matthew: Liber generationis Jesu Christi filii David, filii Abraham or “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham”.
Rather than having a typical Jesse Tree, only Jesus is shown sitting at the top of the initial with a banderole reading Liber generationis. Surrounded by acanthus leaves, the swirling tendrils contain three dragons, a small one below and to the left of Christ and two large dragons battling one another at the base. Intricate initials with zoomorphic figures, dragons in particular, were borrowed from Insular art.

#1 Das Brandenburger Evangelistar
Language: German
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