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 Gothic Architecture. 95 baptism ":— The cathedral of Magdeburg, 1208—1363; the minster of Freiburg, in the Breisgau, thirteenth century ; the church of St. Elizabeth, at Marburg, 1 235 — 1283; the Liebfrauen-Kirche, at Treves, 1227—1244; the handsome church at Oppenheim (Fig. 45) ; the cathedral of Strasburg, the eastern part of which belongs to a basilica of the eleventh century, the present nave having been commenced in the early part of the thirteenth century. The west front of this great cathedral, which is second in importance to that of Cologne alone, was begun by the celebrated Erwin of Steinbach, and proceeded with by his sons on his death (1318). The cathedral of Cologne, the finest of all German buildings in the pointed Gothic style, was, until lately, supposed to be the building begun by Conrad de Hoch- steden in 1248; but it is now ascertained that he only rebuilt the old cathedral of the ninth century. Nothing is known of the architect of the present edifice, which was commenced about 1275, and consecrated in 1322. The nave and spires have, after many years of work, now been finished according to the original design. St. Stephen's, of Vienna, belongs to the 14th century, as does also the Maria Kirche, at Lubeck. Many fine civic buildings in the pointed Gothic style were also erected in different parts of Germany : such are the Rathhaus (town hall) at Brunswick, and that at Munster; the Junkers' hof (merchants' court), at Dantzig, etc. In Italy the characteristics of Gothic architecture were, as has already been hinted, largely influenced by the climate. The use of marble as the chief building material, and a strong infusion of what may be called classical taste, also contributed to mould the peculiarities of Italian Gothic. Here the horizontal cornice is often retained, low-pitched