Clinker Bricks

Clinker bricks are usually dark red, brown, or almost black, with subtle variations in tone and slightly irregular surfaces. They had been in use long before the 1920s, but became especially widespread in Germany in the early 20th century. Cheap to mass-produce, durable, and frost-resistant, they were particularly suited for facades.

Clinker brick patterns

Facade with protruding clinker bricksIn Leipzig

In 1920s architecture, they are a very recognizable element as they are often used as small accents in otherwise very minimal stucco facades, around entrance portals, framing stairwell windows, or as horizontal bands between stories. Sometimes the bricks are laid to protrude slightly, creating expressionist textures and patterns. These details added texture to the facade while keeping it minimalist and cost-efficient.

Clinker used on the ground floor and corners of an otherwise minimal stucco facadeIn Leipzig

Clinker used on the ground floor and around the windows of an otherwise minimal stucco facadeIn Kiel

Brick Expressionism

Beyond these details, entire facades were built with clinker, a movement known as brick expressionism, where the bricks were not just used as construction material but as a decorative element, creating reliefs, protrusions, and textures that play with light and shadow throughout the day. These facades emphasize strong verticals, sharp edges, and rhythmic patterns in the brickwork.

Clinker expressionist buildings were particularly popular in northern Germany and the Ruhr area. They often feature dramatic entrances, corner treatments, or stairwell towers framed entirely in brick. Some of the most iconic buildings of the era belong to this style.

Town hall in WilhelmshavenPhoto: Wikimedia Commons

Anzeigerhochhaus in HanoverPhoto: Wikimedia Commons

Cigarette factory “Haus Neuerburg” in HamburgPhoto: Wikimedia Commons

Clinker as a feature of 1920s architecture is easy to recognize once you know what to look for. Its colors are darker and more varied than ordinary brick, and the surface can appear rough or slightly warped. Mortar joints are sometimes recessed, which makes the brick stand out even more. Outside of clinker expressionism, it often appears in subtle details: stairwell windows framed in clinker, entrance portals, or decorative bands on an otherwise simple stucco facade.

Clinker bricks framing the staircase windows of an apartment buildingIn Leipzig

Subtle expressionist ornamentation around the entrance of an apartment buildingIn Leipzig