Luftlmalerei
Lüftlmalerei as it is correctly spelt in German, in English translation, a painting of the open air or literally airy painting. Is a traditional of decorating houses in parts of southern Germany and Austria, particularly in Bavaria. Mural are created on the outsides of houses using a method similar tp fresco painting, on wet lime render using pigments and water, thus incorporating the mural into the finish as opposed to a painted surface.
These decorations often have religious reference as well as portrayals of everyday rural life and some times make use visual illusion techniques similar to those of trompe l’oeil murals. They are usually created by local craftspersons which connect back to a long history. The website https://lueftlmalerei.com/ which has started to record the extensive collections of examples of Lüftlmalerei points to a resurgence of the art form after the war
'While the motifs and themes remain nearly identical to their centuries-older progenitors, it was the post World War II building boom in West Germany and Austria that led to a localised renaissance in this form of mural painting — a product both of a renewed identification with the local history and traditions — “heimatkitsch ” — but also with the surge of tourism. Again, a wave of nostalgia for “the good old days” was partly a product of the devastation of the preceding war.'
'In Southern Germany, people began to resurrect the idea of the idyll of Alpine life before the sobriety of the War, and began to paint the new but empty white plastered walls of their houses with motifs from a time before the Nazi regime’s rise. Numerous single-family houses from the 1960s and 1970s still feature hunting scenes, figures of saints, sunsets over green treetops or family coats of arms. Like the wall paintings of the past, they referred to the residents of the house and provided information as to the family’s origin (coats of arms or inscriptions), inclinations and habits (hunting and nature scenes), and religious attitudes (in their choice of saints).'
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Bas-relief.
- Conservation.
- Finishes.
- Fresco.
- Graffiti.
- Kinetic facade.
- Megaron.
- Mosaic.
- Mural.
- Nuclear Dawn mural, Brixton.
- Paint.
- Plaster.
- Rustication.
- Stained glass.
- Tessera.
- The Anatomy of Colour.
- Trompe l’oeil.
- Trompe l’oeil murals.
[edit] External Links
Featured articles and news
The Home Energy Model and its wrappers
From SAP to HEM, EPC for MEES and FHS assessment wrappers.
Future Homes Standard Essentials launched
Future Homes Hub launches new campaign to help the homebuilding sector prepare for the implementation of new building standards.
Building Safety recap February, 2026
Our regular run-down of key building safety related events of the month.
Planning reform: draft NPPF and industry responses.
Last chance to comment on proposed changes to the NPPF.
A Regency palace of colour and sensation. Book review.
Delayed, derailed and devalued
How the UK’s planning crisis is undermining British manufacturing.
How much does it cost to build a house?
A brief run down of key considerations from a London based practice.
The need for a National construction careers campaign
Highlighted by CIOB to cut unemployment, reduce skills gap and deliver on housing and infrastructure ambitions.
AI-Driven automation; reducing time, enhancing compliance
Sustainability; not just compliance but rethinking design, material selection, and the supply chains to support them.
Climate Resilience and Adaptation In the Built Environment
New CIOB Technical Information Sheet by Colin Booth, Professor of Smart and Sustainable Infrastructure.
Turning Enquiries into Profitable Construction Projects
Founder of Develop Coaching and author of Building Your Future; Greg Wilkes shares his insights.
IHBC Signpost: Poetry from concrete
Scotland’s fascinating historic concrete and brutalist architecture with the Engine Shed.
Demonstrating that apprenticeships work for business, people and Scotland’s economy.
Scottish parents prioritise construction and apprenticeships
CIOB data released for Scottish Apprenticeship Week shows construction as top potential career path.
From a Green to a White Paper and the proposal of a General Safety Requirement for construction products.
Creativity, conservation and craft at Barley Studio. Book review.
The challenge as PFI agreements come to an end
How construction deals with inherited assets built under long-term contracts.
Skills plan for engineering and building services
Comprehensive industry report highlights persistent skills challenges across the sector.
Choosing the right design team for a D&B Contract
An architect explains the nature and needs of working within this common procurement route.
Statement from the Interim Chief Construction Advisor
Thouria Istephan; Architect and inquiry panel member outlines ongoing work, priorities and next steps.


























