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 sad story of Derby Hippodrome
An historic building left to decay.
ECA, JIB and JTL back Fabian Society call to invest in skills for a stronger built environment workforce.
Women's Contributions to the Built Environment.
Calls for the delayed Circular Economy Strategy
Over 50 leading businesses, trade associations and professional bodies, including CIAT, and UKGBC sign open letter.
The future workforce: culture change and skill
Under the spotlight at UK Construction Week London.
A landmark moment for postmodern heritage.
A safe energy transition – ECA launches a new Charter
Practical policy actions to speed up low carbon adoption while maintaining installation safety and competency.
Frank Duffy: Researcher and Practitioner
Reflections on achievements and relevance to the wider research and practice communities.
The 2026 Compliance Landscape: Fire doors
Why 'Business as Usual' is a Liability.
Cutting construction carbon footprint by caring for soil
Is construction neglecting one of the planet’s most powerful carbon stores and one of our greatest natural climate allies.
ARCHITECTURE: How's it progressing?
Archiblogger posing questions of a historical and contextual nature.
The roofscape of Hampstead Garden Suburb
Residents, architects and roofers need to understand detailing.
Homes, landlords. tenants and the new housing standards
What will it all mean?



















