The use of brick in building dates back to 7000 BC. Initially sun-dried mud bricks, it was later determined that kiln-dried clay bricks were more weather-resistant and helped in climate control by absorbing heat during the day and releasing it at night. The ancient Romans used mobile kilns to introduce fired clay brick throughout their empire.

The use of fired clay brick spread from Italy to Northern Germany during the 12th century, beginning the brick Gothic period of architecture. Buildings from this time were built largely of fired clay bricks, and surviving examples can still be found today in essentially every country of the Baltic region. Throughout recorded history, structures intended to outlast their builders have been constructed with brick masonry.