Albrecht Friedrich von Kesslau

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Albrecht Friedrich von Kesslau (* 1726 ; † April 17, 1789 in Hildburghausen ) was a German architect and princely construction officer .

Life

Albrecht Friedrich von Kesslau was born in 1726 as the son of the Prussian officer Johann Christian Ernst von Kesslau (1692–1741) and his wife Sabina Regina Friederica Hönn. From 1737 he was a noble boy at the court in Baden-Durlach . From 1743 to 1746 he accompanied Prince Karl Friedrich von Baden-Durlach to study at the University of Lausanne , France and Holland. After their return, Karl Friedrich took over the government as Margrave of Baden-Durlach. In 1747 Kesslau, who worked as a body page, rose to court squire and second lieutenant , and in 1748 to premier lieutenant .

When Karl Friedrich Kesslaus recognized his talent for architecture, he sent him to Stuttgart in 1749 . There Kesslau apprenticed to Leopoldo Retti , who was in charge of the construction of the New Palace . Five months later he followed Retti to work at Ansbach Castle. In 1750 he returned to Karlsruhe and worked for the margravial building authority under Johann Heinrich Arnold . In the autumn of the same year he went to Paris, where he was a student of Philippe de La Guêpière until March 1752 . His designs were heavily influenced by the then star architect Balthasar Neumann .

On June 1, 1752, Kesslau was appointed building director at the court in Karlsruhe , and he was also a member of the palace building deputation. He was significantly involved in the second renovation of the Karlsruhe Palace . On the basis of a suggestion by Balthasar Neumann, he included parts of the existing castle in the new building and designed a multi-part system, with separate outbuildings instead of extended wings, corner projections on the corps de logis and a mansard roof. La Guêpière was also involved in the planning and execution of the project, but Kesslau had the main responsibility for the construction. His colleague and later successor in Karlsruhe, Wilhelm Jeremias Müller , finished work on the palace.

As chairman of the building deputation, Kesslau also influenced the structural development of Karlsruhe, among other things he designed a new model for private houses. In 1755 he was appointed chamberlain . In the same year he married Louise Maria Justina († 1789), daughter of the governor Johann Gottfried von Carlstein, in Meeder . The marriage produced a son and a daughter. In 1756 Kesslau received a seat and vote in the margravial rent chamber . In 1768 he became director of the architectural drawing school in Durlach.

From 1769 Kesslau, on leave from his work in Karlsruhe, was instead active in the finance and camera system in Hildburghausen. In 1771 he was dismissed by the margrave at his own request and taken over by Ernst Friedrich III. Carl von Sachsen-Hildburghausen appointed President of the Princely Chamber. He also received the title of Real Privy Councilor . After that he seldom worked as an architect. He planned the new construction of the town church in Hildburghausen, which burned down in 1779 .

Work (selection)

  • Karlsruhe Palace , reconstruction, probably designed in 1752, executed by 1771
  • Karlsruhe Palace Gardens , designed around 1753
  • Stutensee , the stud's foal stable, designed in 1753
  • Guard houses in Karlsruhe, 1754;
  • Kitchen pavilion in Stutensee, designed in 1761 with Johann Heinrich Arnold Arnold and Wilhelm Jeremias Müller
  • Pheasant garden with castle and two Chinese pavilions in Karlsruhe, 1764/65 (attribution)
  • Office building in Karlsruhe, draft 1765
  • Catholic prayer house in Karlsruhe, 1765 with Wilhelm Jeremias Müller, destroyed (attribution)
  • Hildburghausen , City Church, 1781–85

literature

personal data
SURNAME Kesslau, Albrecht Friedrich von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German architect and princely building officer
DATE OF BIRTH 1726
DATE OF DEATH April 17, 1789
Place of death Hildburghausen