Anton Langweil

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Anton Langweil, self-portrait (1830); National Museum, Prague

Anton Langweil , also Antonín Langweil , (born June 13, 1791 in Postelberg , † June 11, 1837 in Prague ) was a Bohemian lithographer , librarian , painter and model maker . He created the famous model of the city of Prague, which is now exhibited in the Museum of the City of Prague ( Muzeum hlavního města Prahy ).

Life

Anton Langweil was born the ninth child. His father Vít Dlouhachvíle (= Czech analogy for "boring") was a master brewer. A few years later, after the death of their father, their mother Anna Maria (née Turkowitzer) moved with the children to their native town Krumau (Český Krumlov) and, like his father, entered the service of the von Schwarzenbergs. In 1812 Langweil graduated from the local business school, in 1814 he became rentmaster at the city administration. In 1815 he married Zofie Misková.

In 1818 Langweil went to Vienna to learn the art of lithography , which fascinated him extremely. He also asked to be allowed to set up a lithographic workshop in Krumlov. He was denied this, however, since according to Austrian law such operations were only permitted in the three capitals Vienna, Budapest and Prague. In 1819 Langweil therefore moved with his family to Prague, where he opened a lithographic workshop. Since only citizens of the city were allowed to run such companies and you had to be a house owner to acquire civil rights, his workshop was closed a year later. Boring had not been able to acquire real estate. So Langweil looked for a job in another workshop.

His business card 1819: Anton Langweil, privil. Lithographer, lives on the Old Town Square , No. Consc. 933, in the so-called Golzisches Haus , 1st floor, 2nd courtyard

In 1822 he became librarian at the university library. On the side, he created miniature portraits and pictures of architectural models, with which he earned additional money. 1826 saw Langweil at an exhibition model of the city of Paris from Symphorien Caron . He then started building a model of the city of Prague. In 1829 around 600 house models had already been completed. The model already showed large parts of Prague's old town and was presented to the public with great attention. In 1831 the extended model was exhibited a second time. Langweil planned to take the model through Bohemia and exhibit it there in order to give the country's population a glimpse of the capital, as traveling was not a matter of course at the time. But this was also the reason for the omission of the plan: the model was too sensitive for such an undertaking.

In 1833, Langweil exhibited the model at the 5th Bohemian Industry Show at Prague Castle . Even Emperor Franz I saw the model. Boring took this opportunity to write a letter to the emperor asking for financial support for his project, as his family situation with now four daughters was precarious and his health was compromised. However, the request was rejected. In 1834 his model was exhibited again. In 1835, Langweil expanded the model to include Prague Castle. With this he wanted to achieve the support of Emperor Ferdinand I again . He received an imperial gift of 150 guilders, which corresponded to half his annual income in the library. With that, however, he could hardly provide for the maintenance of his now five daughters.

From 1837 onwards, Antonín Langweil was so sick and exhausted that he could no longer get out of bed. In order to provide his family with a supply, he offered the model to the Patriotic Museum . However, the price of 800 guilders, which only corresponded to the value of the material, was too high for those responsible. The purchase was refused.

Langweil died in 1837. In 1840 his wife Zofie wrote to the emperor and offered him the model for sale. After an appraisal, he bought the model for 500 guilders and donated it to the Patriotic Museum.

The model of the city of Prague

The model

After the purchase, the model was first exhibited in the old town hall in 1862. It was exhibited several times in the following years until it became part of the permanent exhibition of the Patriotic Museum in 1905. In 1943 the model was brought to safety during the war. Afterwards there was valuable information about the reconstruction of some buildings damaged in the war.

In 1954 it was taken over by the Museum of the City of Prague. It can be viewed there today after it has been restored several times. It clearly shows the city center of Prague with the old town, Jewish quarter , Lesser Town and Hradschín in the time before the major renovations in the second half of the 19th century. The model shows around 2000 buildings on a scale of 1: 480. Around 1000 of these buildings have been demolished in the original to this day. The base of the work of art is 20 square meters.

The model was built entirely from paper, which was printed with the respective views of the individual buildings using lithographic techniques. The abundance of details is astonishing, showing not only architectural details such as window arrangements, stucco work and door handles, but also details of everyday life such as ladders or stacked and stored materials, as well as damage to the plastering of the houses. Boring also had a few jokes, for example palm trees and broken windows. The roofs, on the other hand, are mass-produced with similar textures , and there are also standardized chimneys. Complicated small forms such as statues and tower roofs are made of lacquered wood.

literature

Web links

Commons : Antonín Langweil  - album with pictures, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME Boring, Anton
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Boring, Antonín
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Bohemian lithographer, librarian, painter and model maker
DATE OF BIRTH June 13, 1791
PLACE OF BIRTH Postoloprty at Louny
DATE OF DEATH June 11, 1837
Place of death Prague