Fritz Kreß (carpenter)

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Fritz Kress, October 1918

Fritz Kreß (born March 28, 1884 in Lustnau ; † 1962 there ) was a German master carpenter who published several standard works for the carpentry trade and founded and directed a technical school .

Life

Fritz Kreß was born on March 28, 1884 at Dorfstrasse 16 in Lustnau. This house no longer stands today. At the age of 22, in March 1906, he passed the master craftsman's examination in the carpentry trade at the Reutlingen Chamber of Crafts. In the same year he married Maria Barbara Necker from Lustnau and founded his college in Lustnau. In 1907 his first specialist book was published: Der Zimmerpolier . More books followed. He became very well known in specialist circles. In 1962 he died in Lustnau.

Fritz Kreß was a practitioner and self-taught. Carpenter was his dream job even at school. He often skipped the last two school years and instead helped erecting a staircase, a roof structure or a half-timbered house for pocket money, which he had to hand over to his impoverished parents. The pastor taught him how to draw square roots, which is important for his profession, because the teacher had forgotten it. Even as an apprentice, Kreß knew more than his foreman. He taught himself to write, in the second year of his apprenticeship his next master left him with the removal of a roof structure, which he could not master himself.

This explains strict practical orientation as a strength of his books and essays. Added to this was the systematic expansion of his horizons through reading, hiking and traveling. In many areas of Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Czechoslovakia and Hungary he visited rooms and studied the respective architecture. As a pioneer in World War I, he used the time to explore Belgium and northern France. In 1924 he stayed for months in North America, especially New York. He systematically researched American timber construction and reported on it in Germany. In addition to very critical remarks, he also put forward the following: "After a short period of reflection, one comes to the conviction that we German carpenters pay homage to an unforgivable waste of wood and that we are dragging along a number of outdated constructions." In Germany, this view was later taken up by the Reich Research Council and 1938 led to a commissioned work on the construction of wood-saving roof structures for residential buildings and houses. Kreß took over his treatise as the 10th chapter in the room foreman .

Fritz Kreß had long been a state-appointed expert, and since 1918 a court-sworn expert. Mainly, however, he gave courses, not only in Lustnau, but also in numerous cities, for example in Stuttgart or Neustrelitz.

In addition, he gave a lot of lectures. In Jung-Zimmermann , he summarizes the results of a lecture tour that took him through Germany in 1926 on behalf of the professional association “in all directions” with the aim of exploring the general state of wood construction. Later he can be found on behalf of the “Holz Berlin” working group at the Leipzig trade fair with a slide show. Inquiries came from abroad, from Brno and Prague, as to whether he might not want to build “the same schools” there as his own.

Carpentry school

The classroom with smaller drawing boards on the tables and scale models on the ceiling.
Interior view of the carpentry school. Even today, such models are common in most master schools. These are recorded by the master students as a practical exercise according to the instructions, the foundations (more complex roof timbers such as hip and valley rafters, which are not drawn in the real length and angle in any architect's plan) and then transferred to the timbers and worked out.

The Fritz Kreß carpentry school in Lustnau was one of the leading institutions for training as a carpenter in Germany. Fritz Kreß directed this school he founded.

In addition to Kreß, his sons-in-law, carpenter Ewald Maushake and Kurtaken, and carpenter A. Anders, worked at the master school.

History of the carpentry school

The first carpenters were trained in 1906/1907 in the upper halls of the Gasthaus zum Ochsen. The school built by Kreß had stood on Bebenhäuser Strasse since 1930 and was close to the Adler crossing. The Kreß property stretched along Waldeckstrasse up to his house. The office and work space were in the so-called hay house. The actual school before that no longer exists. It consisted of a large workshop and, attached to it at right angles, the classroom. Opposite there was another, but smaller, workshop, which was followed by the wood store. Kreß built the half-timbered house with a hipped roof in 1940. It has similarities with other houses on the Denzenberg that also bear his signature (Denzenberghalde No. 2, No. 4, No. 6 and 8).

Fritz Kreß's teaching activities began when he cleared out the room in his parents' house for a course. A little later he gave way to z. B. in inns. The first courses weren't very big. About 15 participants can be seen in old photographs. In front of you is the model you have made - stairs or roof trusses that you made in about 2 to 3 winter weeks after the theoretical preparation. A representative of the “Royal Central Office for Trade and Commerce” from Stuttgart, who is in charge of the “overhead management”, is also there to keep a watchful eye on Kreß. But this connection was also a protective roof. As recently as 1912, during a writing course in Ulm, they were all linked. Certainly with success, because in the twenties Kreß was even urgently invited to one-day courses in Stuttgart.

A wide range of programs developed from the thematic focuses, especially after the construction of the carpentry school. In the magazine Der Zimmermann one reads: “Last winter 1934/35 the school had a very high attendance - the strongest in its existence. There were two shifting and joinery courses, 1 staircase and railing course, 1 polishing and construction course and 1 preparation course for the master craftsman's examination, a total of 5 courses. The number of students was (…) 284, including 245 Germans, 1 Danziger, 32 Swiss, 3 Austrians, 2 Italians, 1 Yugoslavian. ”A picture shows the participants in the polishing and construction course with Kress in the middle.

The carpentry school now became a model school, and the Reichsverband planned to found another 4 to 5 carpentry schools based on the model of the Kreß'schen at "places with good transport links". You can also read about this in the now in-house magazine Der Holzspiegel , which becomes a newsletter for former students and, in addition to technical topics, explains the course offers. The curriculum after the war was based on this. A first course now dealt with the basics, a second prepared for the master's examination. The registrations were larger than the admission possibilities. Nevertheless, the school had to close in 1978 because there was no successor among the descendants.

Inventions

In 1927 Fritz Kreß also invented a calculating, scribing and nesting device patented in Germany (DRP) and abroad (AP) under the name Der Schiftapparat Kreß and from then on sold it himself. It is an adjustable right-angled triangle with scales and angles - a mechanical "Pythagoras", so to speak. It helped with the construction of roof trusses and made it possible to determine and mark the roof timbers, such as joists as well as hip and valley rafters, which are still basically never shown in plans in their true length and with actual angles. The determination and marking is called "writing" in the language of the carpenters, which explains the name of this device. However, it is no longer needed today. The reason for this is the introduction of arithmetic encapsulation, as well as the more and more common determination of dimensions by computer using CAD programs since about 1990 and from about 2000 onwards, and finally the fully automatic processing of the roof timbers on special machines ("joinery machines") introduced in the mid-1980s. ). This means that the foundation was increasingly transferred from the hands of the master carpenter to that of service providers and designers. Today, the drawing or pocket calculator-supported donation is actually only practiced by trainees, i.e. by apprentices (still officially called this in the trade) and master students. Unfortunately, this also leads to a loss of know-how and a more assembly-based exercise of the profession. The planning part shifted away from the craftsman.

Foundations

  • Carpentry school in Tübingen-Lustnau.
  • Journal: In 1908 Kreß founded the specialist journal Wegweiser for the building trade . From 1913 it was called the signpost for the construction industry . The first year was published in 1909, initially in Weil im Schönbuch, and shortly afterwards in Lustnau-Tübingen by the publishing house “Kress u. Gubler ”, the second year from mid-1910 in Ulm. The editorship remained with Kreß in Tübingen until 1920. The volumes from 1909 to 1913 are in the Stuttgart State Library, the others until 1922 in the German National Library in Leipzig.
  • Association of Württemberg Building Craftsmen , 1913. The merger was intended to strengthen the position of the craftsmen vis-à-vis the building owners with their undercutting procedure, in which the cheapest, often while drinking in an inn, was awarded the contract. Instead, there should now be a quotation procedure and a calculation price list that stipulated the working hours and material consumption. Kreß created it on behalf of the Central Office for Trade and Industry, but the World War prevented publication and also interrupted the activities of the now 800 members. Work did not continue until 1919. Kreß has now published his book The calculation of carpentry and stair construction .

Publications

The book "The practical carpenter", 1940 edition

In addition to book publications, there is a barely manageable number of articles in specialist journals: from 1909 in the guide for the building trade , from 1922 to 1933 in the Jung-Zimmermann , who was initially a youth supplement to the carpenter , which Kreß also supplied with articles; From 1930 to 1933 he also published in Zimmerpolier and, from 1934, after these journals were banned, in the still remaining and now official organ Der Deutsche Zimmermeister , but also in parallel in its monthly supplement Der Zimmermann . This supplement was finally able to become independent from 1936.

Books

  • The room foreman 1907 (according to the foreword by Kreß in the first edition), with 505 figures on 45 panels, 9 wooden models and 3 illustrations. Self-published. From 1908 with Otto Maier, Ravensburg. 11th and last edition 1959. / Reprint: Bruderverlag, Karlsruhe 2001.
  • The practical carpenter (editions: 1st edition 1926, Lustnau, under the title Book of the carpenters ; from 1937 as Der Jungzimmerer , Otto Maier, Ravensburg; from 1940 as the practical carpenter . Further editions after 1940: 1943, 1949, 1950, 1951 , 1954).
  • The calculation of the construction work, Part II = carpentry and stair construction work (1st edition Stuttgart, Karl Schuler Verlag 1919). 2nd edition 1922, Stuttgart, election. 3rd edition 1923, self-published and in bookshops through Otto Maier, Ravensburg.
  • Der Geländerbauer (1st edition 1921), Lustnau.
  • The stair maker (German edition 1922. Swiss edition 1922), Lustnau.
  • The stair and railing builder = Book of Carpenters Volume III (1st edition 1922. Further editions: approx. 1925, 1943, 1949, 1951, 1952. Reprinted by Schäfer, Hanover 1988).
  • Der Jungkamerad, a textbook for young carpenters , Auerdruck, Hamburg, 1927/1928 . Ed .: Central Association of Carpenters.
  • Book of tables for Zimmermann Otto Maier Verlag, Ravensburg (1st edition 1937, 3rd edition 1951… 7th edition 1985, brother publisher Karlsruhe).
  • The technical and mechanical computing of the carpenter , Otto Maier, Ravensburg (1st edition 1950) ./ Reprint: Bruderverl. Karlsruhe 1990.
  • Formwork in concrete construction : Haeberlen, Kurt / Kreß, Fritz, Otto Maier Verlag, Ravensburg, 1959.
  • The bricklayer foreman : Karl Kreß and Hermann Gubler, publishing house "Wegweiser für das Bauhandwerk", 2 volumes, Lustnau-Tübingen 1909.

Comment: In the foreword Fritz Kreß is thanked for his "kind cooperation, especially working on Part IX, construction of the blank sheets". Most likely, however, a lot comes from himself. Like Der Zimmerpolier, the book has three parts: There is a volume of text, an atlas and wooden models. A number of articles had previously (1909) appeared in the guide for the building trade , the Kreß'schen Fachblatt, Der Maurerpolier shortly afterwards in the self-publisher of the same name.

swell

  1. ↑ His name is often spelled with a double S, as he likes to appear on books in capital letters and thus with a double S instead of the "ß". Kreß himself wrote it like his ancestors with "ß" (cf. among other things his forewords, or in the publishing contract with Otto Maier Ravensburg on August 3, 1908, printed in Der Zimmerpolier , foreword to the 11th edition, 1959.)
  2. ↑ He later preferred the short form "Fritz" to his actual first name "Friedrich".
  3. ↑ Fritz Kreß on TÜpedia with further pictures.
  4. ↑ a b c Schwäbisches Tagblatt , edition of June 21, 2006, page 24, category: Tübingen.
  5. ↑ Detailed appraisal of the 70th birthday in "Deutscher Zimmermeister" 1954, issue 5, p. 102 / 103. / Shorter in: "Tübinger Chronik", No. 73, March 27, 1954. Here with a photograph.
  6. ↑ Biographical manuscript "Windschief und Krumm", in the Tübingen city archive.
  7. ↑ Jung-Zimmermann , youth supplement des Zimmerer , Hamburg, 2nd year 1923, p. 38/39: “From my apprenticeship”.
  8. ↑ The Stair Builder , 1922, p. 15, footnote.
  9. ↑ Jung-Zimmermann 1924, "Auf Wanderschaft", p. 24, pp. 26–27, pp. 30–31, p. 36.
  10. ↑ ibid. P. 31.
  11. ↑ The swearing-in protocol of December 7, 1918 at the Tübingen District Court.
  12. ↑ Jung-Zimmermann , 1929, pp. 19/20.
  13. ↑ Jung-Zimmermann , 1927, pp. 19-20 and pp. 29-30.
  14. ↑ Der Deutsche Zimmermeister , 1934, No. 35, pp. 386–393.
  15. ↑ Der Deutsche Zimmermeister , 1934, No. 6, p. 69.
  16. ↑ Carpentry school on TÜpedia with further pictures.
  17. ↑ Carpentry school , see the photo on TÜpedia.
  18. ↑ His story is presented in the "Lustnauer Chronik", published. from Lustnauer Geschichtsverein, issue 2, December 2009, p. 45.
  19. ↑ ibid. "Lustnauer Chronik", pp. 8 to 10.
  20. ↑ The small half-timbered house in front of the Kreß'schen was built in 1935. Another from 1950 is in Lustnau, Hornschuchstrasse 8. The Lustnau gym is also a half-timbered building of his (shown in "Der Deutsche Zimmermeister", 1935, booklet 38, p. 452) . As a journeyman, he helped design the half-timbered building of the Tübingen Kreissparkasse. The room foreman of the first edition shows a photo of it.
  21. ↑ “Tübinger Chronik”, No. 191, August 8, 1956 “50 Years of the Kress Carpentry School”.
  22. ↑ Kreß differentiated between private courses and state teaching courses. After the 65th course in 1914 we read: "The number of participants in these 65 courses was 917. The first courses took place in January 1907." In: Wegweiser für das Baugewerbe, 1914, No. 5, p. 39.
  23. ↑ 1935, No. 4, page 15.
  24. ↑ This preparatory course took place for the first time.
  25. ↑ Der Deutsche Zimmermeister, 1934, No. 40, p. 440.
  26. ↑ 1934, No. 8.
  27. ↑ It was a supplement to the journal Der Zimmermann .
  28. ↑ Advertising notice in the book Der Zimmerpolier , last edition 1959.
  29. ^ The calculation of the construction work , 3rd edition 1923, pages 96 and 218.
  30. ^ The calculation of the construction work , 3rd ed. 1923, page 104.
  31. ^ Wording at the end of the foreword: "Lustnau-Tübingen, in October 1919."
personal data
SURNAME Kress, Fritz
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Kress, Fritz
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German carpenter and specialist book author
DATE OF BIRTH March 28, 1884
PLACE OF BIRTH Lustnau near Tübingen
DATE OF DEATH 1962
Place of death Lustnau near Tübingen