Hans Niesenberger

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Hans Niesenberger (also Hans von Graz ; * around 1415 in Graz ; † 1493 in Freiburg im Breisgau ) was a stonemason and master builder .

Live and act

Hans Niesenberger was born in Graz around 1415/1420 and trained as a stonemason and master builder at the Graz Dombau , the construction of which he presumably directed from 1438 to 1450. In 1455 he came to the Lake Constance area via the Donauweg, where he initially worked as a master builder for the Weissenau monastery . In Ravensburg he established himself as an independent building contractor, a simultaneous application as a master builder to the St. Georgsmünster in Schlettstadt and in 1462 to the Ulm Minster failed. In 1459 he took part in the stonemasons 'meeting in Regensburg and was one of the founding members of the stonemasons' brotherhood. In 1471 he was appointed foreman at Freiburg Minster , under his direction the roof structure was placed on the inner choir walls in 1482. In 1483 he was appointed master builder in Milan , but in 1486 he was relieved of his office. In the same year he received the citizenship of the city of Lucerne . From 1487 until his death he worked as a builder at the Leonhard Church in Basel . In Freiburg he was dismissed in 1491 for alleged construction errors.

Hans Niesenberger was married to Else Zeller from Ravensburg. Their sons Hans and Thomas later worked as stonemasons at the Milan Cathedral, their three daughters were each married to stonemasons in Freiburg.

Appreciation

The reputation of Hans Niesenberger suffered due to the numerous lawsuits in which he was involved and in which he was accused of mistakes or neglect in construction. “It is noticeable that Hans Niesenberger was often entrusted with structurally difficult buildings. In Freiburg im Breisgau the walls of the choir had begun to tilt before he took office, in Milan the load-bearing capacity of the crossing pillars was in question. In Ravensburg he proved that he could deal with topographical difficulties and, due to the scarcity of stones, used clay ribs for the vaulting of the choir of St. Christina. Hans Niesenberger seems to have established himself as a construction specialist who was called in for difficult construction tasks - because of the large number of which he ultimately failed. "

literature

  • Anne-Christine Brehm: Hans Niesenberger of Graz. A late Gothic architect on the Upper Rhine, Schwabe, Basel 2013. ISBN 978-3-7965-3194-1
  • Hermann Flamm: Hans Niesenberger of Graz. In: Freiburger Münsterblätter , 8th year, 1912, pp. 66–84.
  • Karl Stehlin : Basel builders of the 15th century , in: Basler Zeitschrift für Geschichte und Altertumskunde 5 (1906), pp. 96–122 ( digitized version ).

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Anne-Christine Brehm: Hans Niesenberger of Graz. A late Gothic architect on the Upper Rhine. Schwabe, Basel 2013, p. 271.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Niesenberger, Hans
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Hans of Graz
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Stone mason and builder
DATE OF BIRTH around 1415
PLACE OF BIRTH Graz
DATE OF DEATH 1493
Place of death Freiburg in Breisgau