Heinrich Ernst Schirmer

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Heinrich Ernst Schirmer (1870)

Heinrich Ernst Schirmer (born August 27, 1814 in Leipzig , † December 6, 1887 in Gießen ) was a German architect who mainly worked in Norway .

Life

The St. Olav Church in Oslo was the first church building by Heinrich Ernst Schirmer, after whose model he built many other churches in Norway.
Main building of the Ringstabekk Castle

Schirmer studied from 1831 to 1834 with Joseph Thürmer at the Dresden Art Academy and from 1834 to 1837 at the Munich Art Academy . He was involved in several well-known projects in Norway, such as B. at the Royal Palace in Christiania . He was also instrumental in the construction of a number of churches and many monumental buildings in Christiania and Norway, as well as the fundamental reconstruction of Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim . With his architectural talent, his ambitious work performance and the ability to find quick, rational solutions, he made an important contribution to Norwegian architectural history and also attracted international attention.

Schirmer's work in Christiania (Oslo) and the surrounding area

After a study trip to Italy in 1837 , Schirmer came to Norway in 1838 at the urging of Johan Christian Clausen Dahl . He was hired as an architect to support Hans Ditlev Franciscus von Linstow (1787-1851) in the construction of the Royal Palace in Christiania . Among other things, he was responsible for the interior design , furnishings and decoration of the royal palace.

After Schirmer had been commissioned by the Norwegian government to build several new public buildings in Christiania, he went on a study trip to several European cities in Belgium , England and Germany in 1843 in order to gain urban planning experience there and to get to know architectural models for his projects. Schirmer was unusually productive and contributed as an architect for a large number of monumental buildings in Christiania in, including the local Norwegian state prison Botsfengselet (1843-1851), the Gaustad Hospital (1847-1855), as well as St. Olav's Church , from which later became the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Oslo . In Ringstabekk, a town in the municipality of Bærum , he built Ringstabekk Castle in 1851 for the landowner Jens Ring and his wife Barbara Ring, a neo-Gothic brick building. From 1852 to 1856 he designed the Tangen Church (1854) in Drammen as well as the Vestre Aker Church (1853–1855) and the Østre Aker Church (1857–1860). He also designed the Hamar Cathedral , the National Hospital (1874–1883) and the main building of today's Oslo National Museum together with his son Adolf Schirmer from 1879 to 1881.

Schirmer and Wilhelm von Hanno

Schirmer entered into a business partnership with the architect Wilhelm von Hanno . Between 1853 and 1864 they jointly built Norway's first train stations along the Hovedbanen (1853–1854) and Kongsvingerbanen (completed in 1863). The he built with reception building had a big influence on Norwegian wooden architecture in the rural areas of the country. A number of military buildings followed, including the expansion of Akershus fortress (1858–1870). Schirmer and von Hanno designed the Trefoldighetskirken (Dreifaltigskirche) in Oslo (completed around 1858), the construction of which was originally initiated by Alexis de Chateauneuf . He also designed the district prison in Larvik , the development at Kirkegata 24, a main building for the Norwegian credit bank (Den norske Creditbank) and a hotel in Dronningens Gate , which was built from 1860 to 1913. The collaboration broke up around 1864 when von Hanno's design won an architectural competition to build the Greenland Church .

Other Projects

After the partnership with Wilhelm von Hanno was dissolved, Schirmer worked alone again and built a number of representative buildings and churches in Christiania as well as in other Norwegian cities. Among other things, he designed the Hamar Cathedral, the Hamar Domkirke . Schirmer also built several Swiss villas for wealthy citizens and officials. He thus contributed significantly to the spread of the Swiss style in Norway. His last project was the Ullevål - hospital , which was completed after his death around 1887 using its plans. He moved back to Germany in 1883 , while his two sons Adolf and Herman Major Schirmer stayed in Norway and also worked there as architects.

Schirmer's work at Nidaros Cathedral

Nidaros Cathedral from the northeast (1857) before restoration

The Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim is considered an important Norwegian national symbol that was in the 1840s, in a very poor condition then. When it was discovered that a pillar of the cathedral was about to collapse, the Ministry of Churches (Kirkedepartementet) urgently looked for a solution to stop the decline. The then 27-year-old Heinrich Ernst Schirmer was commissioned around 1841 to carry out investigations and studies for the restoration and restoration of the cathedral. Schirmer's first reconstruction plans were initially discarded for cost reasons, but due to his strong commitment to the project and the continued deterioration of the structure, the topic gained popularity in Norway over the next few decades. 1859 presented Schirmer together with the historian Peter Andreas Munch in exhibitions several boards with plans to rebuild the cathedral , where he met with great attention. As a result, a fundamental reconstruction of the Nidaros Cathedral, led by Schirmer, was started in 1869. However, his artistic plans for restoration met with fierce criticism from proponents of archaeological reconstruction. Since almost all historical models were missing, the reconstruction was largely based on speculation. In 1872 he was replaced by master builder Christian Christie , who managed the construction until his death in 1906. The reconstruction according to Schirmer's concept was not officially finished until 2001, with several breaks and rescheduling.

Awards

Schirmer was made a Knight of the Order of Saint Olav in 1860 and was an honorary member of the Christiania Kunstforening (now the Oslo Art Association).

family

Heinrich Ernst Schirmer was the son of the mill and landowner Johann Gottlieb Schirmer (1776–1816) and his wife Johanne Sophie Kühne . He married on February 25, 1843 in Christiania Sophie Ottilie Schirmer , b. Major (1821-1861). Their sons Adolf Schirmer (1850–1930) and Herman Major Schirmer (1845–1913) were also well-known architects in Norway.

literature

Web links

Commons : Heinrich Ernst Schirmer  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
personal data
SURNAME Schirmer, Heinrich Ernst
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German architect
DATE OF BIRTH August 27, 1814
PLACE OF BIRTH Leipzig
DATE OF DEATH December 6, 1887
Place of death to water