Hieronymus Lotter

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Hieronymus Lotter in the costume of a councilor from Leipzig (oil on canvas, 1569)

Hieronymus Lotter (* around 1497 in Nuremberg ; † July 22, 1580 in Geyer ) was a merchant and several times mayor of Leipzig , site manager of important sovereign building projects in Saxony , in Leipzig the driving force behind extensive building work by the council . Lotter worked as a master builder for Duke Moritz von Sachsen under the direction of Oberzeugmeister and master builder Caspar Voigt von Wierandt († 1560). According to older research, he was considered an important architect of the Renaissance ; today its role is seen in a more differentiated manner and its organizational function is emphasized.

Live and act

As mayor, he was probably one of the driving forces behind the renovation of the Old Town Hall in Leipzig (1556-57) into one of the most important buildings of the German Renaissance , as well as other urban buildings, such as the Alte Waage (1555) and the town hall in Pegau (from 1559). In addition, he was in sovereign service as a construction manager (master builder) at the Leipzig city ​​fortifications (from 1551), of which only the Moritzbastei has been preserved to this day. And he was the first chief architect of the Augustusburg Palace near Chemnitz (1568 to January 1572).

The building design and execution of the buildings created in connection with Lotter can be assigned to various important architects and foremen; so the design of the Leipzig city fortifications by the Electoral Saxon master craftsman and fortress engineer Caspar Voigt von Wierandt and details by the master stonemason Paul Speck . The original draft model of the Augustusburg had been sent to Lotter from Dresden , which he changed with his own ideas. Erhard van der Meer also appeared at the Augustusburg with designs for the palace chapel .

After Lotter had enjoyed the favor of Elector Moritz von Sachsen at a young age and had acquired considerable wealth as a merchant ( mining , money lending , trade ), he died in disgrace and in much simpler circumstances. First, he had the favor of Maurice's successor Augustus I possessed. However, bad speculation led to his economic ruin and ultimately to his dismissal.

Lotterhof from the east

His last residence in Geyer (Lotterhof) underwent several changes of ownership and served since the 19th century as a factory , in the washboards and small furniture were produced. What is particularly noteworthy about the listed building is a colored wooden coffered ceiling from the 17th century. The building, which had been vacant since 1990, received a new roof after 1990, but otherwise threatened to deteriorate. A local association is taking care of the restoration and has set up a meeting place in the vaulted rooms.

literature

Scientific literature

Fiction

  • Johannes Arnold : Hieronymus Lotter . Historical novel, Halle / Leipzig 1979.

Web links

Commons : Hieronymus Lotter  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The NDB deviates from the date of death on July 24, 1580.
  2. ↑ Bettina Vaupel: Lotter's legacy must not rot. A Renaissance house is to be saved in Geyer, Saxony . In: Monuments. ISSN  0941-7125 . Volume 23, No. 2 April 2013. pp. 21-26.
personal data
SURNAME Lotter, Jerome
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German builder and builder of the Renaissance, Mayor of Leipzig, merchant
DATE OF BIRTH around 1497
PLACE OF BIRTH Nuremberg
DATE OF DEATH July 22, 1580
Place of death Geyer