Josef Partsch
Josef Partsch (born December 19, 1813 in Engelsberg , Austrian Silesia , † September 26, 1886 there ) was a Silesian nativity scene carver.
Life
His father was Josef Partsch, his mother was born Ludwig from Altwasser. He was the youngest of four children. As a child he helped herd cattle and passed the time carving wooden figures. Since he showed talent, his father gave him a penknife so that he could do fine carving work better. A carpenter friend of mine provided him with linden wood that was particularly suitable for carving, and so as a teenager he was able to carve figures of great expressiveness. The family was very poor, and so it was not possible for Josef to do an apprenticeship with the sculptor Bernhard Kutzer in Obergrund. When Partsch was 16 years old, his father died.
His figures were often ordered from him based on templates that he skilfully re-carved. Another source of income was the decoration of furniture that he carved for the carpenters in the area and the inscriptions for grave crosses.
In 1837 Josef Partsch wrote a songbook with 76 Christmas carols and poems. In 1837 and 1838 he was responsible for the Engelsberg Christmas game, which he stylishly designed. He also took on the lead role in the play.
In 1856 Partsch went to Teschen , where he worked for an organ builder for two months. The largest figures he created were life-size depictions of Saints Peter and Paul for the Mauritz Church in Olomouc . He received large orders for crib figures from Breslau and Neisse . He also delivered crib figures to Linz in Upper Austria . Despite the high level of creativity, the income remained low, and so Josef Partsch led a modest life.
The Johann Plischke & Sons company owned a nativity scene by Josef Partsch, as did the museum in Freudenthal . Josef Partsch was single and later lived with his sister. After her death, he moved to his nephew in Engelsberg.
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Partsch, Josef |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Partsch, Joseph |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Silesian folk artist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 19, 1813 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Engelsberg , Austrian Silesia |
| DATE OF DEATH | September 26, 1886 |
| Place of death | Engelsberg , Austrian Empire |