Josef Zykan

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Josef Zykan (born February 19, 1901 in Vienna ; † December 2, 1971 there ) was an Austrian art historian and monument conservator .

Life

Zykan studied law and theology at the University of Vienna , from which he graduated in 1923 with the Absolutorium of Roman Catholic Theology . With Josef Strzygowski he studied art history with the minor subjects cultural history , oriental studies and folklore . After receiving his doctorate in 1933, he was involved in founding the Society for Comparative Art Research , where he had been employed in the central office since 1937.

During the time of National Socialism , Zykan took on the protection of the endangered ecclesiastical and monastic cultural assets. For example, the construction of a motorway route directly via the Heiligenkreuz Abbey was planned, which was successfully delayed until the plan was dropped completely after the end of the Second World War .

Immediately after his discharge from military service , which he had to do from 1943, he became state curator for Vienna (until 1951, for Vienna sacred buildings until 1966), Lower Austria (until 1962) and Burgenland (until 1947) and was until August 1945 in 1966 workshop manager in the restoration workshop of today's Federal Monuments Office , in whose re-establishment after 1945 he played a major role.

Zykan has made particular contributions to the reconstruction of Vienna's sacred buildings, such as St. Stephen's Cathedral , the destroyed city center of Wiener Neustadt and the renovation of the old town of Krems an der Donau .

After retiring in 1966, Zykan worked as a consultant for the Federal Monuments Office. He published numerous works, mainly on medieval topics, which are kept in the archive of the Federal Monuments Office.

Awards

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Person encyclopedia on the website of the Austrian National Library, accessed on December 19, 2014
  2. ^ " Directory of artistic, scientific and cultural-political legacies in Austria " on the website of the Austrian National Library, accessed on December 19, 2014
personal data
SURNAME Zykan, Josef
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian art historian and monument conservator
DATE OF BIRTH February 19, 1901
PLACE OF BIRTH Vienna
DATE OF DEATH 2nd December 1971
Place of death Vienna