Julius Hofmann

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Julius Hofmann

Julius Hofmann (born December 20, 1840 in Trieste , † August 5, 1896 in Munich ) was an Austrian architect of historicism . He was initially commissioned by the Bavarian King Ludwig II to furnish the interiors of the Neuschwanstein and Herrenchiemsee castles, and from 1884 he was in charge of all of Ludwig II's construction projects. After the king's death, Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria also entrusted him with the construction management for the remaining court buildings.

Life

Miramare Castle

Julius Hofmann, a son of the sculptor Franz Hofmann , was trained in Vienna. From 1858 onwards he worked with his father to furnish the Miramare Palace near Trieste on behalf of Archduke Maximilian . In 1864 he followed Maximilian to Mexico in order to transform Chapultepec Castle in Mexico City into an imperial residence together with other architects. At the time of Maximilian's execution in 1867, Hofmann was back in Europe, where he was commissioned by Maximilian to restore the former Benedictine monastery on the island of Lokrum near Dubrovnik .

After Maximilian's death, Hofmann lost his job as court architect. He went to Munich, where he made designs for various stained glass. Through his work for Schloss Linderhof was Georg von Dollmann aware of him, the Hofmann commissioned to design the interior of the Neuschwanstein and Herrenchiemsee. After Dollmann's dismissal, Hofmann was appointed court building officer by Ludwig II in 1884 and was entrusted with the construction management for all Ludwig II projects. In this function, he redesigned the bedroom in Linderhof Palace and designed the Hubertus Pavilion at Linderhof Palace, which was only partially completed. His designs for Falkenstein Castle near Pfronten , for a Byzantine castle and for a Chinese palace remained unbuilt .

After Ludwig II's death, Hofmann was promoted to Oberhofbaurat by Prince Regent Luitpold in 1886; he was entrusted with the construction management for all royal buildings. In 1892 he was able to complete work on the bower of Neuschwanstein Castle. Subsequently, he was responsible for the New Treasury of the Munich Residence , which was completed in 1897 . He had previously designed the sarcophagus for Ludwig II; the stele at the place of death of Ludwig II also comes from his hand. The votive chapel designed by him at the same location was completed by his son Rudolf in 1900 after Hofmann's death .

In addition to the state contracts, Hofmann also designed some buildings for other clients. These include Seeburg Castle in Weipertshausen, completed in 1892, and Schwarzenfeld Castle of Count Max von Holnstein in Schwarzenfeld .

tomb

Grave of Julius Hofmann in the old southern cemetery in Munich location

The tomb of Julius Hofmann is on the old southern cemetery in Munich (burial ground 7 - number 10 - Place 40/41) Location .

Works (selection)

  • Neuschwanstein Castle, throne room

  • Neuschwanstein Castle, Singing Hall

  • St. Michael in Munich: sarcophagus for Ludwig II.

  • Berg am Starnberger See: Votive chapel for Ludwig II.

literature

personal data
SURNAME Hofmann, Julius
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian-German architect
DATE OF BIRTH December 20, 1840
PLACE OF BIRTH Trieste
DATE OF DEATH 5th August 1896
Place of death Munich