Karl Schwenzer

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Karl Schwenzer, ca.1868

Karl Schwenzer (born February 26, 1843 in Löwenstein ; † November 29, 1904 in Stuttgart ) was a royal Württemberg court medalist who carried out practically all Württemberg coins and medals from around 1875 until his death in 1904.

Life

Karl Schwenzer was a son of the lathe operator Ludwig Schwenzer (1801–1876) and his wife Magdalene geb. Stettner (1808-1874). Four of his six siblings died early. The older brother Ludwig (1835–1914) learned the lathe trade and took over the family business, while Karl and his younger brother August Ludwig Schwenzer (1847–1934) received artistic and craft training. Karl showed an interest in engraving during his school days in Löwenstein and was initially taught by his older brother. From 1857 he had a four-year apprenticeship with the Württemberg court engraver Georg Schiller (1822–1906) in Stuttgart, during which he already achieved first prizes for his skills. After completing his apprenticeship, he worked in Stuttgart for three more years. From 1864 to 1867 he was at the Nuremberg School of Applied Arts , then until the autumn of 1968 with the medalist Ernest Paulin Tasset in Paris , then until 1872 in London with Joseph Shepherd (1836–1873) and Alfred Benjamin (1837–1884). In 1872 he came to Vienna , where he became an honorary member of the art academy in 1874. Around the turn of the year 1875/76 he returned to Stuttgart, where he worked at the local mint and - only interrupted by a stay in Berlin from 1883 to 1885 - engraved almost all publicly issued coins and medals until his death. He also carried out private assignments on a freelance basis. During his time in Stuttgart he received numerous awards. In 1878 he was appointed royal Württemberg court medalist, in 1881 he received the Knight's Cross First Class of the Württemberg Order of Frederick , in 1886 the Knight's Cross First Class of the Baden Order of the Zähringer Löwen . In 1904 he died of meningitis in the Stuttgart deaconess house. He was buried in his birthplace Löwenstein.

Schwenzer's and his father's grave in the Löwenstein forest cemetery

plant

Following the manufacturing process for coins , Schwenzer often only designed the obverse (head side), while older stamps were still used for the lapel (back) . Schwenzer's works usually show portraits of regents, allegories or writing surrounded by wreaths. The representation of people is static and lifelike, sometimes also idealizing exaggerated. The motifs and their design were largely predetermined for numerous orders. The Stuttgart State Trade Museum has acquired 40 original models from its estate, but these were destroyed in the Second World War.

The work that can be assigned to Karl Schwenzer comprises around 120 coin and medal pages that have been formed. For the Kingdom of Württemberg he has, among other things, the fronts of the silver 2-mark pieces (minted from 1876), the gold 5-mark pieces (from 1877), the silver 2-mark pieces (from 1892), the golden 10 -Mark pieces (from 1893) and the gold 20-mark pieces (from 1894). For Switzerland, he engraved the 5 and 10 centimes coins (from 1879), the 20 centimes coins (from 1881) and, based on designs by Albert Walch and Christian Bühler, the stamps for minting the 5 franc coins (from 1888) and the 20-franc pieces (from 1883). The centimes values ​​are struck with the same coin image to this day. He also designed a number of state Württemberg medals, including the Karl Olga Medal for works of charity and for services to the Red Cross (around 1889), the award medal of the Württemberg State Trade Exhibition in 1891, numerous award medals for agricultural achievements and award medals from the Technische Hochschule Stuttgart and Kunstgewerbeschule in Stuttgart , also the Medal of Merit of the Crown Order (around 1892), the Military Merit Medal (around 1892) and the Small Merit Medal for Science and Art (around 1892). Schwenzer also designed medals for other clients, including medals for the Grand Duchy of Baden for the silver wedding anniversary of the Grand Ducal Couple in 1881 and for the 500th anniversary of the University of Heidelberg in 1886, for Bulgaria various medals for merit and the medal for science and art, for Great Britain the medal on the Wedding of Princess Louise in 1871, for Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen the medal for the golden wedding of the princely couple in 1884, for Prussia the medal for services to the building industry (around 1882) and a commemorative medallion to Emperor Friedrich III. (minted after Schwenzer's death in 1907), as well as various medals on behalf of cities such as Hanau, London, Stuttgart and Vienna.

Medals

Otto von Bismarck's death medal von Schwenzer 1898 (no year)
  • 1877: Medal for the 400th anniversary of the University of Tübingen
  • from 1881: medals for the silver wedding anniversary of the grand duke couple
  • from 1883: Medal for services to the building industry,
  • from 1889: Karl Olga Medal ,
  • 1891: Prize medal of the Württemberg State Trade Exhibition,
  • around 1892: Medal of Merit of the Crown Order ,
  • around 1892: small medal of merit for science and art,
  • around 1898: Otto Graf Bismarck , death medal.

Coins

  • Approved for minting from 1876: Fronts of the silver 2-mark pieces for the Kingdom of Württemberg,
  • Released for minting from 1877: golden 5-mark pieces for the Kingdom of Württemberg,
  • released for minting from 1879: 5 centimes coins for Switzerland,
  • Approved for minting from 1879: 10 centimes coins for Switzerland,
  • Approved for minting from 1881: 20 centimes coins for Switzerland,
  • released for minting from 1883: 20-franc coins for Switzerland,
  • minted from 1888: 5-franc coins for Switzerland,
  • minted from 1892: silver 2-mark piece for the Kingdom of Württemberg,
  • minted from 1893: the golden 10-mark piece for the Kingdom of Württemberg,
  • minted from 1894: the gold 20-mark piece for the Kingdom of Württemberg,

literature

  • Ulrich Klein: The royal Württemberg court medalist Karl Schwenzer (1843–1904) . In: 700 years of the city of Löwenstein 1287–1987 . City of Löwenstein, Löwenstein 1987

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Medal for the 400th anniversary of the University of Tübingen from the collection of the University of Uppsala, also founded in 1477, alvin record: 103339
  2. ^ Illustration based on a draft by Eduard Bendemann , Centralblatt der Bauverwaltung , June 16, 1883, p. 207, accessed on December 18, 2012
  3. ^ L. Forrer: Biographical Dictionary of Medallists . Schwenzer, Karl. tape VIII . Spink & Son Ltd, London 1930, p. 200 f .
personal data
SURNAME Schwenzer, Karl
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Württemberg court medalist
DATE OF BIRTH February 26, 1843
PLACE OF BIRTH Lion's Arch
DATE OF DEATH November 29, 1904
Place of death Stuttgart