Konrad Kraus (architect)

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Konrad Kraus (born October 25, 1833 in Mainz ; † May 21, 1886 there ) was a German architect and writer .

Life

Breidenbacherstrasse 25
Walpodenstrasse 7

Kraus was born as the son of the district judge Laurenz Joseph Kraus in Mainz. After the early death of his father, he grew up with an uncle. He attended the Großherzoglich Hessische Provinzial-Realschule Mainz and then switched to the Polytechnische Schule Darmstadt, a predecessor of the Technische Universität Darmstadt . Here he studied construction. After a few semesters he moved to Munich and attended the art academy there . He made his first experiences as an architect in Paris and London and returned to Mainz in 1859. Here he founded a construction business and mainly built residential buildings in historicizing form below the Kästrich . At the houses he built at Walpodenstrasse 7, Breidenbacherstrasse 25 or Kupferbergterrasse 16, you can still admire the style of the Italian Renaissance and the rich ornamentation.

He built a representative villa for himself and his family on Kupferbergterrasse 16, which is now a listed building.

During his time in London, he is said to have established good contacts with the British royal family. This has now led to a first major order. After the designs by three Darmstadt architects for the Neues Palais in Darmstadt did not meet with approval from Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse and the Rhine and his wife Alice , the couple turned to the Mainz contractor and architect Konrad Kraus. He had created a palazzo-like building in the neo-renaissance style in Kastel , which the princely couple liked. Kraus had to create a first draft for the New Palace in a few days. The approx. 80 m long palace should take into account the Italian style on the outside and the English style on the inside. The plans were accepted, and after several years of construction, the palace was ready for occupancy in 1866. At the end of the construction phase, Konrad Kraus found that the 120,000 guilders stipulated were not enough for the construction. He then had to close his construction business. Since the first attempts to establish a new existence failed, he finally had to sell his collection of paintings.

Under a pseudonym, he published a story that was well received by the audience. From then on he worked as a writer. His first literary work From my grandmother's knitting basket initially appeared in a newspaper and was so successful that it was later published as a book under the title Das Eckhaus an der Albanskirche ; This was followed by other works, all of which are compellingly written and characterized by both humor and their historical background. He wrote a number of short stories, comedies and novels. His most famous works are u. a.

  • The corner house at the Albanskirche. A historical story from the last days of Kurmainz (1877),
  • The Muhkalb , later renamed Clarissa. A story from the Rococco period (1880),
  • Old stories from the Rhine ,
  • Ultra Montes ,
  • Junker Henne von Knebel ,
  • Seckendorff's day ,
  • Friedrich Carl of Würzburg ,
  • Hans Gensfleisch, the Gutenberger (1880),
  • The attack in the snake bath. Historical novella from the time of the Rhenish electors (1883),
  • Castilia. A novella from the time of Elector Johann Philipp von Schönborn (1884).

His recipe for success was the combination of cultural-historical aspects with ingredients from the history of the rule. The stories expressed the love for home. His contemporaries considered him to be the "herald of the Rhineland". Some of the stories had several editions and had a large readership. Kraus was also involved with songs and lectures at the Mainz Fassenacht.

In his final years he was addicted to morphine. He died at the age of 52. His grave is in the main cemetery in Mainz .

literature

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personal data
SURNAME Kraus, Konrad
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German architect and writer
DATE OF BIRTH October 25, 1833
PLACE OF BIRTH Mainz
DATE OF DEATH May 21, 1886
Place of death Mainz