Rudolf Riggenbach (monument conservator)

Rudolf Riggenbach (right with violin in hand) and his two younger siblings

Rudolf Riggenbach was also a member of the Zofingia

Samuel Rudolf Riggenbach (also called things-things ; * December 24, 1882 in Basel ; † May 19, 1961 ibid) was a Swiss art historian and from 1932 to 1954 one of the first preservationists of Basel-Stadt . In addition to his efforts to preserve and promote Basel culture, he was interested in late Gothic art in Valais . He got his nickname of things-things because he used to fill the pauses with "e thing, e thing" when he got stuck in his speeches.

Life

Rudolf Riggenbach was the second child of the pastor and theology professor Bernhard Riggenbach and Anna Riggenbach (née Oser). His paternal grandfather was the engineer Niklaus Riggenbach and the poet Friedrich Oser on his mother's side . From 1901 to 1907 he studied art history, archeology and history, and later philosophy in Basel, Berlin, Munich and Göttingen. In 1907 he was in Basel with a dissertation on the painter and graphic artist Wolfgang Huber doctorate .

In 1914 Rudolf Riggenbach took over the librarianship of the Basler Kunstverein , which he held until 1922. As a librarian, he gave old holdings to other institutions, such as the Basel University Library , the trade school or the libraries of the public art collection and the historical museum. He topped up the small library holdings on art from the 19th century with new acquisitions, some of which he paid for out of his own pocket.

In 1916 Riggenbach became an assistant to the Kupferstichkabinett of the Basel Public Art Collection and from 1918 to 1927 was the scientific clerk for this collection. For the Kupferstichkabinett, Riggenbach acquired, among other things, the drawing Portrait of a Boy by Ambrosius Holbein in 1921 and the design for a lidded goblet by Hans Holbein the Younger in 1924 .

From 1919 Riggenbach belonged to the Voluntary Basel Monument Preservation and in 1932 became the first state preservationist in the Canton of Basel-Stadt . From 1942 to 1947 he was also a member of the Federal Commission for the Preservation of Historical Monuments .

In 1944 Rudolf Riggenbach was made an honorary lecturer at the University of Basel. In the same year the painter Hermann Meyer (1878–1961) created a portrait of Riggenbach. One of his few lectures in 1948 was Hans Holbein the Younger, Basel years . From 1949 he was also a member of the Swiss Castle Committee.

At the age of 79, he died on May 19, 1961 in Basel.

Work as an art historian and monument conservator

Riggenbach sculpture by Peter Moilliet

Riggenbach's specialist areas included the late Gothic art of the Valais and the wall paintings of Basel and the surrounding area. With the discovery of the Gothic altar of the old church of Raron in the Leiggern chapel, Riggenbach began to deal with the architecture of the Schiner era and with Ulrich Ruffiner von Prismell.

After murals had been discovered in the Eberlerkapelle of Basel's Peterskirche in 1927 and he had examined them more closely in 1932, the chapel was relieved of its function as a heating room and restored with the help of the federal government in 1939/1940. Riggenbach wrote a commemorative publication to mark its opening in 1940.

The restoration of the Kleiner Klingental and its opening as a city and minster museum is also thanks to Riggenbach. Using original sculptures from the Basel Minster as well as documents and illustrations on the city's history, he tried to promote interest in the past and the appreciation of old buildings in the City and Minster Museum.

For the rescue of the pictures on the Chapel Bridge and Spreuer Bridge in Lucerne, he took over the management of their restoration. During the renovation of the epitaphs in the Rheinfeld Church of St. Martin , his advice was obtained in 1945.

At the end of 1945 Riggenbach succeeded in procuring the necessary amount of bricks (80,000 in total) for the cities of Freiburg im Breisgau and Breisach am Rhein, which were then sent to them in 1946. In this way, these cities were able to re-cover the roofs of the Freiburg and Breisach Minster, which had been smashed by the bombing . For this help he received the Great Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1956 .

From 1950 Riggenbach campaigned for the restoration of the Gothic organ of the Basilique de Valère in Sion . In the presence of the bishop, the cathedral chapter and the people of Sion, he gave a speech on November 7, 1954 for the rededication of the organ.

Until his death he dealt with Emanuel Büchel , a drawing master baker of the 18th century. In his notes on Emanuel Büchel, he states that Büchel's sketchbooks and drawings according to Matthäus Merian are the most important and most productive sources on Basel's earlier appearance.

Riggenbach was also involved in the restoration and preservation of the Basel Theodorskirche , the government council chamber in the Basel town hall , the Bottminger Castle , the Chur Dance of Death and the Stockalper Castle in Brig .

Family grave in the Wolfgottesacker cemetery

Riggenbach retired on August 1, 1954. The Riggenbach family grave is located in the Wolfgottesacker cemetery in Basel.

Reception and honors

With his commitment as a monument conservator and Basel original, he was also a popular carnival subject. The first carnival clique that Riggenbach brought to the lantern was the Spezi clique: in 1929 the lantern painter Charles Hindenlang Riggenbach painted while trying to acquire the painting "Angel of the Annunciation" from Konrad Witz for the art museum.

On the occasion of Rudolf Riggenbach's 80th birthday, in December 1962 the preservation of monuments held a commemorative exhibition in the Klingental City and Minster Museum. On the first floor of the museum, documents, photographs, paintings by his art friends, Riggenbach's relationship to Carnival and more were shown.

On the occasion of this exhibition in December 1962, he was also honored with a half-length figure created by Alexander Zschokke . This sculpture is placed in the entrance hall of the Kleines Klingental Museum.

The sculpture depicting Riggenbach on Leonhardskirchplatz was created by Peter Moilliet and installed in 1971.

Lectures (selection)

• The works of art of the 15th and early 16th centuries in Valais. On October 23, 1924 at the annual meeting of the historical research association for the Upper Valais in Raron.
• Ulrich Ruffiner von Prismell and the buildings of the Schinerzeit in Valais. Held on October 17, 1929 at the annual meeting of the historical research association for Upper Valais in Brig and on March 3, 1930 for the Basel Historical and Antiquarian Society in the key guild.
• The wall paintings of Basel in the late Middle Ages. Held in Winterthur on September 12, 1932.
• Lucius Iter and the Renaissance in Chur. Held on February 18, 1946 for the Historical and Antiquarian Society of Basel in the key guild.
• The Madonna of Mayor Jakob Meyer by Hans Holbein the Elder J. Held on December 4, 1947 for the Voluntary Basel Monument Preservation, Association of Friends of the Art Museum.
• The art of the carpenter's time in Valais (church treasures of St. Maurice and Sion). Held at the Bernuollianum on December 11, 1947.
• Speech on the reopening of the City and Minster Museum on December 4, 1948.
• The renaissance in Basel. Held on October 19, 1953 for the Historical and Antiquarian Society of Basel in the key guild.
• Emanuel Büchel and the Basel of the 18th century. Held on December 17, 1951 for the Historical and Antiquarian Society of Basel.

Publications (selection)

A complete list of his writings can be found at Fritz Husner: Bibliography Dr. Rudolf Riggenbach. In: Basler Zeitschrift für Geschichte und Altertumskunde 62, 1962, pp. 165–181 ( digitized version http: //vorlage_digitalisat.test/1%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.e-periodica.ch%2Fdigbib%2Fview%3Fpid%3Dbzg-002%3A1962%3A62%3A%3A188~GB%3D~IA%3D~ MDZ% ​​3D% 0A ~ SZ% 3D ~ double-sided% 3D ~ LT% 3D ~ PUR% 3D).

• The painter and draftsman Wolfgang Huber (approx. 1490 – after 1542). Dissertation Basel 1907 ( digitized version ).
• About the activities of the Basel museum management. A reply. In: Basler Nachrichten , March 20, 1910.
• To the Grünewald enthusiasm of the Pfeffel circle. In: Basler Zeitschrift für Geschichte und Altertumskunde , 14th volume, 1915, pp. 274–277.
• The Swiss Art Exhibition in Karlsruhe. In: The work. Architecture, applied arts, fine art, 12th year, 11th issue, November 1925, pp. 331–336.
• The library de Lavallaz in Sion. In: Der Schweizer Collector 5th year, No. 3, March 7, 1931.
• The wall paintings of the town hall of Basel, from the XV. and XVI. Century (= art monuments of the canton of Basel-Stadt , 1st vol.). Basel 1932.
• Ulrich Ruffiner von Prismell and the buildings of the Schinerzeit in Valais. Brig 1934 (and second expanded edition Brig 1952).
• French master drawings of the 19th century. To the exhibition in the Kunsthalle. In: Sonntagsblatt der Basler Nachrichten , No. 33, Volume 29, 1935, pp. 133-136.
• The murals of Konrad Witz in the old armory. In: National-Zeitung Basel , No. 568, Sunday, December 6, 1936.
• The Eberlerkapelle (in the Peterskirche in Basel) and its murals. Festschrift for the inauguration of the chapel on November 2, 1940 (= annual report 1939 of the Voluntary Basel Monument Preservation ). Basel 1940.
• The master of the Reich von Reichenstein's votive picture. In: The Reichenstein'sche Chapel in Mariastein - memorial sheets for the completion of its renovation in autumn 1943. Mariastein 1943.
• The frescoes of the Sarasin'schen Gartensaal in the Basel Museum. In: Werk. The Swiss monthly for art, architecture and the arts, volume 30, 1943, pp. 335–340 ( digitized version ).
• The murals of the church in Dornach. In: For the home. Jurassic leaves from the Aare to the Rhine. Monthly issues for culture and traffic advertising, 8th volume, 3rd issue, March 1946, pp. 39–43.
• The Klingental dance of death in Basel. In: Basler Volkskalender 1947. Katholisches Jahrbuch der Nordwestschweiz, pp. 57–60.
• The finds in the cathedral's Niklaus chapel. In: Basler Staatskalender 1949 , pp. 13-17.
• The king of the world and the foolish maiden at Basel Minster. In: Schweizer Radio Zeitung , No. 47, 1951, p. 22.
• Ulrich Ruffiner von Prismell and the buildings of the Schinerzeit in Valais . 2nd expanded edition. Brig 1952.
• The printer Huldrich Frölich [...]. In: Basler Zeitschrift für Geschichte und Altertumskunde . Volume 58/59, 1959, pp. 215-229.

literature

• Rudolf Riggenbach, Dr. phil., December 24, 1882 - May 19, 1961. Monument conservationist for the city of Basel 1932–1954 . [Basel] [1961].
• Ernst Murbach: In memory of Dr. phil. Rudolf Riggenbach . In: Our art monuments. Bulletin for the members of the Society for Swiss Art History Vol. 12, Issue 3/4, 1961, pp. 66–69 ( digitized version ).
• Rudolf Suter: Dr. Rudolf Riggenbach (1882–1961) . In: Basler Stadtbuch 1962 , Basel 1962, pp. 174–178.
• Voluntary Basel Monument Preservation (Ed.): Rudolf Riggenbach. Seen by photographers, friends and experts . Basel 1965.

Web links

Commons : Rudolf Riggenbach  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Heinrich Riggenbach: Riggenbach, Rudolf. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
• Rudolf Riggenbach “Dingedinge”, altbasel.ch culture
• Rudolf Riggenbach's estate in the Basel University Library
• Stroux page on the family of Rudolf Riggenbach (accessed January 4, 2017)
• Photo archive Rudolf Riggenbach in the Swiss National Library

Individual evidence

1. ^ NL 224: Package 1, Basel University Library, manuscript department.
2. ↑ ^{a b} NL 224: Parcel 14, 2, Basel University Library, manuscript department.
3. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i} Voluntary Basel Monument Preservation (ed.): Rudolf Riggenbach. Seen by photographers, friends and experts. Basel 1965, p. 7.
4. ^ Heinrich Riggenbach: Riggenbach, Rudolf. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
5. ↑ ^{a b c d e f} NL 224: Package 10, University Library Basel, Manuscript Department.
6. ↑ ^{a b} NL 224: Package 2, Basel University Library, Manuscript Department.
7. ^ Dorothea Christ: Rudolf Riggenbach in the Basler Kunstverein. In: Freiwillige Basel Monument Preservation (Ed.): Rudolf Riggenbach. Seen by photographers, friends and experts. Basel 1965, pp. 60–67, here p. 65.
8. ↑ ^{a b c d} NL 224: Parcel 43 (letter to Mr. Häfliger, December 1952), Basel University Library, manuscript department.
9. ^ Hanspeter Landolt: The activity at the copper engraving cabinet. In: Freiwillige Basel Monument Preservation (Ed.): Rudolf Riggenbach. Seen by photographers, friends and experts. Basel 1965, pp. 70-72.
10. ^ Rudolf Suter: The preservationist Fritz Lauber (1917-1988). In: Basler Stadtbuch 1988, pp. 215-218, here p. 215 (digitized version) .
11. ^ NL 224: Parcel 8, 3, Basel University Library, Manuscript Department.
12. ^ Art credit collection, Basel-Stadt: Portrait. Retrieved September 28, 2019 . 
13. ↑ ^{a b} NL 224: Parcel 14, 1, Basel University Library, manuscript department.
14. ^ ^{A b c} Rudolf Suter: Rudolf Riggenbach as a monument conservator. In: Freiwillige Basel Monument Preservation (Ed.): Rudolf Riggenbach. Seen by photographers, friends and experts. Basel 1965, pp. 20–37, here p. 36.
15. ^ NL 224: Parcel 9, 2, Basel University Library, manuscript department.
16. ^ Joseph Gantner: Rudolf Riggenbach as an art historian. In: Freiwillige Basel Monument Preservation (Ed.): Rudolf Riggenbach. Seen by photographers, friends and experts. Basel 1965, pp. 73-75.
17. ^ Rudolf Suter: Rudolf Riggenbach as a monument conservator. In: Freiwillige Basel Monument Preservation (Ed.): Rudolf Riggenbach. Seen by photographers, friends and experts. Basel 1965, pp. 20-37, here pp. 23, 27; Alfred A. Schmid: Rudolf Riggenbach as a “federal preservationist”. In: Freiwillige Basel Monument Preservation (Ed.): Rudolf Riggenbach. Seen by photographers, friends and experts. Basel 1965, pp. 38-42, here pp. 26, 38; Rudolf Riggenbach: The Eberlerkapelle (in the Peterskirche in Basel) and its murals. Festschrift for the inauguration of the chapel on November 2, 1940 (= annual report 1939 of the Voluntary Basel Monument Preservation ). Basel 1940.
18. ^ Rudolf Suter: Rudolf Riggenbach as a monument conservator. In: Freiwillige Basel Monument Preservation (Ed.): Rudolf Riggenbach. Seen by photographers, friends and experts. Basel 1965, pp. 20–37, here p. 31.
19. ^ Alfred A. Schmid: Rudolf Riggenbach as a "federal preservationist". In: Freiwillige Basel Monument Preservation (Ed.): Rudolf Riggenbach. Seen by photographers, friends and experts. Basel 1965, pp. 38–42, here p. 40.
20. ↑ Axel Seibert: How Mr. Things-Things helped to save the Breisach Minster. In: Unser Münster No. 39, 2007, pp. 8–9 ( digitized version ).
21. ↑ Rudolf Riggenbach "things things," altbasel.ch culture (accessed on 18 March 2017).
22. ↑ NL 224: Package 38, Basel University Library, Manuscript Department.
23. ^ NL 224: Parcel 24, Basel University Library, manuscript department.
24. ^ Rudolf Suter: Rudolf Riggenbach as a monument conservator. In: Freiwillige Basel Monument Preservation (Ed.): Rudolf Riggenbach. Seen by photographers, friends and experts. Basel 1965, pp. 20-37, here pp. 22, 25, 28, 31, 36; NL 224: Parcel 7, 3, Basel University Library, Manuscript Department; NL 224: Package 35, Basel University Library, Manuscript Department.
25. ↑ Changing of the guard in Basel state preservation of monuments
26. ↑ Spezi-Clique website (accessed on March 18, 2017).
27. ↑ NL 224: Paket 14, 2, (newspaper article Was war au Basel ohni Dingedinge… In: Basler Volksblatt , No. 293, Basel-Stadt, December 17, 1962), Basel University Library, manuscript department; Alexander Zschokke, Oeuvre ( Memento of the original from February 5, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , P. 2 (No. 19) (accessed on March 18, 2017). 
28. ^ Art in the City. Basel Tourismus, pp. 10–11 (accessed on March 18, 2017).
29. ^ NL 224: Package 44, University Library Basel, Manuscript Department.
30. ^ ^{A b} NL 224: Parcel 36, Basel University Library, manuscript department.
31. ^ NL 224: Package 20, 2, University Library Basel, Manuscript Department.
32. ↑ ^{a b} NL 224: Package 42 (Lectures and Manuscripts II), Basel University Library, Manuscript Department.
33. ↑ NL 224: Package 40, Basel University Library, Manuscript Department.
34. ↑ NL 224: Package 42 (Lectures and Manuscripts III), Basel University Library, Manuscript Department.
35. ↑ NL 224: Package 24 (newspaper clipping Basler Nachrichten , Sonntagsblatt, Feb. 3, 1952, No. 5, volume 46), Basel University Library, manuscript department.