Heinrich Ernst Schirmer

Heinrich Ernst Schirmer ( born August 27, 1814 in Leipzig, † December 6, 1887 in Gießen ) was a German architect who worked mainly in Norway.

Career

Schirmer studied from 1831 to 1834 with Joseph Thürmer at the Dresden Art Academy, and from 1834 to 1837 at the Munich Art Academy. He was involved in several well-known projects in Norway, such as at the Royal Palace in Christiania. Furthermore, he was instrumental active in building a number of churches and impressive buildings in Christiania, Norway and the fundamental reconstruction of the Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim. With his architectural talent, his ambitious work performance and the ability thereby to find rational solutions fast, he made ​​an important contribution to the Norwegian architectural history and also made international attention.

Schirmer's work in Christiania (Oslo ) and the surrounding area

After a study trip in 1837 in Italy Schirmer came at the insistence of Johan Christian Clausen Dahl 1838 to Norway. He was hired as an architect Hans Ditlev Franciscus to support von Linstow (1787-1851) in the construction of the Royal Palace in Christiania. Among other things he was responsible for the interior design, and facilities for the decoration of the royal palace.

After Schirmer had been commissioned by the Norwegian government to build several new public buildings in Christiania, he led in 1843 a study trip through several European cities in Belgium, England and Germany, to collect local urban experiences and encounter architectural inspiration for his projects. Schirmer was unusually productive and contributed as an architect for a large number of monumental buildings in Christiania, including the local Norwegian state prison Botsfengselet (1843-1851), the Gaustad Hospital (1847-1855), and St. Olav's Church, from which later became the Roman Catholic cathedral in Oslo. In Ringstabekk a place in the municipality of Bærum he built in 1851 for the landowner and his wife Barbara Jens Ring Ring, the Ringstabekk castle, designed as a neo-Gothic brick building. From 1852 to 1856 he designed the Tangen Church ( 1854) and the Vestre Aker in Drammen Church ( 1853-1855 ) and the Østre Aker Church ( 1857-1860 ). In addition, he designed the Hamar Cathedral, the National Hospital (1874-1883) and the main building of the present-day National Museum Oslo together with his son Adolf Schirmer 1879-1881.

Schirmer and Wilhelm von Hanno

Schirmer entered into a business partnership with the architect Wilhelm von Hanno. In the years 1853-1864 they built together Norway's first railway stations along the Hovedbanen ( 1853-1854 ) and Kongsvingerbanen (completed 1863). The station building built by him had a big influence on Norwegian wooden architecture in the rural regions of the country. There followed a number of military buildings, as well as the expansion of the Akershus Fortress ( 1858-1870 ). Schirmer and Hanno designed the Trefoldighetskirken ( Dreifaltigskirche ) in Oslo ( completed around 1858), whose construction was originally initiated by Alexis de Chateauneuf. He also designed with it the county jail in Larvik, the buildings on the Kirkegata 24, a main building for the Norwegian Bank (Den norske Bank Credit ) and a hotel Dronningens gate, which was built from 1860 to 1913. To 1864 broke the cooperation, as won an architectural competition for the construction of the Greenland Church of Hanno's design.

Other projects

After the dissolution of the partnership with Wilhelm von Hanno Schirmer worked alone again and still built a whole series of representative buildings and churches in Christiania and in other Norwegian cities. Among other things, he designed the cathedral of Hamar, the Hamar Domkirke. Schirmer also built several more Swiss villas for wealthy citizens and officials. He thus contributed significantly to the spread of the Swiss style in Norway. His last project was the Ullevål hospital, which was completed after his death in 1887 using his plans. He moved back to Germany in 1883, while his two sons Adolf and Herman Major Schirmer still remained in Norway and also worked there as architects.

Schirmer's work at the Nidaros Cathedral

The Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim is considered an important Norwegian national symbol that was in the 1840s, in a very bad state at that time. When it was discovered that one of the pillars of the cathedral was going to collapse within itself, the Church Ministry ( Kirkedepartementet ) searched desperately for a solution to stop the decline. The then 27 -year-old Heinrich Ernst Schirmer was commissioned around 1841, to make investigations and studies of restoration and restoration of the cathedral. Schirmer's initial reconstruction plans were initially rejected for cost reasons, but by its strong commitment to the project and the continued deterioration of the building the subject in the coming decades in Norway gained strong popularity. 1859 Schirmer presented together with the historian Peter Andreas Munch exhibitions in several boards with plans to rebuild the cathedral, where he met with great attention. As a result, one guided by Schirmer fundamental reconstruction of Nidarosdomes was launched in 1869. However, his artistic plans for the restoration met with harsh criticism by proponents of an archaeological reconstruction. Since almost all historical models were missing, the reconstruction was based largely on speculation. In 1872 it was replaced by the cathedral architect Christian Christie, who directed the construction until his death in 1906. Reconstruction after Schirmer's concept was, with several breaks and re-planning, until 2001 officially ended.

Awards

Schirmer was appointed in 1860 to the Knights of St. Olav Order and was an honorary member of the Art Association Christiania (now Oslo Art Association ).

Family

Heinrich Ernst Schirmer was the son of Mills and landowner Johann Gottlieb Schirmer (1776-1816) and his wife Johanne Sophie Kühne. He married on 25 February 1843 in Christiania Ottilie Sophie Schirmer, born Major ( 1821-1861 ). Their joint sons Adolf Schirmer (1850-1930) and Herman Major Schirmer (1845-1913) were also known in Norway architects.