Josef Franke

Josef Franke ( born March 12, 1876 in Wattenscheid, today Bochum; † January 16, 1944 in Gelsenkirchen ) was a German architect. He created sacral and secular buildings, especially in the Ruhr area, and there especially in Gelsenkirchen. In the 1920s he worked mainly in the style of brick expressionism.

Life

After his schooling Franke studied at the Baugewerkschule Hoexter. He was then Hospitant ( guest student ) at the Technische Hochschule Charlottenburg. After completing his training, he worked at the municipal building department in Cologne and later in Freiburg im Breisgau in the architectural firm of Max Meckel and Carl Anton Meckel. In 1904 he started his own business in Gelsenkirchen. Franke second, built in 1909, Home is in Gelsenkirchen at the Robert -Koch-Straße. For several years, Franke's work is in Gelsenkirchen rediscovered and worked through exhibitions and publications. His daughter is an interior designer and artist Margarete Franke.

Architecture

Many of Franke's buildings are attributed to the so-called brick expressionism, which was widespread in the 1920s in Germany. Features of Franke's work is the use of red to brown brick and its reduction to patterns and design elements on facades. Playing with the rough edged stones gives the buildings a special charm, which expresses itself in a carefully balanced overall composition and its details. It is characterized by the use of rhythmic surface divisions and in many cases the figure of the triangle.

Buildings

(selected)

School Dionysianum in Rheine, main portal

St. Joseph, Duisburg- Aldenrade

House for Andreas Ballin in Gelsenkirchen- Bulmke

Tram depot in Gelsenkirchen

Ring -Eck in Gelsenkirchen

Christ the King Church in Oer -Erkenschwick

St. Hubert 's Chapel in the cabin