Johann Balthasar Neumann (; c. 27 January 1687 – 19 August 1753), usually known as Balthasar Neumann, was a German

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

and military artillery engineer who developed a refined brand of

Baroque architecture Baroque architecture is a highly decorative and theatrical style which appeared in Italy in the late 16th century and gradually spread across Europe. It was originally introduced by the Catholic Church, particularly by the Jesuits, as a means to ...

, fusing Austrian, Bohemian, Italian, and French elements to design some of the most impressive buildings of the period, including the Würzburg Residence and the Basilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers (called ''Vierzehnheiligen'' in German). The Würzburg Residence is considered one of the most beautiful and well proportioned palaces in Europe and the Basilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers is considered by some as the crowning work of the period.

Early life

Neumann is believed to have been born on 27 January 1687 in Eger,

Kingdom of Bohemia The Kingdom of Bohemia (), sometimes referenced in English literature as the Czech Kingdom, was a History of the Czech lands in the High Middle Ages, medieval and History of the Czech lands, early modern monarchy in Central Europe. It was the pr ...

(today

Cheb Cheb (; ) is a town in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 33,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Ohře River. Before the Expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia, expulsion of Germans in 1945, the town was the centre of the G ...

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

), the seventh of nine children of cloth-maker Hans Christoph Neumann (d. 1713) and his wife Rosina (1645–1707). Neumann was baptized on 30 January 1687. His first apprenticeship was spent working at a bell and gun foundry in Eger. However, during his Journeyman years he came to

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is, after Nuremberg and Fürth, the Franconia#Towns and cities, third-largest city in Franconia located in the north of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. It sp ...

in 1711. In 1712, he attended lessons on geometry, architecture and land surveying and joined the local military, in which he remained until his death, then holding the rank of colonel of the artillery. He created measurement instruments (1712, Deutsches Museum/Munich and 1713, Mainfränkisches Museum, Würzburg), a map of Würzburg (1715, copy at the War Archive, Munich) and some drawings for a new abbey at Ebrach Abbey (1716, now lost). In 1717, he served in the Austro–Turkish War, advancing with his unit from Vienna to Belgrade. In 1718, he travelled through northern Italy to study buildings and briefly worked on civilian construction projects at Milan (details not known).

Service for the Prince-Bishops of Würzburg

Neumann's career as an architect took off under Johann Philipp Franz von Schönborn, Prince-Bishop of Würzburg, who asked the young engineer in 1719 to plan, and in 1720 to lead construction of, his new palace, the Würzburg Residence. Although other architects participated, Neumann was able to give the project his personal imprint, which became his life's work. The second task for the Prince-Bishop was the ''Schönbornkapelle'' of Würzburg Cathedral (from 1721). In 1723 Neumann traveled and studied in France. At Paris and Versailles he met with royal architects Germain Boffrand and

Robert de Cotte Robert de Cotte (; 1656 – 15 July 1735) was a French architect-administrator, under whose design control of the royal buildings of France from 1699, the earliest notes presaging the Rococo, Rococo style were introduced. First a pupil of ...

and consulted them on the Würzburg projects. Back at Würzburg, Neumann started to build a hunting lodge known as Mädelhofen (1724, unfinished, demolished in 1725). In 1725, Neumann married Maria Eva Engelberts (b. 1704 – d. 1745); they had three sons and 5 daughters. Under von Schönborn's successor, Christoph Franz von Hutten (1673–1729) he was less busy at Wurzburg and mainly worked for various abbeys. His new church at Münsterschwarzach Abbey (after 1727, demolished after 1821) laid the groundwork for his fame as a builder of churches. Another work of this period was the church at Kloster Holzkirchen (1728–30) where he combined features of the French, Italian and German Baroque. The next Prince-Bishop was Friedrich Karl von Schönborn (1674–1746), who also was Prince-Bishop of Bamberg. As ''Reichsvizekanzler'' von Schönborn lived at the imperial court at Vienna until 1734. He named Neumann director of all military, civilian and ecclesiastical construction in both bishoprics and in 1729 and 1739 ordered him to Vienna, where he exchanged views with Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt, von Schönborn's architect, whose influence is visible in some parts of the Residence and also at the hunting lodge of Werneck (after 1733). As chief engineer of the joint '' Hochstifts'', Neumann was responsible for overseeing fortifications, transport and water engineering and for improving urban planning in practical and aesthetical terms. From 1731, he also taught military and civilian architecture at Würzburg University. Neumann also worked for Damian Hugo Philipp von Schönborn (1676–1743) and

Franz Georg von Schönborn Franz Georg von Schönborn (15 June 168218 January 1756) was a German nobleman who served as Archdiocese of Trier, Archbishop and Electorate of Trier, Elector of Trier from 1729 until his death in 1756. He was also Bishopric of Worms, Prince-Bis ...

(1682–1756). Neumann built the ''Corps de Logis'' of the Schloss Bruchsal (after 1731), with its notable stairway. In the same town, he also designed the church of St. Peter (1740–1746) which was to be the burial site for the Prince-Bishops of Speyer. Among his work for the Elector of Trier are the ''Dikasterialgebäude'' of Ehrenbreitstein Fortress (1739–1748) and the summer palace Schönbornslust (1748–1752, demolished 1806) at Kesselheim, also near

Koblenz Koblenz ( , , ; Moselle Franconian language, Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz'') is a German city on the banks of the Rhine (Middle Rhine) and the Moselle, a multinational tributary. Koblenz was established as a Roman Empire, Roman military p ...

. This work, in turn, led to Neumann being contacted for further work in the west of Germany. Out of many mooted projects only the stairway and New Apartments of the Brühl Palace (from 1743). Plans he made for the ducal palace at

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...

(after 1747), for Schwetzingen Palace (1749) and the Residence at Karlsruhe (after 1750) were never implemented. Heusenstamm BW 2013-06-18 15-27-27

As a builder of churches, Neumann recurred to Guarino Guarini, the architecture of his native Bohemia and its transmittance to Franconia by Johann Dientzenhofer. He emphasized the use of the rotunda as a central feature of his churches. This reached its pinnacle at '' Vierzehnheiligen'' (after 1742) and Neresheim (after 1747). One of his last large projects was a rebuilding of the Hofburg Palace at Vienna (after 1746), which was not put into practice, however. Neumann worked on St. Paulinus' Church in

Trier Trier ( , ; ), formerly and traditionally known in English as Trèves ( , ) and Triers (see also Names of Trier in different languages, names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle (river), Moselle in Germany. It lies in a v ...

, designing most of the internal elements.

Death and legacy

He died in Würzburg on 19 August 1753 and is buried at the '' Marienkapelle'' there. The final German 50

Deutsche Mark The Deutsche Mark (; "German mark (currency), mark"), abbreviated "DM" or "D-Mark" (), was the official currency of West Germany from 1948 until 1990 and later of unified Germany from 1990 until the adoption of the euro in 2002. In English, it ...

note showed a picture of him together with the famous staircase located in the Residence of Würzburg. Neumann was also depicted by Tiepolo in the ceiling fresco above the stairway of the Residence, in pseudo-military uniform, leaning over a cannon. He had boasted that the ceiling was so well constructed that not even the roar of a cannon would make the roof fall.

Other works

* Heidenheim, ''Propsteigebäude'' of the ''Augustinerchorherren'', 1723–33; * Bamberg, ''Katharinenspital'', 1729–38; * Bamberg, ''Domkapitelhaus'', 1730–33; * Bamberg, ''Klerikalseminar'', 1731–37; * Gößweinstein, ''Wallfahrtskirche'', 1730–39; * '' Schloss Seehof'', Orangerie, 1733–37; * Worms, high altar of Worms Cathedral, 1738–40; * Heusenstamm, parish church, 1739–44; * Würzburg, several buildings after 1719, incl. ''Geschäftshaus am Marktplatz'', 1739-41; * Würzburg, '' Augustinerkirche'', 1741–44; * Würzburg, '' Käppele'', 1748–49; * Kitzingen-Etwashausen, Kreuzkapelle, 1741–45; * Gaibach, parish church, 1742–45; * Mainz, ''Jesuitenkirche'', 1742-46 (demolished 1805); * Oberzell, abbey and convent building, 1744–60; * Maria Limbach, pilgrimage church, 1751-55 (final project).

References

External links