Johann Michael Fischer (18 February 1692 – 6 May 1766) 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 ...

in the late

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including ...

period. Fischer was born in

Burglengenfeld Burglengenfeld is a town in the district of Schwandorf, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Naab, 22 km north of Regensburg. Climate Climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfa ...

Upper Palatinate The Upper Palatinate (german: Oberpfalz, , ) is one of the seven administrative districts of Bavaria, Germany, and is located in the east of Bavaria. Geography The Upper Palatinate is a landscape with low mountains and numerous ponds and lak ...

. He is a major representative of south German Baroque architects. He studied in

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...

and combined Bohemian elements with Bavarian Baroque traditions. He often co-operated with the most gifted

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...

n artists of his time, such as

Cosmas Damian Asam Cosmas Damian Asam (29 September 1686 – 10 May 1739) was a German painter and architect during the late Baroque period. Born in Benediktbeuern, he lived in Rome from 1711 to 1713 to study at the Accademia di San Luca with Carlo Maratta. ...

and

Egid Quirin Asam Egid Quirin Asam (1 September 1692 – 29 April 1750) was a German plasterer, sculptor, architect, and painter. He was active during the Late Baroque and Rococo periods. Born in Tegernsee, Bavaria, Asam worked mainly together with his brot ...

, Johann Joseph Christian,

Johann Michael Feuchtmayer Johann Michael Feuchtmayer (the Younger) (sometimes spelled Johann Michael Feuchtmayr or Feichtmayr) (1709 – June 4, 1772) was a German stuccoworker and sculptor of the late Baroque period. He collaborated with the architects Johann Michael Fis ...

, Matthäus Günther,

Ignaz Günther Ignaz Günther (22 November 1725 – 27 June 1775) was a German sculptor and woodcarver working in the Bavarian Rococo tradition. He was born in Altmannstein, where he received his earliest training from his father, then studied in Munich und ...

, Franz Joseph Spiegler,

Johann Baptist Straub Johann Baptist Straub (1 June 1704 (baptism) – 15 July 1784) was a German Rococo sculptor. Biography Straub was born in Wiesensteig, into a family of sculptors. His father Johann George Straub and his brothers Philipp Jakob, Joseph, and ...

, and Johann Baptist Zimmermann. Fischer died, aged 74, in

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and ...

, and is buried in the Munich Frauenkirche.

Main Works

Fischer designed 32 churches and 23 monasteries in southern Germany. Among these, the best-known are the following.

Bavaria

Aufhausen Aufhausen is a municipality in the district of Regensburg in Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest ...

— Pilgrimage Church of Maria Schnee (1736–1751) *

Benediktbeuern Benediktbeuern (Central Bavarian: ''Benediktbeiern'') is a municipality in the district of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen in Bavaria, Germany, 2 kilometers, or 1.25 miles from Bichl. The village has 3,602 residents as of 31 December 2019. The medieva ...

—Anastasia Chapel in the Church of St. Benedikt (1750–1758), considered a jewel of Baroque architecture *

Dießen am Ammersee Dießen am Ammersee (Southern Bavarian: ''Diaßn am Ammasä'') is a municipality in the district of Landsberg in Bavaria in Germany. It is located on the shores of the Ammersee. Geography Situated in the Bavarian Alpine Foreland the town stre ...

—Church of St. Maria (completed 1739) *

Fürstenzell Fürstenzell ( bar, label=Central Bavarian, Fiaschtnzei) is a municipality in the district of Passau in Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germa ...

—Church of the Ascension of the Blessed Virgin (completed 1728) *

— Franciscan Monastery Church of St. Anna im Lehel (consecrated 1737) *

— Parish Church of St. Michael (1737–1752) * Niederalteich— Benedictine Monastery of St. Mauritius (first commission for Fischer) (1724–1726) * Osterhofen Abbey—Papal Basilica of St. Margaretha (1727–1740) * Ottobeuren— Benedictine Monastery Church of the Holy Trinity (1737–1766), considered one of the most magnificent churches of the Baroque era *

Rott am Inn Rott am Inn is a municipality in the district of Rosenheim in Bavaria in Germany. It lies on the river Inn Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically loc ...

—Benedictine Abbey Church of St. Marinus and St. Anianus (1759–1767)

Baden-Württemberg

* Kisslegg—Neues Schloss (New Castle) (1721–1727) * Wiblingen Abbey—Benedictine Monastery Church of St. Martin (1714–1783), built by Johann Georg Specht based on designs by Fischer *

Zwiefalten Zwiefalten is a municipality in the district of Reutlingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany located halfway between Stuttgart and Lake Constance. The former Zwiefalten Abbey dominates the town. The former monastery is considered one of the finest exa ...

— Zwiefalten Abbey (1741–1747), considered a model of integrated Baroque design''Germany: A Phaidon Cultural Guide,'' p. 776.

Disputed Works

Several works have been attributed to Fischer that are now disputed, although his style was an obvious influence: * Erling-Andechs— Pilgrimage Church Mariae Verkündiging and Monastery * Haigerloch—Pilgrimage Church of St. Anne * Murnau—Parish Church of St. Nikolaus

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fischer, Johann Michael 1692 births 1766 deaths German Baroque architects Rococo architects Architects of the Bavarian court Burials at Munich Frauenkirche People from Schwandorf (district)