Gustav Friedrich (von) Hetsch (28 September 1788 – 7 September 1864) was a Danish

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 ...

Early life and education

Hetsch was born on 28 September 1788 in

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 ...

to history painter Philipp Friedrich von Hetsch (1758–1838) and Louise Friedericke Wilhelmine Scholl (1766–1800). His father was the director of an art gallery and professor at the academy in Stuttgart. Hetsch studied at the

University of Tübingen The University of Tübingen, officially the Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen (; ), is a public research university located in the city of Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The University of Tübingen is one of eleven German Excellenc ...

and in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, where his teacher was

Charles Percier Charles Percier (; 22 August 1764 – 5 September 1838) was a neoclassical French architect, interior decorator and designer, who worked in a close partnership with Pierre François Léonard Fontaine, originally his friend from student days. Fo ...

Career

After finishing his studies, he worked for Jean-Baptiste Rondelet on the Church of Sainte-Geneviève. In 1812 he was recalled to Stuttgart, but soon left for Italy, where he continued his studies and met the Danish architect (1781–1865). It was Malling who in 1815 inspired Hetsch to come to

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

, where he taught at the

Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts () has provided education in the arts for more than 250 years, playing its part in the development of the art of Denmark. History The Royal Danish Academy of Portraiture, Sculpture, and Architecture in Cope ...

. In 1820 he became a member of the academy, 1822 professor of perspective, 1829 professor extraordinarily, 1835 professor of architecture. One of Hetsch's first major projects was the interior decoration of the rebuilt

Christiansborg Palace Christiansborg Palace (, ) is a palace and government building on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the seat of the Danish Parliament (), the Danish Prime Minister's Office, and the Supreme Court of Denmark. Also ...

, where Christian Frederik Hansen was the principal architect. Though most of his accomplishments were in the area of decorative art, Hetsch also designed the Great Synagogue (1833) and

St. Ansgar's Church St. Ansgar's Church is a parish church of the Roman Catholic Church in Norway, Roman Catholic Church in Kristiansand, Norway. It is the only Roman Catholic church building in Agder county in Southern Norway. The first church was built in 1936. ...

(1842) in Copenhagen. In parallel with his duties at the academy he held several other positions, including that of artistic director of the Royal Porcelain Factory (1828–1857).

Personal life

On 23 August 1823 in Frederick's German Church, Hetsch married Anette Hansen (1795-1827). She was the daughter of the architect Christian Frederik Hansen (1756–1845) and Anna M. Rahbek (1773–1811). After her death, on 4 December 1829 in Christiansborg Chapel, he married her sister Caroline Amalie Augusta Hansen (1800-1874).

Awards

Hetsch was created a Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog in 1836. In 1840, he was awarded the Cross of Honour.

Gallery

File:Synagogen Krystalgade 1899.png, The Great Synagogue in Copenhagen, 1899. File:SanktAnsgar01.jpg, St. Ansgar's Cathedral in Copenhagen, 2007.

References

Other sources

* * * * Danish neoclassical architects German emigrants to Denmark Architects from Stuttgart 1788 births 1864 deaths Academic staff of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts University of Tübingen alumni {{Denmark-architect-stub