Johann Dientzenhofer (25 May 1663 – 20 July 1726) was a builder and architect during the

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

period in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

Life

Johann was born at the family farm in St. Margarethen near

Rosenheim Rosenheim () is a city in Bavaria, Germany. It is an independent city located in the centre of the Rosenheim (district), district of Rosenheim (Upper Bavaria), and is also the seat of its administration. It is located on the west bank of the Inn ...

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

, a member of the famous Dientzenhofer family of German architects, who were among the leading builders in the

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...

n and German Baroque He was the youngest of eight children of Georg and Barbara Thanner Dientzenhofer, which included his brothers Georg Dientzenhofer (1643–1689), Wolfgang Dientzenhofer (1648–1706), Christoph Dientzenhofer (7 July 1655 – 20 June 1722) and Leonhard Dientzenhofer (1660–1707). Johann's son Justus Heinrich Dientzenhofer (1702–1744) and his nephew

Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer (; 1 September 1689 – 18 December 1751) was a German Bohemians, German Bohemian architect of the Baroque architecture, Baroque era. He is among the most prolific and renowned architects of his era in Bohemia. He was bo ...

(1689–1751) also became architects. Johann and his siblings attended school in Flintsbach. He followed his older brothers to Prague, where there were many opportunities tin the building trades. In 1658 his sister Anna married Wolfgang Leuthner, presumably a relative of Prague architect and builder Abraham Leuthner. The brothers later came to work in Leuthner's construction company, where Johann learned the trade of bricklaying. He was married in Prague in 1685."Dientzenhofer, Johann", Via Dientzenhofer Project
/ref> In 1692 his brother Leonhard moved to Bamberg, where in 1695 he became a court architect for the Schönborns of Bamberg and invited Johann to move there. Johann found work as a foreman overseeing construction on the Michaelsberg. In 1699 he passed the master mason's examination. That autumn, the Elector of Bamberg, Lothar Franz von Schönborn, sent Johann Dientzenhofer to Rome to improve his skills in architecture. Upon his return, in September 1700, Johann was appointed by Prince-Abbot Adalbert I von Schleifras of Fulda (1650-1714) as court architect in Fulda, the capital of the Electorate of Hesse, on the recommendation of Lothar Franz von Schönborn. Johann's first great church was the Abbey Church at Fulda (1704–12) in Italian baroque style. In 1707 he completed the design for the church at

Banz Abbey Banz Abbey (), now known as Banz Castle (), is a former Benedictine monastery, since 1978 a part of the town of Bad Staffelstein north of Bamberg, Bavaria, southern Germany. History The abbey was founded in about 1070 by Countess Alberada o ...

, which was started by his late brother Leonard. Lothar Franz von Schönborn offered Johann Leonard's former position as court architect at Bamberg. Johann and his family moved permanently from Fulda to Bamberg in 1708. He was in

Pommersfelden Pommersfelden is a community in the Upper Franconian district of Bamberg in Germany. Geography The community lies north of Höchstadt an der Aisch on the river Reiche Ebrach. Constituent communities The community of Pommersfelden is subdivided ...

in 1711, where he designed the

Schloss Weißenstein Schloss Weißenstein is a ''Schloss'' or palatial residence in Pommersfelden, Bavaria, southern Germany. It was designed for Lothar Franz von Schönborn, Bishop of Bamberg, Prince-Bishop of Bamberg and Archbishop of Mainz, to designs by Johann ...

for Lothar Franz von Schönborn, Prince-Bishop of Bamberg and

Archbishop of Mainz The Elector of Mainz was one of the seven Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire. As both the Archbishop of Mainz and the ruling prince of the Electorate of Mainz, the Elector of Mainz held a powerful position during the Middle Ages. The Archb ...

. He and Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt designed the grand staircase.Watkin, David. ''A History of Western Architecture'', Laurence King Publishing, 2005, p. 327
Weißenstein Castle represents an important step in the development of German late Baroque palace architecture and is also Johann Dientzenhofer's most significant work. From 1715-1718, Johann oversees the construction of a hospital in

Kronach Kronach (; ) is a Town#Germany, town in Upper Franconia, Germany, located in the Franconian Forest area. It is the capital of the Kronach (district), district Kronach. The town is equipped with a nearly complete city wall and Germany's biggest an ...

along with the hospital church of St. Anne. Between 1720 and 1723, Johann serves as building inspector for the construction of the princely bishop's residence in Würzburg, for the Prince-Bishop of Würzburg, Johann Philipp Franz von Schönborn, nephew of Lothar Franz von Schönborn. Johann Dientzenhofer died in

Bamberg Bamberg (, , ; East Franconian German, East Franconian: ''Bambärch'') is a town in Upper Franconia district in Bavaria, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main (river), Main. Bamberg had 79,000 inhabitants in ...

Works

* For the Prince-Abbot of

Fulda Fulda () (historically in English called Fuld) is a city in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district (''Kreis''). In 1990, the city hosted the 30th Hessentag state festival. Histor ...

: **

Fulda Cathedral Fulda Cathedral (, also ''Sankt Salvator'') is the former abbey church of Fulda Abbey and the burial place of Saint Boniface. Since 1752 it has also been the cathedral of the Diocese of Fulda, of which the Prince-Abbots of Fulda were created bisho ...

(1704–1712) ** Fulda Stadtschloss (1707–1712) ** Schloss Bieberstein (

Hesse Hesse or Hessen ( ), officially the State of Hesse (), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt, which is also the country's principal financial centre. Two other major hist ...

) (1709) ** Schloss in

Geisa Geisa () is a town in the Wartburgkreis district, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated in the Rhön Mountains, 26 km northeast of Fulda. The near border with Hesse was the border between West Germany and the East Germany, GDR during the Cold ...

* For the Prince-Bishop of

: **

(1711–1718) ** Schloss Reichmannsdorf (1714–1719) * For Others **

Bad Kissingen Bad Kissingen () is a German spa town in the Bavarian region of Lower Franconia and County town, seat of the Bad Kissingen (district), district Bad Kissingen. Situated to the south of the Rhön Mountains on the Franconian Saale, Franconia ...

: Neues Rathaus (1709) **

*** Böttingerhaus (1708–1713) *** Palais Rotenhan (1711–1718) *** Bibra Palais (''Bibra Haus'') (1714–1716) ** Holzkirchen ( Unterfranken): Abbey Church and other buildings **

: Abbey Church and other buildings ('from 1707 after the death of his brother Leonhard Dientzenhofer who had the original commission) **

Kleinheubach Kleinheubach is a market municipality in the Miltenberg district in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Lower Franconia (''Unterfranken'') in Bavaria, Germany and the seat of the like-named ''Verwaltungsgemeinschaft'' (municipal association). As of the 2 ...

: Castle for the Princes of Löwenstein-Wertheim (using the plans of Louis de la Fosse) ** Litzendorf: Parish church of St. Wenzel ** Oberschwappach by Knetzgau: Schloss ** Staffelstein: Baroque remodel of chapel on Veitsberg (1718–1719) ** Ullstadt ( Mittelfranken): Castle for the barons von Frankenstein (1718–1725) **

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 ...

: Facade of Neumünster church (1711–1716) Pommersfelden BW 2011-07-27 17-05-16.jpg, Schloss Weißenstein Kathedrale Fulda-6385.jpg, Fulda Cathedral Staffelstein-Banz1-Asio.JPG, Banz Abbey BibraHaus.jpg, Bibra Palais (Bibra Haus), Bamberg

References

External links

*
Klöster in Bayern: Kloster Banz

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dientzenhofer, Johann 1663 births 1726 deaths People from Rosenheim (district) German Baroque architects 17th-century German architects 18th-century German architects Bavarian architects