Jonas Erikson Sundahl

Jonas Erikson Sundahl (1678-1762) was a Swedish-born architect who spent most of his working life at and around Zweibrücken in the German Palatinate. Most of his designs were in the then-modern Baroque style.

Biography

Sundahl's exact date of birth is uncertain. His father was Olaf Erikson Sundahl (1627-1697), a ship's captain. He had two brothers, Mons Erikson and Olaf.

In 1689 - at the age of 11 - he matriculated at Uppsala University. In 1693, his uncle, Brynolph Hesselgreen, called him to Pomerania. In 1698, he was appointed ''Landmesser'' (surveyor) in Halland and South Sweden.

The then king of Sweden, Charles XII, was also Duke of Palatinate-Zweibrücken in Germany. In 1702, , Charles' governor in Zweibrücken, asked for the services of an architect.It is uncertain whether Oxenstierna asked simply for an architect, or for Sundahl by name. Sundahl relocated to the Palatinate, where he stayed for the rest of his life. His earliest known work dates from that yearimprovements to the fortifications of Zweibrücken.

Oxenstierna died in 1707. Charles presumably appointed another governor in his place.

Charles has a warlike reputation. In 1702, he invaded Poland. In 1704, he deposed its king, Augustus II, and installed Stanisław Leszczyński in his place as a client king. In 1709, Stanisław was overthrown by Augustus, was expelled from Poland, and sought refuge in Sweden. In 1714, Stanisław relocated to Zweibrücken, where he remained until 1718. In 1715–1716, Sundahl designed and built a for Stanisław at Zweibrücken, called Lustschloss Tschifflik, overlooking the Schwarzbach."Tschifflik" is a germanisation of the Turkish word "çiftlik", which means "farm".Lustschloss Tschifflik was a very early example in Germany of the "English garden" style. He redesigned and rebuilt buildings at , where Stanisław's daughter Anna (died 1717) was buried.

Charles died in 1718. His cousin Gustav (1670-1731) inherited the title of Duke of Zweibrücken. Stanisław left Zweibrücken. It seems that the existing accommodation at Zweibrücken was not to Gustav's liking, because Sundahl spent 1720-1725 designing and building for him Zweibrücken Castle, perhaps his greatest achievement. From 1720 to 1725, Sundahl seems to have been chief architect () to the court of Zweibrücken. From 1724 or 1725 to 1731 (sources differ for the beginning date), he was subordinated to Charles François Duchesnois.It is not impossible that Sundahl's architectural works between 1718 and 1724 or 1725, presumably authorised by Duke Gustav, were beginning to put a strain on the ducal finances. In 1731, he was reinstated to his earlier position.The facts that his employer Duke Gustav had died in 1731, and had been succeeded by Duke Christian that same year, may perhaps be relevant. He was thereafter again chief architect at Zweibrücken, and was promoted to the rank of chamberlain (). In 1755, he resigned from his post (he was in his seventies), and was succeeded by his pupil and assistant (1726-1806).

Personal life

On 11 November 1705, Sundahl married Anna Dorothea von Bein (1680-1726), of a patrician family of Frankfurt am Main. They had 13 children, most of whom died young. Their third son, Johann Gottfried Christian, may have been a surveyor in Blieskastel and in the area around Kaiserslautern. On 26 July 1732, Sundahl married Katharina Sophia Heinztensberger, a widow. There were three children from that second marriage. Sundahl died on 5 June 1762, in Zweibrücken.

Works

Sundahl has been said to have been influenced by the ideas of Swedish architect Nicodemus Tessin the Younger (1654-1728).

Sundahl's works include:
* 1702improvements to the fortifications of Zweibrücken
* 1714, 1719, Mandelbachtal, improvements to the buildings and to the abbey church
* 1715-1716 Lustschloss Tschifflik, Zweibrücken, a for Stanisław Leszczyński
* 1716, a dower house in Forbach for , Countess of Forbach
* 1717Schloss Ditschviller, Cocheren
* 1720, a residence in Jägersburg, Homburg, for Gustav, Duke of Zweibrücken
* 1720-1725 Zweibrücken Castle, a ducal palace for Gustav, Duke of Zweibrücken
* 1720-1730Hof- and Bergskirche Lutheran churches in Bad Bergzabern
* 1722the Edelhaus in , now part of the Römermuseum Schwarzenacker
* 1723, Herschweiler-Pettersheim, a hunting lodge for Gustav, Duke of Zweibrücken
* 1723a church in Niederkirchen
* 1723a church in Rathskirchen
* 1723the Schwedenhof in Einöd for Gustav, Duke of Zweibrücken
* 1723 Bergzabern Palace for Gustav, Duke of Zweibrücken
* 1725-1731, , Homburg, for Gustav, Duke of Zweibrücken
* 1747the library () at Zweibrücken Castle
* 1750-1756Evangelical Church in Birkenfeld (with )
* 1755Schloss Blieskastel, Blieskastel
* 1755Zwinglikirche, a church in

Gallery

File:Lustschloss Tschifflik.jpg, Lustschloss Tschifflik (1715-1716)
File:Forbach château Barrabino.jpg, Château Barrabino, Forbach (1716)
File:Gräfinthal 18. Jahrhundert.jpg, An 18th century view of Gräfinthal Abbey which includes the church built by Sundahl (1719)
File:Gustavsburg mit Schlossweiher 2.jpg, Gustavsburg (1720)
File:Zweibrücken castle front April 2010 darker.jpg, Zweibrücken Castle (1720-1725)
File:Bad Bergzabern Bergkirche.jpg, Bergkirche, Bergzabern (1720-1730)
File:Schwarzenacker Edelhaus.jpg, Schwarzenacker Edelhaus (1722)
File:BadBergzabernSchloss.png, Bergzabern Palace (1723)
File:Pettersheim.jpg, Schloss Pettersheim (1723)
File:20150920 Germany Saarland Homburg Einöd Schule.jpg, Schwedenhof, Einöd (1723)
File:Wörschweiler Klosterberg 17xx.jpg, Schloss Gutenbrunnen (1725-1731)
File:55765 Am Kirchplatz 6.jpg, Birkenfeld Evangelical Church (1750-1756)
File:Blieskastel-Orangerie 0497.jpg, The orangery at Blieskastel (1755)
File:Niederauerbach-Kirche-06.jpg, Zwinglikirche, Niederauerbach (1755)

Notes

References

Other sources

* By .
* By .

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sundahl, Jonas Erikson
1678 births
1762 deaths
People from Dals-Ed Municipality
People from Zweibrücken
18th-century Swedish architects