Josef Schulz (11 April 1840 – 15 July 1917) was a Czech architect, designer, teacher and restorer.

Life and work

Schulz was born on 11 April 1840 in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

. His father, Jan Schulz, was a wealthy merchant, originally from Hrdlív. He began studying architecture at Prague Polytechnic (1857–1861), then transferred to the

Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna () is a public art school in Vienna, Austria. Founded in 1688 as a private academy, it is now a public university. The academy is also known for twice rejecting admission to a young Adolf Hitler in 1907 and 1908. ...

, where he worked in the studios of

Eduard van der Nüll Eduard van der Nüll (9 January 1812 (baptized) – 3 April 1868) was an Austrian architect, who was one of the great masters in the historicist style of Vienna's Ringstrasse. ''Architectural Theory: An Anthology from Vitruvius to 1870'', ...

and August Sicard von Sicardsburg; graduating in 1865. He also served as an assistant to the architect,

Josef Zítek Josef von Zítek (4 April 1832 – 9 September 1909) was a Czech architect best known for two Neo-Renaissance landmarks in Prague, the National Theatre and the Rudolfinum. Life and work Zítek's father died of cholera shortly before he was b ...

, from 1864 to 1868. He completed his studies with a two-year trip to Italy, from 1868 to 1870. After returning to Prague in 1871, he worked as an independent architect and invested in real estate; becoming the co-owner of several homes. His own home was in

Old Town In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins. In some cases, newer developments on t ...

. He was completely devoted to his work and kept his widowed sister, Antonia, as his housekeeper. In 1874, he began teaching at the Vocational School, creating designs for jewelry and

haberdashery __NOTOC__ In British English, a haberdasher is a business or person who sells small articles for sewing, dressmaking and knitting, such as buttons, ribbons, and zippers; in the United States, the term refers instead to a men's clothing store ...

, which were then produced by his students. In 1878, he was appointed a full Professor at the Polytechnic and became a member of the Royal Bohemian Society of Sciences. Some of his lectures were published as articles in professional journals, such as ''Architektonický obzor''. His architectural designs included decorative elements, as well as furniture, lighting, and other interior equipment. Often, he would collaborate with the sculptor,

Bohuslav Schnirch Bohuslav Bedřich Josef Schnirch (10 August 1845, Prague – 30 September 1901, Prague) was a Czech sculptor, designer, and preservationist. Biography Schnirch's father was the builder and engineer, , and his great-uncle, Bedřich Schnirch, des ...

, for external decorations. From 1881 to 1883, he oversaw the restoration of the National Theatre, which had been heavily damaged by a fire a few months after it opened. Together with his former teacher, Zítek, he worked on the design and construction of the

Rudolfinum The Rudolfinum is a building in Prague, Czech Republic. It is designed in the neo-Renaissance style and is situated on Jan Palach Square on the bank of the river Vltava. Since its opening in 1885, it has been associated with music and art. C ...

, which opened in 1885. Later, he was the sole designer for the

National Museum A national museum can be a museum maintained and funded by a national government. In many countries it denotes a museum run by the central government, while other museums are run by regional or local governments. In the United States, most nati ...

, built from 1885 to 1891, and the Museum of Decorative Arts, built from 1898 to 1901. He also participated in the restoration of over a dozen buildings; including the and the

Wallenstein Palace Waldstein Palace () is a Baroque palace in Malá Strana, Prague, that served as a residence for Holy Roman Empire, Imperial Generalissimo Albrecht von Waldstein and now houses the Senate of the Czech Republic. History The original Palace was b ...

in Prague, as well as castles of

Stránov Stránov is castle in Jizerní Vtelno in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. The original Middle Ages castle was reconstructed by Joseph Schulz to the Renaissance Revival architecture, Neo-Renaissance look it has today. History I ...

and

Vrchlabí Vrchlabí (; , ) is a town in Trutnov District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 12,000 inhabitants. It lies at the foot of the Giant Mountains on the river Elbe. The town centre with the castle complex, monastery c ...

, and churches in

Uherské Hradiště Uherské Hradiště (; ) is a town in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 25,000 inhabitants. The agglomeration with the two neighbouring towns of Staré Město (Uherské Hradiště District), Staré Město and Kunovice has over ...

and

Horní Maršov Horní Maršov () is a municipality and village in Trutnov District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 900 inhabitants. It lies in the Giant Mountains. Administrative division Horní Maršov consists of six municipa ...

. In 1911, the Czech Technical University (formerly the Polytechnic) awarded him the honorary title, Doctor of Technical Sciences. He died on 15 July 1917 in

Špindlerův Mlýn Špindlerův Mlýn (; , formerly also ''Spindelmühle'') is a town in Trutnov District in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,100 inhabitants. It lies in the Giant Mountains and is one of the most frequented ski resort ...

Sources

* Karel B. Mádl: "Josef Schulz" (obituary) in: ''

Národní listy ''Národní listy'' ("The National Newspaper") was a Czech newspaper published in Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bo ...

'', August 1917 * Anděla Horová (Ed.), ''Nová encyklopedie českého výtvarného umění'', Vol. II. N–Ž, Academia Praha 1993, p. 740 * Ferdinand Seibt, Hans Lemberg, Helmut Slapnicka: ''Biographisches Lexikon zur Geschichte der böhmischen Länder'', Collegium Carolinum, Vol. III, R. Oldenbourg Verlag, 2000, p. 787 * *

External links

*
Works by and about Schulz
@ the

National Library of the Czech Republic The National Library of the Czech Republic () is the central library of the Czech Republic. It is directed by the Ministry of Culture (Czech Republic), Ministry of Culture. The library's main building is located in the historical Clementinum buil ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schulz, Josef 1840 births 1917 deaths Czech architects Architectural designers Academy of Fine Arts Vienna alumni Architects from Prague