Jānis Frīdrihs Baumanis (or ''Johann Friedrich Baumann'', May 23, 1834,

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

– March 19, 1891, Riga) was a Latvian,

Baltic German Baltic Germans ( or , later ) are Germans, ethnic German inhabitants of the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea, in what today are Estonia and Latvia. Since Flight and expulsion of Germans (1944–1950), their resettlement in 1945 after the end ...

architect. He was the first professional Latvian architect. Baumanis designed the Riga Circus in 1888. He was responsible for a number of important public buildings of eclectic design constructed in the second half of the 19th century in Riga.

Biography

Jānis Frīdrihs Baumanis was born in 1834 in

, the son of a ferryman. In his youth he started work as a carpenter. In Riga he was spotted by the St. Petersburg architect Ludvig Bohnstedt. With his support Baumanis undertook studies in the ''

Bauakademie The Bauakademie (Building Academy, also known as the ''Schinkelsche Bauakademie'') in Berlin, Germany, was a higher education institution for the art of building to train master builders. Founded on 18 March 1799 by King Frederick William II ...

'' in

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(1860–62) and in the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts (1862–65). After that he was a government architect in Livland (now

Vidzeme Vidzeme (; Old Latvian orthography: ''Widda-semme'', ) is one of the Historical Latvian Lands. The capital of Latvia, Riga, is situated in the southwestern part of the region. Literally meaning "the Middle Land", it is situated in north-centra ...

) until he established his own practice in Riga. Baumanis also played an important role in Latvian cultural history. In 1862 he helped to establish the first union of Russian architects in St. Petersburg. In 1879 he was involved in establishing the Union of Riga Architects (''Rigaer Architekten=Verein''). Further, in 1868, he helped to establish the Latvian union in Riga. His main professional activity was in relation to the former defensive walls of Riga. The walls, built of sand, were demolished in the mid-19th century and a new string of boulevards was planned. He designed 40% of the buildings in this area. His buildings were mostly eclectic (a combination of

Neo-Renaissance Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th-century Revivalism (architecture), architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival architecture, Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival ar ...

and

Neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...

elements) in design, with refined details and well-executed plastic forms. He also designed the ''Alexanders Gymnasium'' (a secondary school) in Riga, now the Latvian Academy of Music, in 1870-75. From 1887 to 1888 Baumanis was responsible for the building of the Riga Regional Court at 34 Brīvības Blvd. In its construction Baumanis drew on both Classical and

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 ...

influences for the façades. The structure won him considerable acclaim not only for the exterior but also for the interior design. Altogether he designed 17 Orthodox churches in the southern part of Estonia and Vidzeme and more than 150 buildings in Riga.

Gallery

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baumanis, Janis Fridrihs 1834 births 1891 deaths Architects from Riga 19th-century Latvian architects Architects from the Russian Empire