Johann Philipp Gerlach (24 July 1679 – 17 September 1748) was a

Prussian Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, the House of Hohenzoll ...

court architect, who built churches and public buildings in and around

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

and

Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and largest city of the Germany, German States of Germany, state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the Havel, River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of B ...

Career

Gerlach was born in

Spandau Spandau () is the westernmost of the 12 boroughs of Berlin, boroughs () of Berlin, situated at the confluence (geography), confluence of the Havel and Spree (river), Spree rivers and extending along the western bank of the Havel. It is the smalle ...

. In 1707, he succeeded

Martin Grünberg Martin Grünberg or Martin Ginsberg (born 1655, Insterburg, then in the Duchy of Prussia, now in Russia – between 16 and 23 October 1706 or 1707Precise date of death unknown) was a German architect and master builder. Life He was active in B ...

as royal director of building (''königlicher Baudirektor und Leiter des Bauwesens'') in Berlin. King

Frederick William I of Prussia Frederick William I (; 14 August 1688 – 31 May 1740), known as the Soldier King (), was King in Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg from 1713 until his death in 1740, as well as Prince of Neuchâtel. Born in Berlin, he was raised by the Hugu ...

promoted him to ''Oberbaudirektor der königlichen Residenzen'' in 1720, making him responsible for all building of the state including bridges and fortifications. Gerlach directed the remodelling of the

Kronprinzenpalais The Kronprinzenpalais (English: ''Crown Prince's Palace'') is a former Royal Prussian residence on Unter den Linden boulevard in the historic centre of Berlin. It was built in 1663 and renovated in 1857 according to plans by Heinrich Strack in ...

in 1733, and built the Kollegienhaus/Kammergericht in 1734/35. He also designed three mayor squares in

Friedrichstadt Friedrichstadt (; ; ; ; ) is a town in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the river Eider approx. 12 km (7 miles) south of Husum. History The town was founded in 1621 by Dutch settlers. Duk ...

Pariser Platz Pariser Platz () is a square in the historic center of Berlin, Germany, situated by the Brandenburg Gate at the end of Unter den Linden boulevard. The square is named after the French capital of Paris to commemorate the victory of the Sixth ...

(''Quarree''),

Leipziger Platz Leipziger Platz is an octagonal square in the center of Berlin. It is located along Leipziger Straße east of (and adjacent to) Potsdamer Platz. History Layout and original architecture The square with the shape of an octagon, initially ...

(''Oktogon'') and

Mehringplatz Mehringplatz is a round plaza (or circus)A circus is "circular open space at a street junction" at the southern tip of the Friedrichstadt neighborhood of Kreuzberg district, Berlin. It marks the southern end of Friedrichstraße. Until 1970 b ...

(''Rondell''). The Garnisonkirche in Potsdam was his major work as an architect. Its ruin was demolished in 1963, the church is currently being rebuilt. He retired in April 1737 for health reasons, succeeded by . He died in Berlin.

Works

* 1710–1713 Charlottenburg municipal church, later called Luisenkirche, completed by , in 1821 with a new steeple by

Karl Friedrich Schinkel Karl Friedrich Schinkel (13 March 1781 – 9 October 1841) was a Prussian architect, urban planning, city planner and painter who also designed furniture and stage sets. Schinkel was one of the most prominent architects of Germany and designed b ...

* 1712–1713

Sophienkirche The Sophienkirche (Saint Sophia's Church) was a church in Dresden. It was located on the northeast corner of the Postplatz (post office square) in the old town before it was severely damaged in the Dresden bombing in 1945 and subsequently des ...

in Berlin * 1713–1714 Church tower of

Parochialkirche The Parochialkirche (literally the Reformed parochial church) is a Reformed church in the Klosterviertel neighbourhood of the Mitte borough in Berlin. The church, now a listed building, was built between 1695 and 1703. It is the oldest church in ...

in Berlin * 1721–1722 , changed in 1816 by Rabe, and in 1863 by Stüler, not extant * 1721–1724 St. Nikolai in Potsdam, burnt in 1795 * 1724 Town hall and ''Hauptwache'' in

Prenzlau Prenzlau (; ) is a town in Brandenburg, in north-eastern Germany, the administrative seat of Uckermark District. It is also the centre of the historic Uckermark region. Geography The town is located on the Ucker river, about north of Berlin. ...

, not extant * 1725–1731 Jerusalemer Kirche, changed by E. Knoblauch, not extant * 1731–1735 Garnisonkirche in

, currently being rebuilt * 1735

Brandenburger Tor The Brandenburg Gate ( ) is an 18th-century neoclassical monument in Berlin. One of the best-known landmarks of Germany, it was erected on the site of a former city gate that marked the start of the road from Berlin to Brandenburg an der Havel ...

, replaced in 1788 for the new gate by

Carl Gotthard Langhans Carl Gotthard Langhans (15 December 1732 – 1 October 1808) was a Prussian master builder and royal architect. His churches, palaces, grand houses, interiors, city gates and theatres in Silesia (now Poland), Berlin, Potsdam and elsewhere belo ...

* 1736 , demolished in 1872

References

External links

*
Gerlach, Philipp
life and works, Verein für die Geschichte Berlins

luise-berlin.de * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gerlach, Philipp German Baroque architects Architects from Berlin 1679 births 1748 deaths