Thomas Resetarits (born Tome Rešetarić, 25 November 1939 – 18 May 2022) was an Austrian sculptor, who created art in public spaces, especially in and around churches, including the Eisenstadt Cathedral.

Life

Tome Rešetarić was born in

Stinatz Stinatz (Croatian language, Croatian: ''Stinjaki'', Hungarian language, Hungarian: ''Pásztorháza'') is a town in the district of Güssing (district), Güssing in Burgenland in Austria. According to the last census 62% of the population are memb ...

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

, the son of Franjo and Justina Tome Rešetarić, who belonged to the Croatian minority in Burgenland. He began carving wood sculptures as a school pupil. He trained to be a

stonemason Stonemasonry or stonecraft is the creation of buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone as the primary material. Stonemasonry is the craft of shaping and arranging stones, often together with mortar and even the ancient lime mortar ...

Graz Graz () is the capital of the Austrian Federal states of Austria, federal state of Styria and the List of cities and towns in Austria, second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 inc ...

from 1955, completing his training in 1957. He worked in Vienna and later for a

stone industry Stone industry refers to the part of the primary sector of the economy, similar to the mining industry, but concerned with excavations of stones, in particular granite, marble, slate and sandstone. Other products of the industry include crushed s ...

firm in

Salzburg Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...

. In 1964, he passed the master's examination in Vienna. He studied from 1965 at the

Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien A German Akademie is a school or college, trade school or another educational institution. The word Akademie (unlike the words Gymnasium or Universität) is not protected by law, and any school or college may choose to call itself Akademie. A Som ...

. Resetarits married elementary school teacher Herta Flasch in 1966 and began working as a freelance sculptor. He travelled to Rome, Hungary, Croatia, Germany, Mexico, the U.S., India, New Guinea, South America, South Africa, and China to gain inspiration for his work. He became a member of the association Friedhof und Denkmal (cemetery and monument) in

Kassel Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in North Hesse, northern Hesse, in Central Germany (geography), central Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Kassel (region), Kassel and the d ...

. Resetarits worked mostly in stone, wood, and bronze. From 1970, he received many commissions from the Diocese of Eisenstadt to design altars, altar areas, and

Stations of the Cross The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Via Dolorosa, Way of Sorrows or the , are a series of fourteen images depicting Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ on the day of Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion and acc ...

. From 1974 to 1976, he also worked as an instructor in a prison in

Eisenstadt Eisenstadt (; ; ; or ; ) is the capital city of the Provinces of Austria, Austrian state of Burgenland. With a population of 15,074 (as of 2023), it is the smallest state capital and the 38th-largest city in Austria overall. It lies at the foot o ...

. He created ''Kontakt'', a tall

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...

sculpture, for a panoramic rest area near Bernstein on the (B 50) in 1987. In addition, he designed

stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...

windows from 1990, received commissions for public spaces, and worked as a book illustrator. Resetarits lived and worked in Wörterberg, Burgenland. He died at the age of 82 after a prolonged illness.

Works in public space

* 1971: Altar relief (oak), Glashütten, Burgenland * 1974: Altar area (marble), , Burgenland * 1976: Altar area, Krankenhauskapelle in

Güssing Güssing (; , ) is a town in Burgenland, Austria. It is located at , with a population of 3,610 (2023), and is the administrative center of the Güssing (district), Güssing district. For centuries the town occupied an important position on the we ...

, Burgenland * 1980:

Virgin of Mercy The Virgin of Mercy is a subject in Christian art, showing a group of people sheltering for protection under the outspread cloak, or pallium, of the Virgin Mary. It was especially popular in Italy from the 13th to 16th centuries, often as a spec ...

, portal of the Eisenstadt Cathedral, Burgenland * 1981: Flügelaltar (linden),

Oberschützen Oberschützen ( derived from ''"Felső"''=upper, ''"Lövő"''=shooter) is a town in the district of Oberwart in the Austrian state of Burgenland. Subdivisions * Aschau im Burgenland * Oberschützen * Schmiedrait * Unterschützen * Willersdorf ...

, Burgenland * 1983: 15 Stations of the Cross, Woppendorf, Burgenland * 1985: Bronze door, Eisenstadt Cathedral * 1986: Altar and Stations of the Cross,

Bad Tatzmannsdorf Bad Tatzmannsdorf (, ) is a municipality in Burgenland in the district of Oberwart in Austria. Geography Parts of the municipality are Bad Tatzmannsdorf, Jormannsdorf, and Sulzriegel. The countryside has rolling hills which are popular with walk ...

* 1987: ''Kontakt'' (bronze), rest area Bernstein, B 50 * 1988: Triptychon, Kanonikerhaus in Eisenstadt, Burgenland * 1990: Altar area, Filialkirche * 1991: Altar area (cherry wood), , Burgenland * 1994: Stations of the Cross (limestone), Donnerskirchen, Burgenland * 1996: Stations of the Cross (granite), Kegalberg next to Pfarrkirche Rohrbach bei Mattersburg, Burgenland * 1996: Altar area (wood), Schwarzenbach, Lower Austria * 1999: Altar area (marble), Heiligenkreuz, Lower Austria * 2000: Altar area (serpentinit), Badersdorf * 2003: Stations of the Cross (wood), Neudorf, Burgenland * 2003: ''Europabrunnen'', 6th , Bruckneudorf * 2007: Altar area,

Rust, Burgenland Rust (; ; ) is a city in the Austrian state of Burgenland, located on the western shore of Lake Neusiedl near the border with Hungary. With only about 1,900 inhabitants, it is the country's smallest statutory city (Austria), statutory city, as it ...

, Burgenland

Gallery

Panoramaparkplatz Bernstein (Burgenland) 01.jpg, ''Kontakt'' at Bernstein panoramic rest area, B 50 Rohrbach bei Mattersburg - Kreuzweg.jpg, Stations of the Cross, Kegalberg in Rohrbach bei Mattersburg Filialkirche Sulz im Burgenland Interior 03.jpg, Altar and Stations of the Cross in Sulz EU- Burgenland-Kroaten.JPG, Stone relief for "Burgenlandkroaten" in Kaisersteinbruch

Exhibitions

* 2001: Solo exhibition, Kulturzentrum Oberschützen * 2004: Kunstachse Oberschützen, Burgenland * 2010: Landesgalerie Burgenland

Book illustrations

* 1977: * 1983: ''Weihnachten ist jeden Tag'', Dr. J. Frank, Morsak Verlag, * 1988: * 1990: ''Du bleibst bei uns. Ein Kreuzweg'', , * 2003: ''Die Sandalen des Moses'', Alfons Jestl, publication PNº1 (Bibliothek der Provinz Weitra), * 2007: ''Die Fee im Kirschbaum'' (drawings), Alfons Jestl, publication PNº1 (Bibliothek der Provinz Weitra),

References

External links

* *
Stegersbach – Bekenntnissäule
(in German) stegersbach.net {{DEFAULTSORT:Resetarits, Thomas 1939 births 2022 deaths 20th-century Austrian sculptors Austrian male sculptors Austrian people of Croatian descent People from Güssing District Burgenland Croats