Karl Ernstberger
Encyclopedia
Karl Ernstberger was a Czech German architect
active in western Bohemia, predominantly in Karlovy Vary
.
Ernstberger had studied at the Art Academy in Vienna
, under professor Otto Wagner
. After the studies he worked for architect Leopold Bauer and helped to design buildings of Austro-Hungarian National Bank in Vienna, Priesnitz spa (Sanatorium Priessnitz) in Lázně Jeseník
and commerce chamber house in Opava
. In 1913 he became independent architect (together with Kilian Köhler). Their designs for the government building (Landtag) in Chernivtsi
(Czernowitz) in Bukowina
and for the National Library and Museum in Sofia
, Bulgaria
obtained awards.
At the beginning World War I
Ernstberger was sent to the Eastern Front
and a member of a Kaiserjäger
(mountain infantry) unit and participated in the Battle of Galicia. In 1917 he was made the leader of a group building monuments of fallen soldiers (Denkmal-Bauabteilung). He designed a monument of mountain infantry in Bolzano, their museum in Runkelstein Castle in what was Austro-Hungarian Tyrol
and their monument and cemetery in Huijcze Galicia.
After the war, in 1918, Ernstberger returned to Czechoslovakia
and set up an office in Stříbro
, together with his brother Joseph. Among others he realized student dormitory for the monastery in Svatá Anna
, a housing settlement in Planá u Mariánských Lázní
, shoe factory building in Černošín
and several school buildings. In 1924 Ernstberger moved to Karlovy Vary
and here, as a prominent local representant of Art Nouveau
and of early modernism
designed or reconstructed several hotels: Loib (today Grandhotel Central http://www.interhotel-central.cz/en/hotel.html) in 1924-25, Grandhotel Bad (today Sevastopol) in 1926 and Wolker in 1929-30. He also designed several villas in Art Deco
style. The most important work of this period is a church building in village Dalovice (1929) having a modern style tower. Together with Bohuslav Fuchs
designed sanatorium
Morava in Tatranská Lomnica
photos. In 1933 a watchtower Bleiberg designed by him was erected in Bublava
. In 1939-40 he realized several housing settlements for railway company workers.
In 1945 his house and office in Karlovy Vary were destroyed by bombing and in 1946 Ernstberger with the family were expelled into Germany
. He first lived in Sugenheim
, then in Ansbach
where he designed several buildings. At age of 65 Ernstberger retired. Later, he tried to became independent architect again in Reutlingen
but the attempt failed. The second attempt, after he moved into Nuremberg
, however succeeded and Ernstberger was still active in his 80s.
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
active in western Bohemia, predominantly in Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary is a spa city situated in western Bohemia, Czech Republic, on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá, approximately west of Prague . It is named after King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who founded the city in 1370...
.
Ernstberger had studied at the Art Academy in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, under professor Otto Wagner
Otto Wagner
Otto Koloman Wagner was an Austrian architect and urban planner, known for his lasting impact on the appearance of his home town Vienna, to which he contributed many landmarks.-Life:...
. After the studies he worked for architect Leopold Bauer and helped to design buildings of Austro-Hungarian National Bank in Vienna, Priesnitz spa (Sanatorium Priessnitz) in Lázně Jeseník
Lázne Jeseník
Lázně Jeseník is a small village in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It is administratively part of the city of Jeseník ....
and commerce chamber house in Opava
Opava
Opava is a city in the northern Czech Republic on the river Opava, located to the north-west of Ostrava. The historical capital of Czech Silesia, Opava is now in the Moravian-Silesian Region and has a population of 59,843 as of January 1, 2005....
. In 1913 he became independent architect (together with Kilian Köhler). Their designs for the government building (Landtag) in Chernivtsi
Chernivtsi
Chernivtsi is the administrative center of Chernivtsi Oblast in southwestern Ukraine. The city is situated on the upper course of the River Prut, a tributary of the Danube, in the northern part of the historic region of Bukovina, which is currently divided between Romania and Ukraine...
(Czernowitz) in Bukowina
Bukowina
Bukowina may refer to:*Bukowina, Lower Silesian Voivodeship *Bukowina, Biłgoraj County in Lublin Voivodeship *Bukowina, Piotrków County in Łódź Voivodeship...
and for the National Library and Museum in Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
obtained awards.
At the beginning World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Ernstberger was sent to the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War I)
The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central and, primarily, Eastern Europe. The term is in contrast to the Western Front. Despite the geographical separation, the events in the two theatres strongly influenced each other...
and a member of a Kaiserjäger
Gebirgsjäger
Gebirgsjäger, in English Mountain Riflemen, is the German designation for mountain infantry. The word Jäger is the traditional German term for rifleman...
(mountain infantry) unit and participated in the Battle of Galicia. In 1917 he was made the leader of a group building monuments of fallen soldiers (Denkmal-Bauabteilung). He designed a monument of mountain infantry in Bolzano, their museum in Runkelstein Castle in what was Austro-Hungarian Tyrol
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
and their monument and cemetery in Huijcze Galicia.
After the war, in 1918, Ernstberger returned to Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
and set up an office in Stříbro
Stríbro
Stříbro is a town in the Pilsen Region of the Czech Republic, some to the west from the region capital of Pilsen.Stříbro is also the seat of the Municipality with Extended Competence....
, together with his brother Joseph. Among others he realized student dormitory for the monastery in Svatá Anna
Horšovský Týn
Horšovský Týn is a town in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It lies on the River Radbuza, some south-west of the region capital Plzeň.- History :...
, a housing settlement in Planá u Mariánských Lázní
Planá u Mariánských Lázní
Planá, or Planá u Mariánských Lázní is a town in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It lies some to the west from the region capital of Pilsen....
, shoe factory building in Černošín
Cernošín
Černošín is a town in the Czech Republic....
and several school buildings. In 1924 Ernstberger moved to Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary is a spa city situated in western Bohemia, Czech Republic, on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá, approximately west of Prague . It is named after King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who founded the city in 1370...
and here, as a prominent local representant of Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
and of early modernism
Modernism
Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
designed or reconstructed several hotels: Loib (today Grandhotel Central http://www.interhotel-central.cz/en/hotel.html) in 1924-25, Grandhotel Bad (today Sevastopol) in 1926 and Wolker in 1929-30. He also designed several villas in Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
style. The most important work of this period is a church building in village Dalovice (1929) having a modern style tower. Together with Bohuslav Fuchs
Bohuslav Fuchs
Bohuslav Fuchs was a Czech modernist architect.A mason by education, he studied at Academy of Fine Arts in Prague in 1916-1919 by Jan Kotěra and then he worked in Kotěra's atelier for two years. From 1922 he resided in Brno, where he worked at city construction office and later in his own atelier...
designed sanatorium
Sanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
Morava in Tatranská Lomnica
Tatranská Lomnica
Tatranská Lomnica is a town in the Slovakian part of the High Tatras mountains. It is a skiing and hiking resort best known for the cable car to Lomnický štít, one of the steepest in Europe and remarkable for its lack of support pylons between the two stations...
photos. In 1933 a watchtower Bleiberg designed by him was erected in Bublava
Bublava
Bublava is a village and municipality in Sokolov District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has a current population of 319.- Geaographical Situation :...
. In 1939-40 he realized several housing settlements for railway company workers.
In 1945 his house and office in Karlovy Vary were destroyed by bombing and in 1946 Ernstberger with the family were expelled into Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
. He first lived in Sugenheim
Sugenheim
Sugenheim is a municipality in the district of Neustadt -Bad Windsheim in Bavaria in Germany.The municipality consists of eleven villages:...
, then in Ansbach
Ansbach
Ansbach, originally Onolzbach, is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is the capital of the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Ansbach is situated southwest of Nuremberg and north of Munich, on the Fränkische Rezat, a tributary of the Main river. As of 2004, its population was 40,723.Ansbach...
where he designed several buildings. At age of 65 Ernstberger retired. Later, he tried to became independent architect again in Reutlingen
Reutlingen
Reutlingen is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is the capital of the eponymous district of Reutlingen. As of April 2008, it has a population of 109,828....
but the attempt failed. The second attempt, after he moved into Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
, however succeeded and Ernstberger was still active in his 80s.
Literature
- Article on Czech Wikipedia contains list of articles about Ernstberger in Czech, German and Italian.