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Balthasar Neumann | |
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| Born | Johann Balthasar Neumann c.(1687-01-27)27 January 1687 |
| Died | 19 August 1753(1753-08-19) (aged 66) Würzburg,Prince-Bishopric of Würzburg, Holy Roman Empire |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Buildings | Würzburg Residence, Basilica of the Fourteen Saints |
Johann Balthasar Neumann (listenⓘ; c. 27 January 1687 – 19 August 1753), usually known asBalthasar Neumann, was a Germanarchitect and military artillery engineer who developed a refined brand ofBaroque architecture, fusing Austrian, Bohemian, Italian, and French elements to design some of the most impressive buildings of the period, including theWürzburg Residence and theBasilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers (calledVierzehnheiligen in German).
The Würzburg Residence is considered one of the most beautiful and well proportioned palaces in Europe[1] and the Basilica of the Fourteen Holy Helpers is considered by some as the crowning work of the period.
Neumann is believed to have been born on 27 January 1687 inEger,Kingdom of Bohemia (todayCheb,Czech Republic), the seventh of nine children of cloth-maker Hans Christoph Neumann (d. 1713) and his wife Rosina (1645–1707). Neumann was baptized on 30 January 1687. His first apprenticeship was spent working at a bell and gunfoundry in Eger. However, as awandering journeyman he came toWürzburg in 1711. In 1712, he attended lessons on geometry, architecture and land surveying and joined the local military, in which he remained until his death, then holding the rank of colonel of the artillery. He created measurement instruments (1712, Deutsches Museum/Munich and 1713, Mainfränkisches Museum, Würzburg), a map of Würzburg (1715, copy at the War Archive, Munich) and some drawings for a new abbey atEbrach Abbey (1716, now lost).[1]
In 1717, he served in theAustro–Turkish War, advancing with his unit from Vienna to Belgrade. In 1718, he travelled through northern Italy to study buildings and briefly worked on civilian construction projects at Milan (details not known).[1]
Neumann's career as an architect took off underJohann Philipp Franz von Schönborn,Prince-Bishop of Würzburg, who asked the young engineer in 1719 to plan, and in 1720 to lead construction of, his new palace, theWürzburg Residence. Although other architects participated, Neumann was able to give the project his personal imprint, which became his life's work.[1]
The second task for the Prince-Bishop was theSchönbornkapelle ofWürzburg Cathedral (from 1721). In 1723 Neumann traveled and studied in France. At Paris and Versailles he met with royal architectsGermain Boffrand andRobert de Cotte and consulted them on the Würzburg projects. Back at Würzburg, Neumann started to build a hunting lodge known as Mädelhofen (1724, unfinished, demolished in 1725).[1]
In 1725, Neumann married Maria Eva Engelberts (b. 1704 – d. 1745); they had three sons and 5 daughters.[1]
Under von Schönborn's successor,Christoph Franz von Hutten (1673–1729) he was less busy at Wurzburg and mainly worked for various abbeys. His new church atMünsterschwarzach Abbey (after 1727, demolished after 1821) laid the groundwork for his fame as a builder of churches. Another work of this period was the church at Kloster Holzkirchen (1728–30) where he combined features of the French, Italian and German Baroque.[1]
The next Prince-Bishop wasFriedrich Karl von Schönborn (1674–1746), who also wasPrince-Bishop of Bamberg. AsReichsvizekanzler von Schönborn lived at the imperial court at Vienna until 1734. He named Neumann director of all military, civilian and ecclesiastical construction in both bishoprics and in 1729 and 1739 ordered him to Vienna, where he exchanged views withJohann Lukas von Hildebrandt, von Schönborn's architect, whose influence is visible in some parts of the Residence and also at the hunting lodge ofWerneck (after 1733).[1]
As chief engineer of the jointHochstifts, Neumann was responsible for overseeing fortifications, transport and water engineering and for improving urban planning in practical and aesthetical terms. From 1731, he also taught military and civilian architecture at Würzburg University.[1]
Neumann also worked forDamian Hugo Philipp von Schönborn (1676–1743) andFranz Georg von Schönborn (1682–1756). Neumann built theCorps de Logis of theSchloss Bruchsal (after 1731), with its notable stairway. In the same town, he also designed the church of St. Peter (1740–1746) which was to be the burial site for the Prince-Bishops of Speyer. Among his work for the Elector of Trier are theDikasterialgebäude ofEhrenbreitstein Fortress (1739–1748) and the summer palaceSchönbornslust (1748–1752, demolished 1806) at Kesselheim, also nearKoblenz.[1]
This work, in turn, led to Neumann being contacted for further work in the west of Germany. Out of many mooted projects only the stairway and New Apartments of theBrühl Palace (from 1743). Plans he made for the ducal palace atStuttgart (after 1747), forSchwetzingen Palace (1749) and theResidence at Karlsruhe (after 1750) were never implemented.[1]
As a builder of churches, Neumann recurred toGuarino Guarini, the architecture of his native Bohemia and its transmittance to Franconia byJohann Dientzenhofer. He emphasized the use of therotunda as a central feature of his churches. This reached its pinnacle atVierzehnheiligen (after 1742) andNeresheim (after 1747).[1]
One of his last large projects was a rebuilding of theHofburg Palace at Vienna (after 1746), which was not put into practice, however.[1]
Neumann worked onSt. Paulinus' Church inTrier, designing most of the internal elements.[citation needed]
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He died in Würzburg on 19 August 1753 and is buried at theMarienkapelle there. The final German 50Deutsche Mark note showed a picture of him together with the famous staircase located in the Residence of Würzburg. Neumann was also depicted byTiepolo in the ceiling fresco above the stairway of the Residence, in pseudo-military uniform, leaning over a cannon. He had boasted that the ceiling was so well constructed that not even the roar of a cannon would make the roof fall.
