Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach
Portrait by Ádám Mányoki, c. 1723
Born	(1656-07-20)20 July 1656 Graz
Died	5 April 1723(1723-04-05) (aged 66) Vienna
Nationality	Austrian
Occupation	Architect

Buildings	Schönbrunn Palace Karlskirche Austrian National Library Schloss Klessheim Holy Trinity Church Kollegienkirche

Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach (born July 20, 1656 – died April 5, 1723) was an important Austrian architect, sculptor, and historian of architecture. His designs in the Baroque style had a huge impact on the Habsburg Empire. His famous book, A Plan of Civil and Historical Architecture (1721), was one of the first books to compare different types of architecture from around the world.

Some of his most well-known buildings include Schönbrunn Palace, Karlskirche, and the Austrian National Library in Vienna. He also designed Schloss Klessheim, Holy Trinity Church, and the Kollegienkirche in Salzburg.

Early Life and Training
Becoming a Court Architect
Working for Emperor Joseph I
Salzburg and Later Projects
Selected Works
Gallery
See also

Early Life and Training

Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach was born in Graz, Austria, and was baptized on July 20, 1656. His family was well-known in Graz. His father was a sculptor, and his grandfather was a bookseller. Johann learned how to sculpt in his father's workshop. His father, Johann Baptist Fischer, helped create the sculptures inside buildings like the Landhaus and Eggenberg Palace in Graz.

In the 1600s, the Princes of Eggenberg were important supporters of art. They helped Johann's talented father, and through him, they arranged for young Johann to travel to Italy. This allowed him to study art in the exciting world of the late Italian Baroque style.

In 1671, when he was 16, Johann moved to Rome. There, he joined the workshop of another Austrian artist, Johann Paul Schor, and the very famous Gian Lorenzo Bernini. This gave him many chances to study both old and new sculptures and buildings. By 1685, he had moved with Schor to Naples.

Becoming a Court Architect

Fischer von Erlach returned to Austria in 1687. He quickly became a popular architect. There was a lot of work because royalty and rich families wanted to fix their country homes. These homes had been damaged by the Ottoman Turks during their campaign in 1683, which included the Battle of Vienna.

Fischer's understanding of the elegant Baroque style was much better than what was common in Central Europe at the time. In 1687, he got a very important job: court architect. This meant he designed buildings for the royal family. He kept this job, working for three different emperors.

Working for Emperor Joseph I

The 1690s were a very busy and successful time for Fischer. He took the Italian Baroque style and made it fit Austrian traditions and needs. In 1690, he became very famous for two temporary triumphal arches he built in Vienna. These arches celebrated Joseph I becoming emperor.

Fischer later taught Emperor Joseph I about architecture. He did such a good job that in 1696, the emperor made Johann Fischer a nobleman. From then on, he was known as Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach.

In his designs from the late 1600s, Fischer von Erlach used strong, curving lines, like those seen in Bernini's work. He wanted his buildings to feel like they were moving. He also got ideas from Mansart's country homes and the classical Palladian villas. He studied these styles during his trips to Prussia, the Netherlands, England in 1704, and Venice in 1707.

Fischer helped create a special kind of Baroque architecture that shaped the style of Austrian noble families for many years. A great example of his work from the 1690s is the Winter Palace of Prince Eugene of Savoy, which he started in 1695 in Vienna. This building was a new kind of city palace, known for its impressive shape, clear structure, and lively decorations.

Salzburg and Later Projects

Fischer was also very good at planning cities. He used these skills in his designs for the Archbishop of Salzburg. Two churches he designed are especially impressive: the Holy Trinity Church (Dreifaltigkeitskirche) (1694–1702) and the Kollegienkirche (Collegiate Church) (1696–1707). Their tall domes and towers, curved facades, and dynamic shapes completely changed the look of Salzburg. People said that Fischer designed the stone to look like clouds and smoke. He also designed the archbishop's country home, Schloss Klessheim (1700–09).

Fischer visited Dalmatia (a region in Croatia) and brought back ideas from the ancient Roman Diocletian's Palace. This was one of the first times a professional architect in Western Europe had studied this important Roman building.

After Emperor Joseph I died in 1711, Fischer von Erlach didn't get as many new jobs. The designs of his rival, Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt, were more popular with the new emperor, Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, and his court.

However, Fischer used this time to draw some of the best reconstructions of ancient buildings. These drawings were published in his important book, Plan of Civil and Historical Architecture, in 1721. He also had many administrative tasks, which took up a lot of his time and energy.

The Clam-Gallas Palace in Prague, started in 1713, was one of his last designs for a grand city home. This building was copied by many later architects. It shows how much Fischer loved Palladian facades, which became even more important in his later work.

But it is the Karlskirche in Vienna, started in 1715, that best shows his final, combined style. This church was finished by his son, Joseph Emanuel. In this building, Fischer wanted to bring together the main ideas from the most important churches in Western history. These included the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem, Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, the Pantheon and Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome, the Dome des Invalides in Paris, and Saint Paul's Cathedral in London.

Selected Works

Pestsäule, Graben, Vienna, Austria, 1687
Pilgrimage Church Maria Straßengel high altar, Graz, Austria, 1687
Ruprecht von Eggenberg mausoleum alterations, Ehrenhausen, Austria, 1690
Palais Augarten, Vienna, Austria, 1688–92
Count Schlick summer house, Vienna, Austria, 1692
Palais Strattman, Vienna, Austria, 1692
Palais Schönborn-Batthyány, Vienna, Austria, 1692–93
Schloß Niederweiden hunting lodge, Lower Austria, Austria, 1693
Pferdeschwemme, Salzburg, 1693
Hofmarstall stables portal, Salzburg, Austria, 1694
Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna, Austria, 1695
Parnas fountain on Zelný trh (Cabbage market), Brno 1696
Schloss Neuwaldegg, Vienna, Austria, 1697
Winter Palace of Prince Eugene, Vienna, Austria, 1695–97
Schloss Klessheim, Salzburg, Austria, 1700
Pilgrimage Church in Kirchental, Lofer, Salzburg, Austria, 1694–1701
Holy Trinity Church (Dreifaltigkeitskirche), Salzburg, Austria, 1694–1702
Johannesspitalskirche, Salzburg, Austria, 1699–1703
Mariazell Basilica high altar, Mariazell, Austria, 1692–1704
St. Mark's Church (Markuskirche, formerly Ursulinenkirche), Salzburg, Austria, 1699–1705
Stadtpalais Liechtenstein side portal, Vienna, Austria, 1705
Kollegienkirche (Collegiate Church), Salzburg, Austria, 1696–1707
Franciscan Church high altar, Salzburg, Austria, 1708
Palais Lobkowitz, Vienna, Austria, 1709–11
Palais Trautson, Vienna, Austria, 1710–12
Perchtoldsdorf plague column, Vienna, Austria, 1713
Bohemian Court Chancellery, Vienna, Austria, 1708–14
Clam-Gallas Palace, Prague, 1714–18
Cekin Mansion, Ljubljana, 1720
Palais Schwarzenberg, Vienna, Austria, 1720–22
Stallburg, Vienna, Austria, 1723
Karlskirche, Vienna, Austria, 1716–23
Wrocław Cathedral electoral chapel, Wrocław, Poland, 1716–24
Austrian National Library plans, Vienna, Austria, 1723–26