Johan Heinrich Günther Schüssler (1835—1898) was a German-born

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

and builder who worked in

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

, primarily in the area from

Kongsvinger Kongsvinger () is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Glåmdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kongsvinger. Other settlements in the municipality include Aust ...

Lillehammer Lillehammer () is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. Some of the more notable villages in the municip ...

. Schüssler's work is characterized by

neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...

and

Swiss chalet style Swiss chalet style (german: Schweizerstil, no, Sveitserstil) is an architectural style of Late Historicism, originally inspired by rural chalets in Switzerland and the Alpine (mountainous) regions of Central Europe. The style refers to traditi ...

. He is considered one of the earliest architects who brought the Swiss style to Norway. He is particularly known for his designs of many churches in eastern Norway. Schüssler was born in Mehrstedt in

Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was a small historic state in present-day Thuringia, Germany, with its capital at Rudolstadt. History Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was established in 1599 in the course of a resettlement of Schwarzburg dynasty lands. Since th ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

on 13 November 1835. He began at a young age with apprenticeships in northern Germany,

Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sch ...

and

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

, as he trained as a carpenter, builder, and architect. He came to Norway around 1855 and he received Norwegian citizenship in 1857. He worked his whole career in Eastern Norway building churches, railway stations, and other buildings. In 1898, he began to feel unwell and went to the doctor. He was diagnosed with

stomach cancer Stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, is a cancer that develops from the lining of the stomach. Most cases of stomach cancers are gastric carcinomas, which can be divided into a number of subtypes, including gastric adenocarcinomas. Lymph ...

, and he did not have many months to live. On 25 September 1898, he died in the middle of work on the Magnor customs station and the restoration of

Vinger Church Vinger Church ( no, Vinger kirke) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Kongsvinger Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the town of Kongsvinger. It is the church for the Vinger parish which is part of the Solør, Vi ...

Works

* Nordskogbygda Church *

Oppstad Church Oppstad Church ( no, Oppstad kirke) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Sør-Odal Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the village of Oppstad. It is the church for the Oppstad parish which is part of the Solør, ...

(restoration) *

Åsnes Church Åsnes Church ( no, Åsnes kirke) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Åsnes Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the village of Flisa. It is the church for the Åsnes parish which is part of the Solør, Vinger ...

(restoration) *

Brandval Church Brandval Church ( no, Brandval kirke) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Kongsvinger Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the village of Brandval. It is one of the churches for the Brandval parish which is part of ...

(restoration) * Arneberg Church * Årnes Church *

Elverum Church Elverum Church ( no, Elverum kirke) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Elverum Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the town of Elverum. It is the church for the Elverum parish and the seat of the Sør-Østerdal ...

(restoration) *

Eidsvoll Church Eidsvoll Church (Norwegian: ''Eidsvoll Kirke'') is a cruciform church from c. 1190 in Eidsvoll, Viken in Norway. The Romanesque building is of stone and probably one of the first cruciform stone churches to be built in Norway. Close to Eidsvol ...

Grue Finnskog Church Grue Finnskog Church ( no, Grue Finnskog kirke) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Grue Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the village of Svullrya. It is the church for the Grue Finnskog parish which is part of t ...

Romedal Church Romedal Church ( no, Romedal kirke) is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Stange Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located about northwest of the village of Romedal. It is the church for the Romedal parish which is part of t ...

* Aurskog Church * Fet Church * Sand Church *

(restoration)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schussler, Gunther 1835 births 1898 deaths German emigrants to Norway 19th-century Norwegian architects Norwegian ecclesiastical architects