Hugo Georg Licht (21 February 1841 in Nieder-Zedlitz (today
Siedlnica,
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
) – 28 February 1923 in
Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...
, Germany) was a German
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 ...
.
Life
Licht was the son of the landholder Georg Hugo Licht. In the years 1862 and 1863 he was mason trainee at the renowned Berlin architects Wilhelm Böckmann and
Hermann Ende. At this time, they embossed at that time the late
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...
in Berlin – especially with private villas and other magnificent buildings.
In 1864, he enrolled at the Berlin Royal Prussian
Academy of Architecture and was a pupil of
Friedrich Adler. Later and with his recommendation Licht could change in the studio of the architect
Richard Lucae
Richard Lucae (12 April 1829 – 26 November 1877 ; full name: ''Johannes Theodor Volcmar Richard Lucae'') was a German architect and from 1873 director of the Berliner Bauakademie.
Early life
Richard Lucae came from an old Berlin pharmacy fami ...
in Berlin. In contrast to the orientation of Adler at the work of
Karl Friedrich Schinkel
Karl Friedrich Schinkel (13 March 1781 – 9 October 1841) was a Prussian architect, city planner and painter who also designed furniture and stage sets. Schinkel was one of the most prominent architects of Germany and designed both neoclassica ...
, Lucae favored the formal language of the Italian
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
. Later he moved to Vienna and worked with the architect
Heinrich von Ferstel
Freiherr Heinrich von Ferstel (7 July 1828 14 July 1883) was an Austrian architect and professor, who played a vital role in building late 19th-century Vienna.
Life
The son of Ignaz Ferstel (17961866), a bank clerk and later director of the ...
.
From 1869 until the end of 1870 Licht traveled through Italy. This study tour took him through the whole country, but priorities were
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
and
Pompeii
Pompeii (, ) was an ancient city located in what is now the ''comune'' of Pompei near Naples in the Campania region of Italy. Pompeii, along with Herculaneum and many villas in the surrounding area (e.g. at Boscoreale, Stabiae), was buried ...
. After returning to Germany, he married Clara Heckmann the same year. In the spring of the following year he established himself as a freelance architect in Berlin and worked as such until 1879. The plot of the land and the important buildings of the
Jewish cemetery in Berlin-Weissensee were built after his plans in 1879/1880. During his time in Berlin, Licht made several study trips to
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
and
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, where he also met with colleagues.
In 1879 Licht was entrusted with the leadership of the Building Surveyor of the city of
Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...
. He held this office until 1896 and was released by the office in October 1896 for the work on the Neues Rathaus (
New Town Hall (Leipzig)
Leipzig New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus) is the seat of the Leipzig city administration since 1905. It stands in Leipzig's district Mitte within the Leipzig's "ring road" on the southwest corner opposite the newly built Propsteikirche.
The main to ...
). He held the function as a city planner until 1906.
Licht served from 1901 as editor of ''Die Architektur des XX. Jahrhunderts'' (The Architecture of the XX. Century) and from 1905 he was additional the editor of ''Der Profanbau'' (The Secular Building). Also in 1905 he became
honorary doctorate
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...
(Dr.-Ing. E. h.) by the
Technische Universität Dresden
TU Dresden (for german: Technische Universität Dresden, abbreviated as TUD and often wrongly translated as "Dresden University of Technology") is a public research university, the largest institute of higher education in the city of Dresden, th ...
. In 1906 he was awarded with the title ''professor'' by the
Universität Leipzig
Leipzig University (german: Universität Leipzig), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest University, universities and the List of universities in Germany#Universities by years of existence, second-oldest university (by conse ...
.
At the age of almost 82 years, Licht died on 28 February 1923 in Leipzig.
Most important buildings
* 1879/1880: blueprint for the
Jewish cemetery in Berlin-Weissensee
* 1879:
üdfriedhofin Leipzig
* 1883–1886: modification and expansion of the
Städtischen Museums in Leipzig (destroyed, area now used by the
Gewandhaus
Gewandhaus is a concert hall in Leipzig, the home of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra. Today's hall is the third to bear this name; like the second, it is noted for its fine acoustics.
History
The first Gewandhaus (''Altes Gewandhaus'')
The f ...
* 1885–1887:
University of Music and Theatre "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" Leipzig in Leipzig
* 1886–1888: municipal butchery in Leipzig (area today used by the
Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk
Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR; ''Central German Broadcasting'') is the public broadcaster for the federal states of Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt in Germany. Established in January 1991, its headquarters are in Leipzig, with regional studio ...
)
* 1888–1891: municipal town hall in Leipzig (destroyed)
* 1894–1897: new building of the Johanniskirche in Leipzig (destroyed)
* 1893–1895: Old Grassi Museum in Leipzig (now Leipzig city library)
* 1899–1905: Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall) in Leipzig
* 1908–1912: Stadthaus in Leipzig, (expansion of Neues Rathaus)
* 1911–1913: headquarters of the ''Leipziger Feuerversicherungs-AG'' in Leipzig (later regional headquarters of the
Ministeriums für Staatssicherheit („Stasi“) of the
GDR, since 1989/1990 museum ''Runde Ecke'' (Round Corner) about the former)
* 1918: Löwenbrunnen in Leipzig
Neues Rathaus Leipzig 1.jpg, South-west view of ''Neues Rathaus'' (New Town Hall) Leipzig
Runde Ecke Leipzig.jpg, Museum ''Runde Ecke'', former regional headquarters of the Stasi
The Ministry for State Security, commonly known as the (),An abbreviation of . was the Intelligence agency, state security service of the East Germany from 1950 to 1990.
The Stasi's function was similar to the KGB, serving as a means of maint ...
Leipzig Südfriedhof Kapellenanlage 2.jpg, South side of the chapel complex on Südfriedhof (Leipzig)
Südfriedhof (german: South Cemetery) is, with an area of 82 hectares, the largest cemetery in Leipzig. It is located in the south of Leipzig in the immediate vicinity of the Völkerschlachtdenkmal. The Südfriedhof is, along with the Ohlsdorf C ...
External links
*
Hugo Licht
{{DEFAULTSORT:Licht, Hugo
Architects from Leipzig
1841 births
1923 deaths