Ludwig Becker (19 November 185513 July 1940) was a
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
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 ...
.
[Brigitte Hammerschmidt: Der Kirchenbau des 20. Jahrhunderts im rheinland-pfälzischen Teil des Bistums Trier. (Trier 2006) p.3−145.]
Life
Becker was born the son of the eponymous
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...
master craftsman and master builder. He studied from 1873 at the
Technical University of Aachen and was trained in addition to the
stonemason and sculptor at the Cologne Dombauhütte. In
Mainz
Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-west, with Ma ...
he was named church
master builder
A master builder or master mason is a central figure leading construction projects in pre-modern times (a precursor to the modern architect and engineer).
Historically, the term has generally referred to "the head of a construction project in the ...
(''Kirchenbaumeister'') in 1884, and cathedral
master builder
A master builder or master mason is a central figure leading construction projects in pre-modern times (a precursor to the modern architect and engineer).
Historically, the term has generally referred to "the head of a construction project in the ...
(''Dombaumeister'') from 1909 to 1940. After 1909 he partnered with
Anton Falkowski, and later with his son, the church architect
Hugo Becker
Hugo Becker (born Jean Otto Eric Hugo Becker, 13 February 1863, died 30 July 1941) was a prominent German cellist, cello teacher, and composer. He studied at a young age with Alfredo Piatti, and later Friedrich Grützmacher in Dresden.
Biograp ...
(1897–1967).
Becker also worked as a construction researcher at the
Mainz Cathedral
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, who brought important findings to light; however, his conclusions were flawed. His thesis was that the construction of the Mainz Cathedral was already begun in
Constantine the Great
Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterran ...
's time in the 4th century, but he could not convincingly demonstrate the claim, which was unanimously rejected by experts.
Becker's grave is in Mainz's main cemetery.
Work
">Herz-Jesu-Kirche, Mainz Herz-Jesu-Kirche in Saarbrücken
Becker dealt with over 300 churches, which he restored, rebuilt or rebuilt. He used numerous styles of various historical architectural styles, as is customary in historicism. He designed many buildings together with his business partner Anton Falkowski. Becker and Falkowski preferred Romanesque and Gothic before the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, then simple baroque. From about 1930, expressionist stylistic devices were also used.
* Catholic parish Church of the Assumption in
Kirrberg, 1881–1893
* Catholic parish Church of St. Mary in
Bad Homburg before the height, designed in 1889, executed 1892–1895
* Catholic parish Church of St. Joseph in St. Ingbert, 1890–1893
* Catholic parish Church of St. Martin in Oestrich (restoration), 1890–1893
* Tomb chapel of the family Wambolt of Umstadt in the castle Birkenau (Odenwald), 1891
* Catholic garrison
Church St. Mauritius in
Strasbourg, Arnoldsplatz, competition 1893, completed 1899
* Catholic parish Church of St. Bartholomew in
Zornheim
Zornheim is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Mainz-Bingen district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Geography
Location
Zornheim borders in the southwest ...
, 1893–1894
* Catholic parish Church of St. Mary's Conception in
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian language, Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second- ...
, 1894–1896
* Catholic parish Church of the Holy Cross in
Bad Kreuznach, Wilhelmstraße, 1895–1897
* Catholic parish Church of St. Rochus in
Kaiserslautern-Hohenecken, 1896–1897
* Catholic parish Church of St. Michael in
Unter-Hambach (
Heppenheim
Heppenheim (Bergstraße) is the seat of Bergstraße district in Hesse, Germany, lying on the Bergstraße on the edge of the Odenwald. It is best known for being the birthplace of 4-time Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel.
Geography
...
), 1897–1899
* Catholic parish Church of St. Lawrence in Bobenheim, 1898
* Catholic parish Church of St. Matthew in
Bad Sobernheim
Bad Sobernheim is a town in the Bad Kreuznach district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the like-named ''Verbandsgemeinde'', and is also its seat. It is a state-recognized spa town, and is well known for two fossil discovery sites ...
, 1898–1899
* Episcopal Convict in Bensheim, 1899–1900
* Catholic parish Church of the Sacred Heart in
Bad Kreuznach-Planig, 1900
* Catholic parish Church of St. Lutwinus in
Mettlach
Mettlach (Saarlandic dialect:Mettlich) is a municipality in the district Merzig-Wadern, in Saarland, Germany, situated on the river Saar, approximately northwest of Merzig, and south of Trier. The headquarters of Villeroy & Boch are in Mettlach ...
, 1899–1902
* Catholic parish Church of St. Agatha in
Altenhundem
Lennestadt (occasionally also ''die Lennestadt'') lies in the Sauerland in southeast North Rhine-Westphalia and is a community in Olpe district. It is the district's most populous municipality.
Lennestadt itself is not an actual town but a commu ...
(with ), 1900–1901
* Catholic parish Church of St. Hubertus in
Nonnweiler
Nonnweiler is a municipality in the district of Sankt Wendel, in Saarland, Germany.
Overview
It is situated approximately 20 km northwest of Sankt Wendel, and 30 km southeast of Trier. The village is well known for the "Hillfort of Otz ...
, 1900–1902
* Catholic parish Church of St. Bernard in
Clausen, 1900–1903
* Catholic parish Church of the Sacred Heart in
Koblenz, Löhrrondell, 1900–1903
* Catholic parish Church of St. Peter in
Heppenheim
Heppenheim (Bergstraße) is the seat of Bergstraße district in Hesse, Germany, lying on the Bergstraße on the edge of the Odenwald. It is best known for being the birthplace of 4-time Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel.
Geography
...
(Bergstraße), Kirchgasse, 1900–1904
* Catholic parish Church of St. Joseph in
Hagen, 1901–1906
* Catholic parish Church of St. Fridolin in
Mulhouse
Mulhouse (; Alsatian: or , ; ; meaning '' mill house'') is a city of the Haut-Rhin department, in the Grand Est region, eastern France, close to the Swiss and German borders. It is the largest city in Haut-Rhin and second largest in Alsace a ...
, 1901–1906
* Catholic parish Church of St. Joseph in
Montigny-lès-Metz
Montigny-lès-Metz (, literally ''Montigny near Metz''; , (1940-1944) ''Montenich'') is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
It is the largest suburb of the city of Metz, and is adjacent to it on the west.
...
, 1901–1906 (inauguration 29 July 1906)
* Artisan house in Art Nouveau style on the Märtmannstrasse in
Dortmund-Aplerbeck 1902–1904
* Catholic parish Church of St. Boniface in Neuenkirchen (
Oldenburg Oldenburg may also refer to:
Places
*Mount Oldenburg, Ellsworth Land, Antarctica
*Oldenburg (city), an independent city in Lower Saxony, Germany
**Oldenburg (district), a district historically in Oldenburg Free State and now in Lower Saxony
*Olde ...
), 1902–1905 (with )
* Catholic parish Church of St. Pankratius in
Buldern (with )
* Catholic parish Church of St. Lawrence in
Sommerau in the Spessart, 1902 to about 1906. The reconstruction and expansion planning was not realized in favor of a new building.
* Tower of the Catholic parish Church of St. Lucia in
Harsewinkel
Harsewinkel () is a town in Gütersloh District in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It lies on the river Ems, some 15 km north-west of Gütersloh.
It is the home and domicile of Europe's leading combine harvester manufacturer C ...
, 1903–1904 with
Wilhelm Sunder-Plaßmann,
Münster
Münster (; nds, Mönster) is an independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a state di ...
* Catholic parish Church of St. Wendelin in
Zellhausen (
Mainhausen
Mainhausen is a municipality of over 9,000 in the Offenbach district in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany.
Geography
Location
Mainhausen is one of 13 towns and communities in the Offenbach district, lying in the southernmos ...
), 1903/04
* Catholic parish Church of St. Elizabeth in
Darmstadt, 1903–1905
* Catholic parish church of St. Boniface in
Giessen
Giessen, spelled Gießen in German (), is a town in the German state (''Bundesland'') of Hesse, capital of both the district of Giessen and the administrative region of Giessen. The population is approximately 90,000, with roughly 37,000 univer ...
, 1903–1936
* Catholic Church of St. Boniface in
Bad Nauheim
Bad Nauheim is a town in the Wetteraukreis district of Hesse state of Germany.
As of 2020, Bad Nauheim has a population of 32,493. The town is approximately north of Frankfurt am Main, on the east edge of the Taunus mountain range. It is a wor ...
, 1904/05
* Catholic parish Church of St. Bartholomew in
Kirschhausen (
Heppenheim
Heppenheim (Bergstraße) is the seat of Bergstraße district in Hesse, Germany, lying on the Bergstraße on the edge of the Odenwald. It is best known for being the birthplace of 4-time Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel.
Geography
...
), 1904/05
* Transept and double tower facade of the Catholic parish Church of St. Brigida in
Legden, 1905
* Longhouse and double tower facade of the Catholic parish Church of St. Stephan in
Mainz-Gonsenheim, 1905–1906
* Catholic parish church
St. Martinus in
Hattersheim am Main
Hattersheim am Main () is a town in the Main-Taunus district, Hesse (Germany) and part of the Frankfurt Rhein-Main urban area.
Geography
Neighbouring towns
Hattersheim borders the city of Frankfurt in the northeast, in the southeast with Kels ...
, 1915
* Catholic parish Church of St. Theresia in
Rhens
Rhens is a municipality in the district Mayen-Koblenz, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the left bank of the Rhine, approx. 10 km south of Koblenz.
Rhens was the seat of the former ''Verbandsgemeinde'' ("collective munici ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Becker, Ludwig
19th-century German architects
1855 births
1940 deaths
20th-century German architects
Architects from Cologne
RWTH Aachen University alumni