Martin Bussert or Morten Bussert (birth date unknown, dead after 1552) Was a sculptor and Royal Master Builder in Denmark in the early of 1500s. His last name is sometimes recorded as "Bossart" or "Bussart".

Biography

Bussert's family ties are not known but he was married to daughter of Hans Mikkelsen, mayor of Malmø. When King Christian II was forced from the throne and exiled Hans Mikkelsen stayed loyal and followed the king. Bussert who lived in Copenhagen from 1523 instead pledged his loyalty to Frederik I who secured Bussert's house in the city. The majority of the property of Bussert's in-laws was confiscated. In 1529 the king gave Bussert Slangerup Kloster for life and Bussert remained loyal to his king through the tumultuous reign. During the siege of Copenhagen in 1535–36 he joined the political party seeking a settlement with Christian III. Bussert attempted to have the confiscated property returned with little success but was granted the right to manage some of it by Christian III. Bussert is mentioned for the last time on 2 December 1552 and may have died during the

plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pes ...

in Copenhagen in 1553. Slangerup Kloster was given to Bussert's son that year.

Royal Master Builder

Bussert was the Royal Master Builder from the early 1520s and must have worked on some royal projects but his name can only be connected to some works on

Copenhagen Castle Copenhagen Castle ( da, Københavns Slot) was a castle on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It was built in the late 14th century and was located at the site of the current Christiansborg Palace. History In 1167, Bisho ...

and buildings connected to it, the new

Aalborghus Aalborghus Castle ( da, Aalborghus Slot) is a castle in Aalborg, Denmark. It is a half-timbered (''bindingsværk'') castle built by King Christian III from 1539 to around 1555 initially as a fortification. A building had existed at the site befor ...

, a spire for Aarhus Cathedral and the drawing for the fortress at

Krempe Krempe is a town in the district of Steinburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated between Itzehoe and Glückstadt. Krempe is part of the ''Amt'' ("collective municipality") Krempermarsch. Partner towns * Sankt Martin im Sulmtal in der ...

with

Jacob Binck Jakob Binck (or Bink) (1485 - 1568/9) was a German engraver, etcher, painter, medalist, copyist and art dealer. He was a peripatetic artist who worked for various courts in Northern Europe, especially the Danish court, and also resided in Antwer ...

in 1550. Some works during this period may have been mistakenly attributed to Bussert. The type of Manor House said to usher in a breakthrough in renaissance architecture in Denmark, such as

Hesselagergård Hesselagergård (or Hesselager Manor), located near Gudme in the southeast of the Danish island Funen, is the oldest Renaissance building in Denmark. It was built by Johan Friis, one of the most powerful men in Denmark during the reigns of Christia ...

, was thought to be works by Bussert but today it is believed Jacob Brinck may be the true architect. Bussert and Brinck worked together on the fortress at Krempe so a partnership is not improbable.

Sculptor

Bussert is mentioned in early documents as a sculptor. The National Museum of Denmark contains a stone from the Copenhagen castle with a relief of Christian IIs queen

Elisabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sc ...

from before 1523 is thought to be the work of a young Martin Bussert.

Works

* Arbejder ved Københavns Slot (1542) * His own tombstone (1544, originally in Nikolaj Kirke. Preserved fragment in

Museum of Copenhagen The Museum of Copenhagen (Danish: Københavns Bymuseum) is the official museum of Copenhagen, Denmark, documenting the city's history from the 12th century to the present. History The Museum of Copenhagen was founded in 1901. Starting in 1925, t ...

.) * Works at

(1547) * Tøjhus at Copenhagen Castle (1550) * Drawing to the fortress

Holsten Holsten Brewery (Holsten-Brauerei AG) is a brewing company founded in 1879 in what is now Hamburg's Altona-Nord quarter. The group now has seven breweries in Germany. Its nationally distributed premium brand is the pale lager ''Holsten Pilsen ...

(1550, with Jacob Binck) * Spire to west tower, Aarhus Cathedral (paid 1552).

References

{{Authority control (arts) Bussert, Martin Danish stonemasons