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Johann Maximilian von Welsch (1671 – 15 October 1745) 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 ...
, construction director and fortress master builder.


Life

Maximilian von Welsch is regarded as a prominent representative of baroque
fortress A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
building in the
Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...
. Besides this he got reputation with the construction of several palaces. Von Welsch was born in Kronach, belonging to the
Prince-Bishopric of Bamberg The Prince-Bishopric of Bamberg (german: Hochstift Bamberg) was an ecclesiastical State of the Holy Roman Empire. It goes back to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bamberg established at the 1007 synod in Frankfurt, at the behest of King Henry II ...
at that time. He studied construction during his early education journeys mainly to European capitals such as
Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...
,
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
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. ...
. There he studied the buildings of
Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach (20 July 1656 – 5 April 1723) was an Austrian architect, sculptor, engraver, and architectural historian whose Baroque architecture profoundly influenced and shaped the tastes of the Habsburg Empire. His inf ...
, Francesco Borromini and François Mansart. He was made an imperial knight with the title ''Edler von Welsch'' for his services to architecture by
Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor , house = Habsburg , spouse = , issue = , issue-link = #Children , issue-pipe = , father = Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor , mother = Eleonore Magdalene of Neuburg , birth_date ...
in 1714.Verein der Freunde der Citadelle Petersberg zu Erfurt e.V. (2015). ''350 Jahre Zitadelle Petersberg. Tagungsband: Wissenschaftliches Kolloquim zum 350. Jahrestages der Grundsteinlegung der Zitadelle Petersberg vom 29. Mai bis 31 Mai 2015''. Erfurt: Universität Erfurt.


Opus

Since 1695 he was in
imperial Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * Imperial, Texas ...
military service and as a
military engineer Military engineering is loosely defined as the art, science, and practice of designing and building military works and maintaining lines of military transport and military communications. Military engineers are also responsible for logistics ...
responsible for the construction of fortresses. In 1704 the Archbishop of Mainz
Lothar Franz von Schönborn Lothar Franz von Schönborn-Buchheim (4 October 1655 – 30 January 1729) was the Archbishop-Elector of Mainz from 1694 to 1729 and the Bishop of Bamberg from 1693 to 1729. As Archbishop of Mainz, he was also Archchancellor of the Holy Roman Em ...
recognised his good reputation and employed Welsch for the upgrading and extension of the fortress Mainz. 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 not only responsible for the construction of the fortress, but Lothar Franz von Schönborn assigned him also with the architectural design of his summer residence Favorite opposite the confluence of the Main river with the Rhine. Von Welsch was the responsible
civil engineer A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing i ...
and master builder of this place. In 1793 the Favorite was destroyed by the Prussians during the Siege of Mainz. As the renowned architect was appointed High Director of Building of the
prince-elector The prince-electors (german: Kurfürst pl. , cz, Kurfiřt, la, Princeps Elector), or electors for short, were the members of the electoral college that elected the Holy Roman Emperor, emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. From the 13th century ...
of Mainz and of Bamberg (until 1729), he was responsible for quite a lot of palace extensions and new constructions. Together with Johann Dientzenhofer - both having built the Mainzer Favorite - he took part in the construction of Schloss Weißenstein in Pommersfelden, since 1711, as well as in the construction of the central block of Biebrich palace. At the Würzburg Residence and the Fulda Orangerie Welsch was working as a consultant at least . Due to his buildings, Welsch was already famous in his lifetime and had been gentled 1714 in Vienna by the emperor. At least since the 1720s Maximilian von Welsch had been displaced more and more by the ambitious
Balthasar Neumann Johann Balthasar Neumann (; 27 January 1687 (?) – 19 August 1753), usually known as Balthasar Neumann, was a German architect and military artillery engineer who developed a refined brand of Baroque architecture, fusing Austrian, Bohemian, Ita ...
, the most renowned baroque architect of Germany at that time. Already planned projects had been taken over by Neumann, but these were executed only with strong modifications or totally redesigned, like the Rococo pilgrimage church Vierzehnheiligen. Amorbach Abbey (commenced 1742) can be traced back to von Welschs design. He could not experience to see the completion of the building. He died 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 ...
.


Selected works

* Fortresses: ** Fortress Mainz
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 ...
** Philippsburg ** Petersberg Citadel (1665) ** Kehl * Palaces ** Schloss Biebrich **
Summer palace Favorite (Mainz) Summer is the hottest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, the earliest sunrise and latest sunset occurs, daylight hours are longest and dark hours are shortest, wi ...
(destroyed 1793) ** Schloss Bruchsal (drafts and initial execution) ** Würzburg Residence (partially esthetical execution) ** Schloss Weißenstein in Pommersfelden (Marstall) ** Fulda Orangerie * Kurmainzische Statthalterei Erfurt * Amorbach Abbey * New Armoury Mainz * High
Altar An altar is a Table (furniture), table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of wo ...
s in the Mainz’ Kartause,
St. Quintin's Church, Mainz The Catholic church of St. Quintin is the parish church of the oldest proven parish in the city of Mainz. Today, St. Quintin together with the cathedral community of St. Martin forms the parish of St. Martin's Cathedral and St. Quintin. Thus the ...
and in the collegial church of Ellwangen


External links

* *
Festung Mainz


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Welsch, Johann Maximilian von 1671 births 1745 deaths 18th-century German architects German Baroque architects People from Kronach (district)