Johann Philipp Gerlach (24 July 1679 – 17 September 1748) was a Prussian court architect, who built churches and public buildings in and around Berlin.

Career

Gerlach was born in

Spandau Spandau () is the westernmost of the 12 boroughs () of Berlin, situated at the confluence of the Havel and Spree rivers and extending along the western bank of the Havel. It is the smallest borough by population, but the fourth largest by land ...

. In 1707, he succeeded

Martin Grünberg Martin Grünberg (born 1655, Insterburg, then in East Prussia, now in Russia – between 16 and 23 October 1706 or 1707Precise date of death unknown) was a German architect and master builder. Life He was active in Berlin from 1687 onwards, af ...

as royal director of building (''königlicher Baudirektor und Leiter des Bauwesens'') in Berlin. King

Frederick William I of Prussia Frederick William I (german: Friedrich Wilhelm I.; 14 August 1688 – 31 May 1740), known as the "Soldier King" (german: Soldatenkönig), was King in Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg from 1713 until his death in 1740, as well as Prince of Neuch ...

promoted him to ''Oberbaudirektor der königlichen Residenzen'' in 1720, making him responsible for all building of the state including bridges and fortifications. Gerlach directed the remodelling of the

Kronprinzenpalais The Kronprinzenpalais (English: ''Crown Prince's Palace'') is a former Royal Prussian residence on Unter den Linden boulevard in the historic centre of Berlin. It was built in 1663 and renovated in 1857 according to plans by Heinrich Strack in Ne ...

in 1733, and built the Kollegienhaus/Kammergericht in 1734/35. Der Wilhelmplatz, Federzeichnung von C

He also designed three mayor squares in

Friedrichstadt Friedrichstadt (; da, Frederiksstad) is a town in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the river Eider approx. 12 km south of Husum. History The town was founded in 1621 by Dutch settlers. Du ...

Pariser Platz Pariser Platz ( en, Paris Square) is a square in the historic center of Berlin, Germany, situated by the Brandenburg Gate at the end of the Unter den Linden. The square is named after the French capital of Paris to commemorate the anti-Napoleon ...

(''Quarree''),

Leipziger Platz Leipziger Platz is an octagonal square in the center of Berlin. It is located along Leipziger Straße just east of and adjacent to the Potsdamer Platz. History Layout and original architecture The square with the shape of an octagon, initi ...

(''Oktogon'') and

Mehringplatz Mehringplatz is a round plaza (or circus)A circus is "circular open space at a street junction" at the southern tip of the Friedrichstadt (Berlin), Friedrichstadt Boroughs and neighborhoods of Berlin, neighborhood of Kreuzberg district, Berlin. ...

(''Rondell''). The Garnisonkirche in Potsdam was his major work as an architect. Its ruin was demolished in 1963. He retired in April 1737 for health reasons, succeeded by . He died in Berlin.

Works

* 1710–1713 Charlottenburg municipal church, later called Luisenkirche, completed by , in 1821 with a new steeple by

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 ...

* 1721–1722 , changed in 1816 by Rabe, and in 1863 by Stüler, not extant * 1721–1724 St. Nikolai in Potsdam, burnt in 1795 * 1724 Town hall and ''Hauptwache'' in

Prenzlau Prenzlau (, formerly also Prenzlow) is a town in Brandenburg, Germany, the administrative seat of Uckermark (district), Uckermark District. It is also the centre of the historic Uckermark region. Geography The town is located on the Uecker, Ucke ...

, not extant * 1725–1731 Jerusalemer Kirche, changed by E. Knoblauch, not extant * 1731–1735 Garnisonkirche in

Potsdam Potsdam () is the capital and, with around 183,000 inhabitants, largest city of the German state of Brandenburg. It is part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. Potsdam sits on the River Havel, a tributary of the Elbe, downstream of B ...

, not extant, restoration planned * 1735

Brandenburger Tor The Brandenburg Gate (german: Brandenburger Tor ) is an 18th-century neoclassical monument in Berlin, built on the orders of Prussian king Frederick William II after restoring the Orangist power by suppressing the Dutch popular unrest. One ...

, replaced in 1788 for the new gate by

Carl Gotthard Langhans Carl Gotthard Langhans (15 December 1732 – 1 October 1808) was a Prussian master builder and royal architect. His churches, palaces, grand houses, interiors, city gates and theatres in Silesia (now Poland), Berlin, Potsdam and elsewhere bel ...

* 1736 , demolished in 1872

References

External links

*
Gerlach, Philipp
life and works, Verein für die Geschichte Berlins

luise-berlin.de * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gerlach, Philipp German Baroque architects Architects from Berlin 1679 births 1748 deaths