Stephan Tschudi-Madsen - Akershus festning

Stephan Tschudi-Madsen (25 August 1923 - 11 October 2007) was a

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe *Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway *Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including the ...

art historian Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today ...

. Tschudi-Madsen was the first antiquarian at the

Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage The Directorate for Cultural Heritage ( no, Riksantikvaren or ''Direktoratet for kulturminneforvaltning'') is a government agency responsible for the management of cultural heritage in Norway. Subordinate to the Norwegian Ministry of the Environm ...

from 1959 until 1978 and was

Director-general A director general or director-general (plural: ''directors general'', ''directors-general'', ''director generals'' or ''director-generals'' ) or general director is a senior executive officer, often the chief executive officer, within a government ...

between 1978–1991. He was the Advisory President of the

International Council on Monuments and Sites The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS; french: links=no, Conseil international des monuments et des sites) is a professional association that works for the conservation and protection of cultural heritage places around the worl ...

(ICOMOS) from 1981-1990 and ICOMOS Norway President 1978-1992.

Early life

Tschudi-Madsen was born in

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...

, Norway. He graduated in 1950 from the

University of Oslo The University of Oslo ( no, Universitetet i Oslo; la, Universitas Osloensis) is a public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the highest ranked and oldest university in Norway. It is consistently ranked among the top universit ...

with a thesis in art history on

Romantic architecture Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...

. In 1952-1953 he worked as a

British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lan ...

scholar A scholar is a person who pursues academic and intellectual activities, particularly academics who apply their intellectualism into expertise in an area of study. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researche ...

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 ...

. Tschudi-Madsen received his

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...

in 1956.

Career

Tschudi-Madsen worked as an antiquarian at the Directorate for Cultural Heritage in Norway from 1959. He was active for the preservation of Norwegian wooden buildings during the European Architectural Heritage Year campaign that was organized in 1975. He was also one of the pioneers of rediscovering the qualities of the compact

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...

townscape of

Ålesund Ålesund () sometimes spelled Aalesund in English, is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal County, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sunnmøre and the centre of the Ålesund Region. The town of Ålesund is the administrative ...

, Norway. He was engaged in international cultural heritage through the association

ICOMOS The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS; french: links=no, Conseil international des monuments et des sites) is a professional association that works for the conservation and protection of cultural heritage places around the worl ...

where he held a central position, and through

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

s work with

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

s. Under his leadership

Urnes stave church Urnes Stave Church ( no, Urnes stavkyrkje) is a 12th-century stave church at Ornes, along the Lustrafjorden in the municipality of Luster in Vestland county, Norway. The church sits on the eastern side of the fjord, directly across the fjord f ...

and

Bryggen Bryggen (''the dock''), also known as Tyskebryggen (, ''the German dock''), is a series of Hanseatic heritage commercial buildings lining up the eastern side of the Vågen harbour in the city of Bergen, Norway. Bryggen has been on the UNESCO ...

in Bergen were listed in 1979. For a period he was also vice president of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. Tschudi-Madsen had a large academic production. He was adviser for the restoration of the

Royal Palace, Oslo The Royal Palace ( no, Slottet or ''Det kongelige slott'') in Oslo was built in the first half of the 19th century as the Norwegian residence of the French-born King Charles III John, who reigned as king of Norway and Sweden. The palace is th ...

Supreme Court of Norway The Supreme Court of Norway (Norwegian Bokmål: ''(Norges) Høyesterett''; Norwegian Nynorsk: ''(Noregs) Høgsterett''; lit. ‘Highest Court’) was established in 1815 on the basis of section 88 in the Constitution of the Kingdom of Norway, whi ...

and

Den Nationale Scene Den Nationale Scene ( en, National Theater) is the largest theatre in Bergen, Norway. Den Nationale Scene is also one of the oldest permanent theatres in Norway. History Opened under the name '' Det Norske Theater'' in 1850, the theatre has root ...

in Bergen. For a long period he was the president of Friends of

Akershus Fortress Akershus Fortress ( no, Akershus Festning, ) or Akershus Castle ( no, Akershus slott ) is a medieval castle in the Norwegian capital Oslo that was built to protect and provide a royal residence for the city. Since the Middle Ages the fortress h ...

. He was a supporter for establishing an

Interpretation centre An interpretation centre, interpretive centre, or visitor interpretive centre is an institution for dissemination of knowledge of natural or cultural heritage. Interpretation centres are a kind of new-style museum, often associated with visitor ...

Jugendstilsenteret Jugendstilsenteret is an Art Nouveau Center located in central Ålesund, in Møre og Romsdal, Norway. Jugendstilsenteret is part of the Foundation Cultural Quarter in Ålesund. The Art Nouveau Center is located in the former Art Nouveau desig ...

, Norway. Between 1999-2003 he also worked as adviser for

Honors

Tschudi-Madsen was member of the

Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters ( no, Det Norske Videnskaps-Akademi, DNVA) is a learned society based in Oslo, Norway. Its purpose is to support the advancement of science and scholarship in Norway. History The Royal Frederick Univer ...

(1965) and Honorary Member of the

Society for the Preservation of Ancient Norwegian Monuments Society for the Preservation of Ancient Norwegian Monuments ( no, Fortidsminneforeningen) is an organization focused on conservation preservation in Norway. The Society was founded in 1844. The founders were painters, historians, art historians ...

(1983) and Honorary Member of

(1992). He was Knight, First Class, of the

Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...

(1983), Commander of the Dutch

Order of Oranje-Nassau The Order of Orange-Nassau ( nl, Orde van Oranje-Nassau, links=no) is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the queen regent, Emma of the Netherlands. The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has ...

(1986), Knight of the Belgian

Order of Leopold II The Order of Leopold II is an order of Belgium and is named in honor of King Leopold II. The decoration was established on 24 August 1900 by Leopold II as Sovereign of the Congo Free State and was in 1908, upon Congo being handed over to Belgi ...

(1992) and Commander of the

(1996).

Selected bibliography

*'' The Art Nouveau style'', 2002 *'' The British ambassador's residence in Oslo'' 2001 * ''Norway and Conservation Aspect''. Vern og Virke 1983, Oslo 1984 * ''Principles in Practice. Reflecting on Conservation of Wooden Architecture''. ICOMOS Information, Napoli, Paris 1984 * ''Henrik Bull'' cop.1983 * ''Restoration and anti-restoration''. (2. ed.) Oslo 1981 * ''Introduction. Luce Hinsch: ICOMOS 1965-1980''. Oslo 1980 * ''Ansprache des Norwegischen Reichantiquars Stephan Tschudi-Madsen. Verleihung des Europa-Preises und der Europa-Goldmedaille für Denkmalpflege'', Hamburg 1979 * ''Akershus Schloss. Le Château d'Akershus. Oslo 1977 * ''Sources of Art Nouveau'', New York 1976 * ''Restoration and anti-restoration. A Study in English Restoration Philosophy'', Oslo 1976 (2. ed. 1981) * ''Art Nouveau - byen Ålesund. Arkitektens drøm igår - hans dilemma idag'', Byggekunst nr. 114-15 Oslo 1975 * ''Beite, Kåre'', Jugendstilen 1974 * "Neo-Art Nouveau and psychedelic art". Bulletin du 22. ''Congés International d'Histoire l'Art'', 1969. Budapest 1972 * ''Hauglid, Roar – Report to the Council of Europe on Action relating to the Preservation and Rehabilitation of immovable cultural property'', 1970 * ''Art Nouveau'', Tokyo 1970 * ''El simbolismo del Art Nouveau. Cuadernos summanueva vision'', Buenes Aires 1969 * ''Horta. Los trabajos y el estilo de Victor Horta antes 1900. Cusadernos summanueva vision'', Buenes Aires 1969 * ''Art Nouveau. Cauder nos summanueva'', Buenes Aires 1969 * "Akershus Castle. Unconquered Fortress", ''The Norseman'' 1968 * ''Il simbolismo dell'Art Nouveau''. Edilizia Moderna, Milano 1965 * ''The works of Alexis de Chateauneuf in London and Oslo'' 1965 * "Rosendal. Norwegian Manor House with Scottish Connections". ''The Connoisseur'', February 1960 * ''Morris and Munthe'' * "Federico Barocci's "Noli me tangere" and two cartoons". ''The Burlington Magazine'', Vol. CI 1959 * ''An introduction to Edvard Munch's wall paintings in the Oslo University'', Aula 1959 * ''Sources of Art Nouveau'', Oslo 1956. N.Y. 1957 (2. ed. N.Y. 1975) * ''Horta. Works and Style before 1900'', 1955 * "Some recently discovered Drawings by Rubens. The Burlington Magazine, Vol. XCV, September 1953 * ''Victoriansk dekorativ kunst 1837–1901'', 1952 * ''Romantikkens arkitektur'', 1949

References

Other sources

* Bjerkek, Ole Petter : ''Stephan Tschudi-Madsen. Biografi, tillitsverv og bibliografi'', Oslo 2007 * Lunde, Øivind (et al.) : ''Honnør til en hånet stil'' - Festskrift til Stephan Tschudi-Madsen på 70-årsdagen. Aschehoug forlag, Oslo 1999

External links

ICOMOS Norge website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tschudi-Madsen, Stephan 1923 births 2007 deaths Writers from Bergen Norwegian architectural historians Directors of government agencies of Norway Norwegian antiquarians Art Nouveau University of Oslo alumni Members of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters Commanders of the Order of Orange-Nassau Knights of the Order of Leopold II Order of Saint Olav 20th-century antiquarians