Thomas Resetarits (born Tome Rešetarić, 25 November 1939 – 18 May 2022) was an Austrian sculptor, who created art in public spaces, especially in and around churches, including the

Eisenstadt Cathedral Eisenstadt Cathedral, otherwise St. Martin's Cathedral, previously St. Martin's Church (german: Dom St. Martin in Eisenstadt), is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Eisenstadt, Burgenland, Austria, dedicated to Saint Martin. It has been the seat of t ...

Life

Tome Rešetarić was born in

Stinatz Stinatz (Croatian language, Croatian: ''Stinjaki'', Hungarian language, Hungarian: ''Pásztorháza'') is a town in the district of Güssing (district), Güssing in Burgenland in Austria. According to the last census 62% of the population are memb ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

, the son of Franjo and Justina Tome Rešetarić, who belonged to the Croatian minority in Burgenland. He began carving wood sculptures as a school pupil. He trained to be a

stonemason Stonemasonry or stonecraft is the creation of buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone as the primary material. It is one of the oldest activities and professions in human history. Many of the long-lasting, ancient shelters, temples, mo ...

Graz Graz (; sl, Gradec) is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of 1 January 2021, it had a population of 331,562 (294,236 of whom had principal-residence status). In 2018, the popul ...

from 1955, completing his training in 1957. He worked in Vienna and later for a

stone industry Stone industry refers to the part of the primary sector of the economy, similar to the mining industry, but concerned with excavations of stones, in particular granite, marble, slate and sandstone. Other products of the industry include crushed s ...

firm in

Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the ...

. In 1964, he passed the master's examination in Vienna. He studied from 1965 at the Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien. Resetarits married elementary school teacher Herta Flasch in 1966 and began working as a freelance sculptor. He travelled to Rome, Hungary, Croatia, Germany, Mexico, the U.S., India, New Guinea, South America, South Africa, and China to gain inspiration for his work. He became a member of the association Friedhof und Denkmal (cemetery and monument) in

Kassel Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Kassel and the district of the same name and had 201,048 inhabitants in December 2020 ...

. Resetarits worked mostly in stone, wood, and bronze. From 1970, he received many commissions from the

Diocese of Eisenstadt The Roman Catholic Diocese of Eisenstadt ( la, Dioecesis Sideropolitanus) is a diocese located in the city of Eisenstadt in the Ecclesiastical province of Vienna in Austria. The episcopal seat is in Eisenstadt Cathedral. History * May 18, 1922: ...

to design altars, altar areas, and

Stations of the Cross The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Way of Sorrows or the Via Crucis, refers to a series of images depicting Jesus Christ on the day of Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion and accompanying prayers. The station ...

. From 1974 to 1976, he also worked as an instructor in a prison in

Eisenstadt Eisenstadt (; hu, Kismarton; hr, Željezni grad; ; sl, Železno, Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian: ''Eisnstod'') is a city in Austria, the state capital of Burgenland. It had a recorded population on 29 April 2021 of 15,074. In the Habsburg ...

. He created ''Kontakt'', a tall

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...

sculpture, for a panoramic rest area near

Bernstein Bernstein is a common surname in the German language, meaning "amber" (literally "burn stone"). The name is used by both Germans and Jews, although it is most common among people of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage. The German pronunciation is , but in E ...

on the (B 50) in 1987. In addition, he designed

stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

windows from 1990, received commissions for public spaces, and worked as a book illustrator. Resetarits lived and worked in Wörterberg, Burgenland. He died at the age of 82 after a prolonged illness.

Works in public space

* 1971: Altar relief (oak), Glashütten, Burgenland * 1974: Altar area (marble), , Burgenland * 1976: Altar area, Krankenhauskapelle in

Güssing Güssing (; hu, Németújvár, Német-Újvár, hr, Novi Grad) is a town in Burgenland, Austria. It is located at , with a population of 3,578 (2022), and is the administrative center of the Güssing district. For centuries the town occupied an i ...

, Burgenland * 1980:

Virgin of Mercy The Virgin of Mercy is a subject in Christian art, showing a group of people sheltering for protection under the outspread cloak, or pallium, of the Virgin Mary. It was especially popular in Italy from the 13th to 16th centuries, often as a speci ...

, portal of the

, Burgenland * 1981: Flügelaltar (linden),

Oberschützen Oberschützen ( hu, Felsőlövő, Felső-Lövő derived from ''"Felső"''=upper, ''"Lövő"''=shooter) is a town in the district of Oberwart in the Austrian state of Burgenland Burgenland (; hu, Őrvidék; hr, Gradišće; Austro-Bavarian: ''B ...

, Burgenland * 1983: 15 Stations of the Cross, Woppendorf, Burgenland * 1985: Bronze door, Eisenstadt Cathedral * 1986: Altar and Stations of the Cross, Bad Tatzmannsdorf * 1987: ''Kontakt'' (bronze), rest area Bernstein, B 50 * 1988: Triptychon, Kanonikerhaus in Eisenstadt, Burgenland * 1990: Altar area, Filialkirche * 1991: Altar area (cherry wood), , Burgenland * 1994: Stations of the Cross (limestone),

Donnerskirchen Donnerskirchen ( hu, Fertőfehéregyháza, hr, Bijela Crikva) is a market town in the district Eisenstadt-Umgebung in the Austrian state of Burgenland. History World War II During World War II a small concentration camp was located near the vi ...

, Burgenland * 1996: Stations of the Cross (granite), Kegalberg next to Pfarrkirche

Rohrbach bei Mattersburg Rohrbach bei Mattersburg ( hu, Fraknónádasd, Fraknó-Nádasd, hr, Orbuh rbux is a town in the district of Mattersburg in the Austrian state of Burgenland Burgenland (; hu, Őrvidék; hr, Gradišće; Austro-Bavarian: ''Burgnland;'' Sloven ...

, Burgenland * 1996: Altar area (wood),

Schwarzenbach, Lower Austria Schwarzenbach is a town in the Wiener Neustadt-Land district, Lower Austria, Austria. 48.22 percent of the municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisd ...

* 1999: Altar area (marble),

Heiligenkreuz, Lower Austria Heiligenkreuz (Central Bavarian: ''Heilingkreiz'') is a municipality in the district of Baden, in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. It is known for the Cistercian monastery of Heiligenkreuz Abbey, the associated papal college ''Benedict XVI'' ...

* 2000: Altar area (serpentinit), Badersdorf * 2003: Stations of the Cross (wood), Neudorf, Burgenland * 2003: ''Europabrunnen'', 6th ,

Bruckneudorf Bruckneudorf ( hu, Királyhida) is a small town in the district of Neusiedl am See in the federal state of Burgenland in Austria, neighbouring Bruck an der Leitha ("Leitha Bridge"). Its name means ''bridge new village'', whereas the Hungarian vers ...

* 2007: Altar area,

Rust, Burgenland Rust (; hr, Rušta; hu, Ruszt) is a city in the Austrian state of Burgenland, located on the western shore of Lake Neusiedl near the border with Hungary. With only about 1,900 inhabitants, it is the country's smallest statutory city, as it was ...

, Burgenland

Gallery

Panoramaparkplatz Bernstein (Burgenland) 01.jpg, ''Kontakt'' at Bernstein panoramic rest area, B 50 Rohrbach bei Mattersburg - Kreuzweg.jpg, Stations of the Cross, Kegalberg in

Filialkirche Sulz im Burgenland Interior 03.jpg, Altar and Stations of the Cross in Sulz EU- Burgenland-Kroaten.JPG, Stone relief for "Burgenlandkroaten" in Kaisersteinbruch

Exhibitions

* 2001: Solo exhibition, Kulturzentrum Oberschützen * 2004: Kunstachse Oberschützen, Burgenland * 2010: Landesgalerie Burgenland

Book illustrations

* 1977: * 1983: ''Weihnachten ist jeden Tag'', Dr. J. Frank, Morsak Verlag, * 1988: * 1990: ''Du bleibst bei uns. Ein Kreuzweg'', , * 2003: ''Die Sandalen des Moses'', Alfons Jestl, publication PNº1 (Bibliothek der Provinz Weitra), * 2007: ''Die Fee im Kirschbaum'' (drawings), Alfons Jestl, publication PNº1 (Bibliothek der Provinz Weitra),

References

External links

* *
Stegersbach – Bekenntnissäule
(in German) stegersbach.net {{DEFAULTSORT:Resetarits, Thomas 1939 births 2022 deaths 20th-century Austrian sculptors Austrian male sculptors Austrian people of Croatian descent People from Güssing District Burgenland Croats