Johan Heinrich Günther Schüssler (1835–1898) was a German-born

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 ...

and builder who worked in

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

, primarily in the area from

Kongsvinger Kongsvinger () is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Glåmdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kongsvinger. Other settlements in the municipality include Aust ...

Lillehammer Lillehammer () is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. Some of the more notable villages in the munici ...

. Schüssler's work is characterized by

neo-Gothic Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half of the 19th century ...

and

Swiss chalet style Swiss chalet style (, ) is an architectural style of Historicism (art), Late Historicism, originally inspired by rural chalets in Switzerland and the Alps, Alpine (mountainous) regions of Central Europe. The style refers to traditional building d ...

. He is considered one of the earliest architects who brought the Swiss style to Norway. He is particularly known for his designs of many churches in eastern Norway. Schüssler was born in Mehrstedt in

Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was a small historic state in present-day Thuringia, Germany, with its capital at Rudolstadt. History Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was established in 1599 in the course of a resettlement of House of Schwarzburg, Schwarzburg dy ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

on 13 November 1835. He began at a young age with apprenticeships in northern Germany,

Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; ; ; ; ; occasionally in English ''Sleswick-Holsatia'') is the Northern Germany, northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical Duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of S ...

and

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

, as he trained as a carpenter, builder, and architect. He came to Norway around 1855 and he received Norwegian citizenship in 1857. He worked his whole career in Eastern Norway building churches, railway stations, and other buildings. In 1898, he began to feel unwell and went to the doctor. He was diagnosed with

stomach cancer Stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, is a malignant tumor of the stomach. It is a cancer that develops in the Gastric mucosa, lining of the stomach. Most cases of stomach cancers are gastric carcinomas, which can be divided into a numb ...

, and he did not have many months to live. On 25 September 1898, he died in the middle of work on the Magnor customs station and the restoration of Vinger Church.

Works

* Nordskogbygda Church *

Oppstad Church Oppstad Church () is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Sør-Odal Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the village of Oppstad. It is the church for the Oppstad parish which is part of the Solør, Vinger og Odal pro ...

(restoration) *

Åsnes Church Åsnes Church () is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Åsnes Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the village of Flisa. It is the church for the Åsnes parish which is part of the Solør, Vinger og Odal prosti (dean ...

(restoration) * Brandval Church (restoration) * Arneberg Church * Årnes Church * Elverum Church (restoration) * Eidsvoll Church * Grue Finnskog Church * Romedal Church * Aurskog Church * Fet Church * Sand Church * Vinger Church (restoration)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schussler, Gunther 1835 births 1898 deaths German emigrants to Norway 19th-century Norwegian architects Norwegian ecclesiastical architects