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Johann Karl Robert Weißbach (1841–1905) was a German architect and Professor.

Life and work

After graduating from secondary school, he completed an apprenticeship in the building trade, while attending the local Baugewerkschule (Building School). Following that, he spent some time working in the studios of Bernhard Krüger (1821-1881), the Court Architect. He completed his studies at the

Dresden Academy of Fine Arts The Dresden Academy of Fine Arts (German language, German ''Hochschule für Bildende Künste Dresden''), often abbreviated HfBK Dresden or simply HfBK, is a vocational university of visual arts located in Dresden, Germany. The present institutio ...

with

Georg Hermann Nicolai Georg Hermann Nicolai (10 January 1812 – 10 July 1881) was a German architect and educator, Professor of Architecture at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts on the Brühl Terrace in Dresden from 1850 until his death. Life Nicolai was born at Torg ...

. In 1863, he was awarded an academic travel grant, which he used to visit Italy and study

Renaissance architecture Renaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of Ancient Greece, ancient Greek and ...

. He was able to extend his stay there by participating in the preparation of ''The Buildings of the Renaissance in Tuscany'', a book by . In 1867, he returned to Dresden and worked as a building manager for his former teacher, Nicolai, during the construction of the "" (which was destroyed in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

). After that, he became a professor at the academy, but gave up the position in 1875, when the Ministry of Culture prescribed a curriculum with which he did not agree. He then worked as a teacher in the structural engineering department at the Royal Polytechnic; the precursor of today's

Dresden University of Technology TU Dresden (for , abbreviated as TUD), also as the Dresden University of Technology, is a public research university in Dresden, Germany. It is the largest institute of higher education in the city of Dresden, the largest university in Saxony a ...

(TU Dresden). In addition to his teaching activities, and the occasional official assignment, he often worked independently. Between 1884 and 1891, he worked in association with , one of his former students. Many famous architects began their careers at his "private studio"; including , Rudolf Schilling and . His official students included and, for a few months,

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (6 May 1880 – 15 June 1938) was a German Expressionism, expressionist Painting, painter and printmaker and one of the founders of the artists group Die Brücke or "The Bridge", a key group leading to the foundation of Expr ...

. His grave in the was destroyed in 1945. His name was later placed on a memorial there, dedicated to the professors of TU Dresden. During the construction of the Moltke Quarter in

Essen Essen () is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and Dortmund, as well as ...

(1908), a street was named after him. There is also a street that bears his name in Dresden's district.

Sources

* R. K.: "Karl Weißbach" (obituary), In: ''

Deutsche Bauzeitung ''Deutsche Bauzeitung'' (stylized as ''db deutsche bauzeitung'') is the oldest technical architecture publication periodical in Germany. The magazine was established in 1867. Its headquarters is in Leinfelden-Echterdingen. The publisher is Konr ...

'', #39, 1905, pp. 355–358. * Volker Helas: ''Architektur in Dresden 1800–1900.'' 3rd ed., Verlag der Kunst, 1991, pg.200 ff.

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Weisbach 1841 births 1905 deaths Architects from Dresden Academic staff of the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts