Melchior Heßler ( – 18 April 1690) was a German engineer and

master builder A master builder or master mason is a central figure leading construction projects in pre-modern times (a combination of a modern expert carpenter, construction site supervisor, and architect / engineer). Historically, the term has generally ref ...

(architect and builder).

Early life

Born in Mehlis, Heßler was engineer of the

artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...

and entered the service of the free imperial city

Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...

, probably 1661 as ''Stückleutnant'' and ''Stadtbaumeister''. The letter of service is dated from 29 May 1675.

Professional career

His main duty was maintenance of existing buildings. New buildings were the . Construction began in 1627 after designs by

Johann Wilhelm Dilich Johann Wilhelm Dilich (1600 – 1657) worked between 1628 and 1657 as an engineer and master builder in Frankfurt am Main. Born in Kassel, we was the son of master builder Wilhelm Dilich. He used instruments made by the imperial instrument maker ...

, and the Katharinenkirche, the first Protestant new church in Frankfurt after the

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

, built from 1678 to 1681. The

hall church A hall church is a Church (building), church with a nave and aisles of approximately equal height. In England, Flanders and the Netherlands, it is covered by parallel roofs, typically, one for each vessel, whereas in Germany there is often one s ...

has some

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, a Germanic people **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Gothic alphabet, an alphabet used to write the Gothic language ** Gothic ( ...

elements, such as the windows and the

piers Piers may refer to: * Pier, a raised structure over a body of water * Pier (architecture), an architectural support * Piers (name), a given name and surname (including lists of people with the name) * Piers baronets, two titles, in the baronetages ...

), and Baroque, such as the portals and the canopy (''welsche Haube'') of the steeple. It is focused on the sermon (''Predigtkirche''), with many paintings of biblical scenes, and became a model for other Protestant churches such as the Dreifaltigkeitskirche in

Speyer Speyer (, older spelling ; ; ), historically known in English as Spires, is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate in the western part of the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located on the left bank of the r ...

(1701–1717) and the Dreifaltigkeitskirche in

Worms The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is a taxonomic database that aims to provide an authoritative and comprehensive catalogue and list of names of marine organisms. Content The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scien ...

(1709–1725).

Death

Heßler died in Frankfurt.

Literature

* Wolfgang Klötzer (ed.): ''Frankfurter Biographie. Personengeschichtliches Lexikon''. Vol. I, A–L. Waldemar Kramer, Frankfurt am Main 1994, . {{DEFAULTSORT:Hesler, Melchior 17th-century German architects Architects from Frankfurt 17th-century births 1690 deaths