Wilhelm Bockslaff

Latvian architect (1858–1945)

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Wilhelm Bockslaff
Bockslaff before 1900.
Born	24 October [O.S. 12] 1858 Riga, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire
Died	9 March 1945(1945-03-09) (aged 86) Posen, Wartheland, Nazi Germany
Nationality	Baltic German
Known for	Architecture
Movement	Eclecticism, Art Nouveau

Wilhelm Ludwig Nikolai Bockslaff (Latvian: Vilhelms Ludvigs Nikolajs Bokslafs, Russian: Вильгельм Людвиг Николай Бокслаф; 24 October [O.S. 12] 1858, Riga – 9 March 1945, Poznań) was a Baltic German architect working in Riga.^[1] He is considered one of the most important representatives of Eclecticism, Neo-Gothic and Art Nouveau styles in the city. He is noted in particular for his construction of churches.

Biography

Wilhelm Bockslaff was born in Riga on 12 October 1858. His father was the wealthy merchant and industrialist Nicholas Ludwig Bockslaff. In 1878 he started architecture studies in Riga Polytechnicum and graduated in 1885. After graduation, he stayed in the polytechnikum to work as an assistant. He also worked in the offices of architects Johann Koch and Heinrich Scheel. Later he established his own architects office. In this period he studied the history of St. Peter's church in Riga and other medieval buildings in the city. In 1894 he married Eva Riker.

Bockslaff worked mainly in eclectic styles, especially in the Neo-Gothic style. However, he also designed buildings in forms of Art Nouveau. Most notable buildings are Jaunmokas Manor near Tukums^[2] and the Commercial school in Riga (Now Art Academy of Latvia). The architect also restored many manors after the Revolution of 1905. He also has designed a large number of churches and various industrial objects such as factories and water towers.

In the 1930s he designed an impressive memorial for him and his wife in Riga Great Cemetery. However, only his wife was buried there in 1939. He himself was forced to leave Latvia together with a majority of Baltic Germans and settled in Posen. He died on 9 March 1945 in the bombing of Posen. His daughter buried him in the garden of their residence.^[3] After the war he was anonymously reburied in a local cemetery.

Honour

In honor of the architect's 150th birthday, a monument was erected in the park of Mālpils Manor.

Jaunmokas Manor. Built in 1901
Commercial School built in 1902–1905. (Now Art Academy of Latvia.)
Building at the Amatu street 4, Old Riga. Built in 1903
Church of the Cross, Riga. Built in 1910
Building in Jauniela 25/29 (Neuburg house) Old Riga. Built in 1903
Building at the Nometņu street 47 (1909)
Water tower at the Alīses street 4, Riga. Built in 1910
Building of the former Leutner bicycle factory on Brīvības street 137 Riga. Built in 1894.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wilhelm Bockslaff.

^ Krastiņš, Jānis (2002). Rīgas arhitektūras meistari 1850–1940 : The masters of architecture of Riga 1850–1940 (in Latvian and English). Riga: Jumava. ISBN 9984-05-450-0. OCLC 52258305.
^ Schloss Jaunmoku (sic!) auf latvia.travel.
^ Gunars Priede: Der Architekt Wilhelm Bockslaff und Riga, p. 60.

v t e Art Nouveau architecture in Riga
Buildings and streets	Albert Street Cat House Church of the Cross Peitav Synagogue Riga Graduate School of Law Stockholm School of Economics in Riga
Architects	Jānis Alksnis Alfred Aschenkampff Oskars Bārs Bernhard Bielenstein Wilhelm Bockslaff Rudolph Dohnberg Mikhail Eisenstein Eižens Laube Augusts Malvess Paul Mandelstamm Wilhelm Neumann Mārtiņš Nukša Konstantīns Pēkšēns August Reinberg Heinrich Scheel Max Scherwinsky Edmund von Trompowsky Aleksandrs Vanags
Commons