Baron Theophil Edvard von Hansen (original
DanishDanish is one of the North Germanic languages , a sub-group of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European languages. It is spoken by around 6 million people, mainly in Denmark; the language is also used by the 50,000 Danes in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein in Germany where it holds the...
name:
Theophilus Hansen) (July 13, 1813 in
CopenhagenCopenhagen ; ) is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban area with a population of 1,167,569 and a metropolitan area with a population of 1,875,179...
- February 17, 1891 in
ViennaVienna is the capital of the Republic of Austria and also one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.7 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre. It is the 10th largest city by...
) was a
DanishDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries; southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and it is bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea...
architectAn architect is trained and licensed in planning and designing buildings, and participates in supervising the construction of a building. Etymologically, architect derives from the Latin architectus, itself derived from the Greek arkhitekton , i.e. chief builder...
who later became an
AustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west...
n citizen. He became particularly well-known for his buildings and structures in Vienna, and is considered an outstanding representative of
neoclassicismNeoclassicism is the name given to quite distinct movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw upon Western classical art and culture...
.
After training with
Karl Friedrich SchinkelKarl Friedrich Schinkel was a Prussian architect and painter. Schinkel was one of the most prominent German architects and the best example of neoclassicism....
and some years studying in Vienna, he moved to
AthensAthens , the capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery; as one of the world's oldest cities, its recorded history spans around 3,400 years....
in 1837. It was here that he studied architecture and design, with a concentration and interest in
Byzantine architectureByzantine architecture is the architecture of the Byzantine Empire. The empire gradually emerged as a distinct artistic and cultural entity from what is today referred to as the Roman Empire after AD 330, when the Roman Emperor Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire east from Rome to...
. During his stay in Athens, Hansen designed the
National Observatory of AthensThe National Observatory of Athens is a research institute situated in Athens, Greece.-History:Founded in 1842, it was the first scientific research institute built after Greece became independent in 1829.It was also the first scientific research institute in Balcans. It was financed in large part...
building and two of the three contiguous buildings forming the so-called "classical trilogy", namely the
Academy of AthensThe Academy of Athens is Greece's national academy, and the highest research establishment in the country. It was established in 1926, and operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Education...
and the
National Library of GreeceThe National Library of Greece is situated near the center of city of Athens. It was designed by the Danish architect Theophil Freiherr von Hansen, as part of his famous Trilogy of neo-classical buildings including the Academy of Athens and the original building of the Athens...
, the third building of the trilogy being the National and Capodistrian University of Athens, which was designed by his brother Christian Hansen. Upon his move to Vienna in 1846, he took up an apprenticeship with noted Austrian architect
Ludwig FörsterLudwig Christian Friedrich Förster was a German-born Austrian architect.Ludwig Förster studied in Munich and Vienna. He founded the Allgemeine Bauzeitung in 1836...
.
In his early works, such as the museum at
The Arsenal in ViennaThe Arsenal is a former military complex of buildings in the south-east of Vienna in the third district.Several brick buildings in a rectangle layout make up the complex which is located on a bank south of the Landstraßer Gürtel...
, Hansen was still rather aligned to a more romantic style. In later years, he became the most outstanding representative of Renaissance-inspired historicism (Neorenaissance), which also came to be known as Viennese-style. This style extended into the smallest details of the interior design and partially accepted the courses of a synthesis of the arts.
Along with Förster and many others, Hansen was one of the most important and influential architects of the Viennese
RingstraßeThe Ringstraße is a circular road surrounding the Innere Stadt district of Vienna, Austria and is one of its main sights...
. His most famous work is the
Austrian ParliamentIn the Parliament of Austria is vested the legislative power of the Republic of Austria. The institution consists of two chambers,* the National Council and* the Federal Council ....
building, which was created in the style of an ancient, neo-classic temple, and serves to refer to the Greek beginnings of
democracyDemocracy is a system of government in which either the actual governing is carried out by the people governed , or the power to do so is granted by them...
. Hansen was originally a staunch critic of the Classical style that was taught to him at the Copenhagen Academy. Over the years, however, he came to incorporate Classical elements into his forms.
Bauleiter on this project was
Hans AuerHans Wilhelm Auer was a Swiss-Austrian architect best known for his design of the Swiss Bundeshaus in Bern.Auer was born in Wädenswil...
, who would go on to win the competition for the Swiss
BundeshausThe Federal Palace of Switzerland is the name of the building in Bern in which the Swiss Federal Assembly and the Federal Council are housed....
.
Hansen's famed Musikverein in Vienna is one of the most notable concert halls in the world; a concert hall whose design and acoustics are often admired and copied in present-day music houses.
Hansen worked together with Viktor Pilz and
Carl RahlCarl Rahl, sometimes spelled Karl Rahl , was an Austrian painter.Rahl was born in Vienna to Carl Heinrich Rahl , an engraver. He attended the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna and won a prize at the age of 19. From there he traveled to Munich, Stuttgart, Hungary, and in 1836 to Italy...
, as well as with
Otto WagnerOtto Koloman Wagner was an Austrian architect.Wagner was born in Penzing, a district in Vienna. He studied in Berlin and Vienna. In 1864, he started designing his first buildings in the historicist style...
. In 1884 Emperor
Franz JosephFranz Joseph I , reigned as Emperor of Austria and King of Bohemia from 1848 until 1916 and as King of Hungary and Crotia from 1848 until 1916 .-Early life:Franz Joseph was born in the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, the oldest son of...
honoured Hansen with a
baronBaron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman."...
y in the Austrian nobility and he was since styled "
FreiherrThe German titles Freiherr and Freifrau and Freiin are titles of nobility, used preceding the names of people, or later , before family names...
von Hansen".
Works
- Zappeion
The Zappeion is a building in the National Gardens of Athens in the heart of Athens, Greece. It is generally used for meetings and ceremonies, both official and private.-Constructing the Zappeion:...
, Athens, 1845
- Academy of Sciences, Athens, starting from 1856
- Army-Historical Museum in the Arsenal
An arsenal is an establishment for the construction, repair, storage and issue of weapons and ammunition. The word arsenal appears in various forms in Romance languages , i.e. Italian arsenale, Spanish arsenal etc.; Italian also has arzana and darsena, and Spanish a longer form atarazanal...
, Vienna, 1856
- Old Municipal Hospital in Patras
Patras is Greece's third largest urban centre and the capital of the prefecture of Achaea, located in northern Peloponnese, 215 kilometers west of Athens...
, Greece, 1857
- Evangelist church at the Matzleinsdorfer cemetery, Vienna, 1858
- Greek-orthodox church at the Fleischmarkt, Vienna, 1858-1861
- Palace of Archduke Wilhelm, Vienna, 1864-1868
- Musikverein, Vienna, 1867-1870
- Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna is an institution of higher education in Vienna, Austria.- History :The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna was founded in 1692 as a private academy by the court-painter Peter Strudl, who became the Praefectus Academiae Nostrae. In 1701 he was ennobled as Baron of the Empire...
, 1871-1876
- Philharmonic Concert Hall, Brno
Brno is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, located in the southeast of the country. It was founded in 1243, although the area had been settled since the 5th century. As of August 2009 the population is 404,887...
, 1871-1873
- Vienna Stock Exchange, 1874-1877
- Austrian Parliament Building
The Austrian Parliament Building, , is where the two Houses of the Parliament of Austria conduct their sittings. The building lies at the Ringstraße in the first district Innere Stadt in Vienna, close by the Hofburg Imperial Palace and the Palace of Justice. Coordinates: The main construction...
, Vienna, 1874-1883
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