Erwin Friedrich Baumann
Encyclopedia
Erwin Friedrich Baumann was a Swiss architect and sculptor.
as the second of four children of the master builder and politician Friedrich Baumann (1835–1910) and Marie-Louise Baumann-Bigler (1856–1937). Right before starting school he got diphtheria
, and the medical treatment at Rotbad (Diemtigtal) led to severe problems at school. Baumann writes in one of his biographical notes: “With the lowest quarter of my class I managed to get into the high school and may as well have slipped into the lecture-halls of the universities.“
Because of obstinacy towards one of his teachers, Baumann had to leave the high school.
After a year of practical work with an architect in Vevey
followed his basic and non-commissioned officer training in the cavalry, then his high school graduation from the Minerva School in Zurich, and studies in art history and mathematics at the University of Berne
. In 1911 he joined the students fraternity Rhenania
, which regularly met at the restaurant Bubenberg in Berne. Here, Baumann often joined a table of Bernese artists (where he met among others Ferdinand Hodler
). This company promoted his decision „to carve in the future not only heraldry and statuettes with his army knife.“ Insufficient and negligent care of his wounds after a fall from a horse during his training as non-commissioned officer, resulted in tuberculosis, what lead at last to his release from the army.
In spite of this incident Baumann dared to join the department of architecture of the Institute of Technology in Darmstadt
. The decorative sculpting course of Professor Agosto Varnesi as well as the Darmstadt Artists' Colony
Mathildenhöhe inspired him. However the First World War set an end to his studies in Germany.
After the outbreak of the war, Baumann, still with fragile health, participated as volunteer in protecting the Swiss border. In 1915 he was again released from military service and went for health treatments in Davos
and Arosa
. In 1918 Baumann joined the architectural office of Rudolf Gaberel in Davos, where he maintained friendships with Jakob Bosshart, Wilhelm Schwerzmann and the expressionist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
. In 1919 he won the first prize in a contest for a monument for the Bernese cavalry units on the Lueg near Burgdorf. This project was, however, not realized, because he refused, to combine it with a, in his eyes, worthless relief of the sculptor Karl Hänni. In 1920 he acted on behalf of Rudolf Gaberel as local contractor and artistic designer for the forest cemetery Wildboden Davos.
In summer 1921 Baumann stayed in Paris
as sculptor with Antoine Bourdelle
. In the years 1921/22 he traveled to Egypt
, where he worked as sculptor and architect and where he met among others Mahmoud Mukhtar. A longer educational trip through Greece, the Balkans and Austria lead Baumann back to Davos, where he worked again for Gaberel from 1922 through 1924.
From 1924 to 1929 Baumann lived in California
. His brother Paul Baumann also lived there, working as an engineer. During this time, Baumann created numerous wood and stone sculptures, and on the side he was active as an architect. In 1925 he won the first prize for the artistic decoration of the main lobby in a new department store construction in Los Angeles, and in 1928 he won an award from the Los Angeles art museum for his stone sculpture Quarryman.
In 1929 Baumann went back to Switzerland, where he worked in Davos, Berne and Münchwilen, Thurgau
. In 1938 he married the Russian-born Swiss Rita Keller and spent several months in Paris as sculptor under the guidance of Ossip Zadkine
. In the year 1939, immediately before the outbreak of the Second World War, he acquired a farmhouse in Faulensee/Spiez
, which he renovated as home for his family. At the outbreak of the war he volunteered again to participate in a civil guard unit of the army.
Because of an illness of his wife, Baumann moved in 1960 to Berne, where she died in1962. Till he died in the year 1980, Baumann had a workshop in the old animal hospital of Berne. Among his noteworthy works created in Faulensee and Berne are the following: The capitals of the castle of Wimmis
(1950), the communion table in the church Lerchenfeld/Thun
(1951), a fountain sculpture at the schoolhouse Krattigen
(1953), the restoration of the Tschan house on the Schüpf in Faulensee (1952), of the Romanesque church Einigen/Spiez
(1954/55), of the historic inn St. Urs in Biberist
(SO
) (1958–62), of the farmhouse „Les Aroles“ as annex of the Palace Hotel (now owned by Spiro Latsis
) in Gstaad
(1954), and of the church Radelfingen/Aarberg (1958–65), the excavation of the St. Columban chapel in Faulensee (1960/61) and the construction management for the expansion of the sugar factory Aarberg
(1958–60), for the new construction of the British embassy in Bern (1962) and for the administrative building of the Bernese power company (1960–63).
. Baumann had good connections to the commanders of the brigade. Brigadier Hans Bühler was married to his second cousin, and he knew the colonel of the engineer corps, Werner Grimm, since his youth in Berne.
Baumann got the job to explore the possibilities and his proposal of an over nine meter high monument made of the tailings pleased the two superiors. Baumann described his approach in the following way:
Linus Birchler wrote in 1954 to Baumann:
In 1943 it came to a rift between engineer corps chief Werner Grimm and Baumann. Grimm posed continually as the builder of the Simplon eagle. That deeply hurt Baumann's feelings and even motivated him to stay away from the unveiling ceremonies in September 1944 on the Simplon.
Life and work
Erwin Friedrich Baumann was born in 1890 in BerneBerne
The city of Bern or Berne is the Bundesstadt of Switzerland, and, with a population of , the fourth most populous city in Switzerland. The Bern agglomeration, which includes 43 municipalities, has a population of 349,000. The metropolitan area had a population of 660,000 in 2000...
as the second of four children of the master builder and politician Friedrich Baumann (1835–1910) and Marie-Louise Baumann-Bigler (1856–1937). Right before starting school he got diphtheria
Diphtheria
Diphtheria is an upper respiratory tract illness caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, a facultative anaerobic, Gram-positive bacterium. It is characterized by sore throat, low fever, and an adherent membrane on the tonsils, pharynx, and/or nasal cavity...
, and the medical treatment at Rotbad (Diemtigtal) led to severe problems at school. Baumann writes in one of his biographical notes: “With the lowest quarter of my class I managed to get into the high school and may as well have slipped into the lecture-halls of the universities.“
Because of obstinacy towards one of his teachers, Baumann had to leave the high school.
After a year of practical work with an architect in Vevey
Vevey
Vevey is a town in Switzerland in the canton Vaud, on the north shore of Lake Geneva, near Lausanne.It was the seat of the district of the same name until 2006, and is now part of the Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut District...
followed his basic and non-commissioned officer training in the cavalry, then his high school graduation from the Minerva School in Zurich, and studies in art history and mathematics at the University of Berne
University of Berne
The University of Bern is a university in the Swiss capital of Bern and was founded in 1834. It is regulated and financed by the Canton of Bern. It is a comprehensive university offering a broad choice of courses and programmes in eight faculties and some 160 institutes. The university is an...
. In 1911 he joined the students fraternity Rhenania
Rhenania
Rhenania may refer to, a German cargo ship in service 1923-34*Corps Rhenania Heidelberg, a student fraternity in Heidelberg*Corps Rhenania Tübingen, a student fraternity in Tübingen*Rhenania, a former name of Dutch football clubb BSV Limburgia...
, which regularly met at the restaurant Bubenberg in Berne. Here, Baumann often joined a table of Bernese artists (where he met among others Ferdinand Hodler
Ferdinand Hodler
Ferdinand Hodler was one of the best-known Swiss painters of the 19th century.-Life:Hodler was born in Berne, the eldest of six children. His father, Jean Hodler, made a meager living as a carpenter; his mother, Marguerite , was from a peasant family...
). This company promoted his decision „to carve in the future not only heraldry and statuettes with his army knife.“ Insufficient and negligent care of his wounds after a fall from a horse during his training as non-commissioned officer, resulted in tuberculosis, what lead at last to his release from the army.
In spite of this incident Baumann dared to join the department of architecture of the Institute of Technology in Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
. The decorative sculpting course of Professor Agosto Varnesi as well as the Darmstadt Artists' Colony
Darmstadt Artists' Colony
The Darmstadt Artists’ Colony refers both to a group of artists as well as to the buildings in Mathildenhöhe in Darmstadt in which these artists lived and worked...
Mathildenhöhe inspired him. However the First World War set an end to his studies in Germany.
After the outbreak of the war, Baumann, still with fragile health, participated as volunteer in protecting the Swiss border. In 1915 he was again released from military service and went for health treatments in Davos
Davos
Davos is a municipality in the district of Prättigau/Davos in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has a permanent population of 11,248 . Davos is located on the Landwasser River, in the Swiss Alps, between the Plessur and Albula Range...
and Arosa
Arosa
Arosa is a town and a municipality in the district of Plessur in the canton of Graubünden in Switzerland. It is both a summer and a winter tourist resort.-History:...
. In 1918 Baumann joined the architectural office of Rudolf Gaberel in Davos, where he maintained friendships with Jakob Bosshart, Wilhelm Schwerzmann and the expressionist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was a German expressionist 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 Expressionism in 20th century art. He volunteered for army service in the First World War, but soon suffered a...
. In 1919 he won the first prize in a contest for a monument for the Bernese cavalry units on the Lueg near Burgdorf. This project was, however, not realized, because he refused, to combine it with a, in his eyes, worthless relief of the sculptor Karl Hänni. In 1920 he acted on behalf of Rudolf Gaberel as local contractor and artistic designer for the forest cemetery Wildboden Davos.
In summer 1921 Baumann stayed in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
as sculptor with Antoine Bourdelle
Antoine Bourdelle
Antoine Bourdelle , originally Émile Antoine Bourdelle, was an influential and prolific French sculptor, painter, and teacher.-Career:...
. In the years 1921/22 he traveled to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, where he worked as sculptor and architect and where he met among others Mahmoud Mukhtar. A longer educational trip through Greece, the Balkans and Austria lead Baumann back to Davos, where he worked again for Gaberel from 1922 through 1924.
From 1924 to 1929 Baumann lived in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. His brother Paul Baumann also lived there, working as an engineer. During this time, Baumann created numerous wood and stone sculptures, and on the side he was active as an architect. In 1925 he won the first prize for the artistic decoration of the main lobby in a new department store construction in Los Angeles, and in 1928 he won an award from the Los Angeles art museum for his stone sculpture Quarryman.
In 1929 Baumann went back to Switzerland, where he worked in Davos, Berne and Münchwilen, Thurgau
Münchwilen, Thurgau
Münchwilen is a municipality and district capital of the district of Münchwilen in the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland.-History:Münchwilen is first mentioned in 1160 as Munchiwillar. Oberhofen bei Münchwilen is first mentioned in 1160-70 as Obirhovin. Sankt Margarethen is first mentioned in 1275...
. In 1938 he married the Russian-born Swiss Rita Keller and spent several months in Paris as sculptor under the guidance of Ossip Zadkine
Ossip Zadkine
Ossip Zadkine was a Belarusian-born artist who lived in France. He is primarily known as a sculptor, but also produced paintings and lithographs.-Early years and career:...
. In the year 1939, immediately before the outbreak of the Second World War, he acquired a farmhouse in Faulensee/Spiez
Spiez
Spiez is a city in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-Geography:Spiez has an area of . Of this area, 38.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 29.1% is forested...
, which he renovated as home for his family. At the outbreak of the war he volunteered again to participate in a civil guard unit of the army.
Because of an illness of his wife, Baumann moved in 1960 to Berne, where she died in1962. Till he died in the year 1980, Baumann had a workshop in the old animal hospital of Berne. Among his noteworthy works created in Faulensee and Berne are the following: The capitals of the castle of Wimmis
Wimmis
Wimmis is a municipality in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-Geography:Wimmis has an area of . Of this area, 30.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 45.8% is forested...
(1950), the communion table in the church Lerchenfeld/Thun
Thun
Thun is a municipality in the administrative district of Thun in the canton of Bern in Switzerland with about 42,136 inhabitants , as of 1 January 2006....
(1951), a fountain sculpture at the schoolhouse Krattigen
Krattigen
Krattigen is a municipality in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.It is located on a hill overlooking Lake Thun.-Geography:...
(1953), the restoration of the Tschan house on the Schüpf in Faulensee (1952), of the Romanesque church Einigen/Spiez
Spiez
Spiez is a city in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-Geography:Spiez has an area of . Of this area, 38.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 29.1% is forested...
(1954/55), of the historic inn St. Urs in Biberist
Biberist
Biberist is a municipality in the district of Wasseramt in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland.-History:Biberist is first mentioned in 762 as als Biberussa. In 1300 Ober- and Unterbiberist were mentioned as ze beiden Biberschon....
(SO
Canton of Solothurn
Solothurn is a canton of Switzerland. It is located in the northwest of Switzerland. The capital is Solothurn.-History:The territory of the canton comprises land acquired by the capital...
) (1958–62), of the farmhouse „Les Aroles“ as annex of the Palace Hotel (now owned by Spiro Latsis
Spiro Latsis
Dr. Spiro J. Latsis is a Greek businessman with a fortune of US$9.1 billion . He ranked 51st on Forbes's 2006 World's Billionaires list. He is the son of the Greek shipping magnate, John Latsis, who died in 2003....
) in Gstaad
Gstaad
Gstaad is a village in the German-speaking section of the Canton of Berne in southwestern Switzerland. Part of the municipality of Saanen, Gstaad is known as one of the most exclusive ski resorts in the world....
(1954), and of the church Radelfingen/Aarberg (1958–65), the excavation of the St. Columban chapel in Faulensee (1960/61) and the construction management for the expansion of the sugar factory Aarberg
Aarberg
Aarberg is a municipality in the Seeland administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.Aarberg lies 20 kilometers from Bern above the Aar River...
(1958–60), for the new construction of the British embassy in Bern (1962) and for the administrative building of the Bernese power company (1960–63).
The Eagle on the Simplon pass
Officers of the mountain brigade considered to erect a cenotaph for the golden eagle, the symbol of the brigade, from stone tailings of the fortification GondoZwischbergen
Zwischbergen is a municipality in the district of Brig in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.-Gondo:The village of Gondo, which is part of Zwischenbergen, is located at the southern foot of the Simplon Pass on the Italian border. Although the majority language has been German for a long time, the...
. Baumann had good connections to the commanders of the brigade. Brigadier Hans Bühler was married to his second cousin, and he knew the colonel of the engineer corps, Werner Grimm, since his youth in Berne.
Baumann got the job to explore the possibilities and his proposal of an over nine meter high monument made of the tailings pleased the two superiors. Baumann described his approach in the following way:
“From the standpoint of a sculptor he regarded it as imperative to find a new sculpting technique and to adopt the project to this new technique, without affecting its artistic value. Furthermore, he was anxious to find a process, which would already be familiar to the quarryman and the mason from their common practices. Consequently the only option was a traditional construction plan and alignment stage for the builder to feel at ease and in familiar territory with his tools and skills. Easy to handle additions were a pair of dividers and a plaster model serving as a solid and conclusive reference model. With level, angle and circle alone it was not possible to cope with the 1:10 scale plaster original. The elevation plans turned out imprecise to the extent that it was impossible to use them for a tenfold magnification. But the model exemplifying the exact alignment, together with the moulds used to form the pieces of this model, produced unexpectedly well aligned results. The moulds are inverse forms used to create the 1:10 scale plaster model, which gave a clear footprint and allowed to establish any cross sectional view, horizontal or vertical. The assembled model and its moulds also had the advantage to draw attention to any infringements on the given practice and technology of common stonemasonry. Every layer of the model could be assembled by itself on the drawing board and be drawn in its internal details. In such drawings, the masonry could be put down, studied and clarified in all its details. The changes that thus became necessary appeared almost infinite. Fifteen, twenty layers had to be developed to be able to adapt all the corrections to the various affected cross sections. This was intense work lasting not only days, but in some cases even weeks.”
“I would never have thought that the monumental eagle on the SimplonSimplonSimplon is the name of a region in the Alps. It can refer specifically to:* Simplon Pass and Tunnel* Simplon , a former French département corresponding with modern Valais, Switzerland* Simplon, Valais, a Swiss municipality...
is your work, and I can hardly fathom what great technical problems had to be overcome in its creation. In the future, when talking about the colossi of Memnon and the rock temples of Abu SimbelAbu SimbelAbu Simbel temples refers to two massive rock temples in Abu Simbel in Nubia, southern Egypt on the western bank of Lake Nasser about 230 km southwest of Aswan...
in my lectures, I will also quote your eagle created in such an extraordinary, inventive manner no one thought of before.”
In 1943 it came to a rift between engineer corps chief Werner Grimm and Baumann. Grimm posed continually as the builder of the Simplon eagle. That deeply hurt Baumann's feelings and even motivated him to stay away from the unveiling ceremonies in September 1944 on the Simplon.
Works (selection)
- 1920, “Contest cavalry monument at Lueg near Burgdorf”
- 1940, “A pair of lovers”, donation to the Swiss help for refugees
- 1941, “Contest relief PTT administrative building BerneBerneThe city of Bern or Berne is the Bundesstadt of Switzerland, and, with a population of , the fourth most populous city in Switzerland. The Bern agglomeration, which includes 43 municipalities, has a population of 349,000. The metropolitan area had a population of 660,000 in 2000...
, Fight” - 1942, “Miner group”
- 1944, “SimplonSimplonSimplon is the name of a region in the Alps. It can refer specifically to:* Simplon Pass and Tunnel* Simplon , a former French département corresponding with modern Valais, Switzerland* Simplon, Valais, a Swiss municipality...
eagle” - 1945, “Mother and child, horse”
- 1950, “Four pillar capitals for castle of WimmisWimmisWimmis is a municipality in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-Geography:Wimmis has an area of . Of this area, 30.1% is used for agricultural purposes, while 45.8% is forested...
” - 1952, “Communion table church Lerchenfeld”
- 1953, “Contest the unknown political prisoner”
- 1954, “Project Parzival fountain construction MigrosMigrosMigros is one of Switzerland's largest enterprises, its largest supermarket chain and largest employer. It co-founded Turkey's largest retailer, Migros Türk, which became independent of Migros Switzerland in 1975....
SpiezSpiezSpiez is a city in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland.-Geography:Spiez has an area of . Of this area, 38.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 29.1% is forested...
, blazonry Amtshaus Langnau im EmmentalLangnau im Emmental-Sport:Langnau is the home of the SCL Tigers, who plays in the Swiss National League A. They play their home games at the Ilfis Stadium.- External links :* * *...
”