Josef Schnitter
Encyclopedia
Josef Schnitter was a Czech–Bulgarian
architect, engineer and geodesist credited with shaping the modern appearance of Plovdiv
, Bulgaria
's second-largest city.
Schnitter was born in the small town of Nový Bydžov
in Bohemia
, Austrian Empire
(today in the Czech Republic
). He graduated from the University of Technology
's Faculty of Construction in the imperial capital Vienna
and then moved to the Russian Empire
, where he converted to the Eastern Orthodox Church
. Schnitter arrived in Bulgaria during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 and assisted the Imperial Russian Army
as an engineer, designing the pontoon bridge
s used in the crossing of the Danube
and the fortification equipment employed by the Russians in the Siege of Plevna. Schnitter was injured at Pleven
and received a sabre from General Eduard Totleben
, who commanded the siege, as a recognition of his contribution to the siege's success.
Even before the Treaty of San Stefano
was signed on 3 March 1878 and Bulgaria was liberated
from Ottoman
rule, Schnitter was dispatched to Plovdiv by the Russians. He settled in the city, which was the capital of autonomous Eastern Rumelia
until the Unification of Bulgaria in 1885, and, after a brief private practice, served as Plovdiv's head architect and municipal chief of engineering from 1878 until his death in 1914.
Schnitter was married to a fellow Austrian
citizen who was staying in Plovdiv's Old Town en route to Istanbul
. According to the story, he met his future wife when the crumbs she threw out of her window landed on Schnitter, who was touring the buildings he had constructed. His best man was Slovene scholar Anton Bezenšek
who spent two decades teaching in Plovdiv. The architect acquired Bulgarian citizenship in 1906. Josef Schnitter died of bronchopneumonia
in 1914; he got sick while overseeing the repair of the city water conduit. He was interred in the Plovdiv Central Cemetery.
Maria Schnitter, head of the Plovdiv University
's Faculty of Philosophy and History, is his granddaughter. In 2006, Josef Schnitter was posthumously declared a honorary citizen of Plovdiv and in early 2009, plans were announced to erect a monument to the architect in the city; the monument will be sculptured by Tsvyatko Siromashki. A street in Plovdiv is also named after the architect.
Street, which he intended to be 54 metres (177.2 ft) wide. However, he was persuaded by the City Council to narrow it to 16 metres (52.5 ft).
His other projects include:
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
architect, engineer and geodesist credited with shaping the modern appearance of Plovdiv
Plovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
's second-largest city.
Schnitter was born in the small town of Nový Bydžov
Nový Bydžov
Nový Bydžov is a town in the Hradec Králové Region of the Czech Republic. It is situated near Hradec Králové and Chlumec nad Cidlinou on the river Cidlina.-History:...
in Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
, Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
(today in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
). He graduated from the University of Technology
Vienna University of Technology
Vienna University of Technology is one of the major universities in Vienna, the capital of Austria. Founded in 1815 as the "Imperial-Royal Polytechnic Institute" , it currently has about 26,200 students , 8 faculties and about 4,000 staff members...
's Faculty of Construction in the imperial capital Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and then moved to the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, where he converted to the Eastern Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
. Schnitter arrived in Bulgaria during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 and assisted the Imperial Russian Army
Imperial Russian Army
The Imperial Russian Army was the land armed force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian army consisted of around 938,731 regular soldiers and 245,850 irregulars . Until the time of military reform of Dmitry Milyutin in...
as an engineer, designing the pontoon bridge
Pontoon bridge
A pontoon bridge or floating bridge is a bridge that floats on water and in which barge- or boat-like pontoons support the bridge deck and its dynamic loads. While pontoon bridges are usually temporary structures, some are used for long periods of time...
s used in the crossing of the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
and the fortification equipment employed by the Russians in the Siege of Plevna. Schnitter was injured at Pleven
Pleven
Pleven is the seventh most populous city in Bulgaria. Located in the northern part of the country, it is the administrative centre of Pleven Province, as well as of the subordinate Pleven municipality...
and received a sabre from General Eduard Totleben
Eduard Totleben
Eduard Ivanovich Totleben was a Baltic German military engineer and Imperial Russian Army general. He was in charge of fortification and sapping work during a number of important Russian military campaigns.-Early life:...
, who commanded the siege, as a recognition of his contribution to the siege's success.
Even before the Treaty of San Stefano
Treaty of San Stefano
The Preliminary Treaty of San Stefano was a treaty between Russia and the Ottoman Empire signed at the end of the Russo-Turkish War, 1877–78...
was signed on 3 March 1878 and Bulgaria was liberated
Liberation of Bulgaria
In Bulgarian historiography, the term Liberation of Bulgaria is used to denote the events of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 that led to the re-establishment of Bulgarian state with the Treaty of San Stefano of March 3, 1878, after the complete conquest of the Second Bulgarian Empire, which...
from Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
rule, Schnitter was dispatched to Plovdiv by the Russians. He settled in the city, which was the capital of autonomous Eastern Rumelia
Eastern Rumelia
Eastern Rumelia or Eastern Roumelia was an administratively autonomous province in the Ottoman Empire and Principality of Bulgaria from 1878 to 1908. It was under full Bulgarian control from 1885 on, when it willingly united with the tributary Principality of Bulgaria after a bloodless revolution...
until the Unification of Bulgaria in 1885, and, after a brief private practice, served as Plovdiv's head architect and municipal chief of engineering from 1878 until his death in 1914.
Schnitter was married to a fellow Austrian
Cisleithania
Cisleithania was a name of the Austrian part of Austria-Hungary, the Dual Monarchy created in 1867 and dissolved in 1918. The name was used by politicians and bureaucrats, but it had no official status...
citizen who was staying in Plovdiv's Old Town en route to Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
. According to the story, he met his future wife when the crumbs she threw out of her window landed on Schnitter, who was touring the buildings he had constructed. His best man was Slovene scholar Anton Bezenšek
Anton Bezenšek
Anton Toma Bezenšek was a Slovene linguist, publicist, shorthand expert, and lecturer, who spent most of his life in Bulgaria...
who spent two decades teaching in Plovdiv. The architect acquired Bulgarian citizenship in 1906. Josef Schnitter died of bronchopneumonia
Bronchopneumonia
Bronchopneumonia or bronchial pneumonia or "Bronchogenic pneumonia" is the acute inflammation of the walls of the bronchioles...
in 1914; he got sick while overseeing the repair of the city water conduit. He was interred in the Plovdiv Central Cemetery.
Maria Schnitter, head of the Plovdiv University
Plovdiv University
The Plovdiv University "Paisiy Hilendarski" is a university located in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. It was founded in 1962 and has nine faculties.- History and Profile :...
's Faculty of Philosophy and History, is his granddaughter. In 2006, Josef Schnitter was posthumously declared a honorary citizen of Plovdiv and in early 2009, plans were announced to erect a monument to the architect in the city; the monument will be sculptured by Tsvyatko Siromashki. A street in Plovdiv is also named after the architect.
Works
Schnitter designed Plovdiv's entire post-Liberation city plan (1888–1891), including its main street, today's Prince AlexanderAlexander, Prince of Bulgaria
Alexander Joseph, Prince of Bulgaria GCB , known as Alexander of Battenberg, was the first prince of modern Bulgaria, reigning from 29 April 1879 to 7 September 1886.-Early life:...
Street, which he intended to be 54 metres (177.2 ft) wide. However, he was persuaded by the City Council to narrow it to 16 metres (52.5 ft).
His other projects include:
- bell towerBell towerA bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
of Saint Demetrius' Church - bell tower of Saint Petka's Church
- bell tower of the Holy Mother of God ChurchChurch of the Holy Mother of God, PlovdivThe Church of the Holy Mother of God is a Bulgarian National Revival church in Bulgaria's second largest city Plovdiv. The church is situated in the Old town of Plovdiv on one of the city's seven hills, Nebet Tepe....
(1880–1881) - Saint George's Church (1881–1883)
- Saints Cyril and Methodius' Church (1882–1884)
- the new church in BatakBatak, BulgariaBatak is a town in Pazardzhik Province, Southern Bulgaria, not far from the town of Peshtera. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Batak Municipality. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 3,498 inhabitants.- Geography :...
- the current Neorenaissance City Art Gallery building (former Main Girls' School, 1879–1881)
- the current Museum of Natural History building (former Plovdiv municipality building, 1880)
- the house where writer Ivan VazovIvan VazovIvan Minchov Vazov was a Bulgarian poet, novelist and playwright, often referred to as "the Patriarch of Bulgarian literature". He was born in Sopot, a town in the Rose Valley of Bulgaria ....
lived - Yoakim Gruev's house
- Dragan Manchov's house (1887)
- Sveshtarovi brothers' house (1888)
- Ivan Gerdzhikov's house (1890)
- Ivan Andonov's house (1891)
- Orozdi Bak commercial house building (1896–1897)
- Metropol Hotel
- Konstantin Naydenovich's house (1905–1906)
- Plovdiv municipality engineering department building