Marcin Knackfus
Encyclopedia
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
architect of German descent. Born near Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, he worked in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
and particularly in its capital Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
. He was a tutor of Laurynas Gucevičius
Laurynas Gucevicius
Laurynas Gucevičius was an 18th century architect born in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and most of his designs were built there....
.
Knackfus was influenced by other Polish–German architects of late Baroque (Ephraim Schröger and Szymon Bogumił Zug) and early Neoclassicism (Domenico Merlini
Domenico Merlini
Domenico Merlini was an Italian-Polish architect whose work was mostly in the classical style.-Life and Style:...
and Johann Christian Kammsetzer
Johann Christian Kammsetzer
Johann Christian Kammsetzer or Jan Chrystian Kamsetzer was a Dresden-born architect who was active primarily in Poland.-Life:...
). He moved to Vilnius around 1768. Knackfus served as captain of the Army of Grand Duchy of Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
and lectured at military engineering school. Between 1773 and 1777 he taught courses in theory and practical application of architecture at Vilnius University
Vilnius University
Vilnius University is the oldest university in the Baltic states and one of the oldest in Eastern Europe. It is also the largest university in Lithuania....
. He participated in the 1794 Kościuszko Uprising
Kosciuszko Uprising
The Kościuszko Uprising was an uprising against Imperial Russia and the Kingdom of Prussia led by Tadeusz Kościuszko in Poland, Belarus and Lithuania in 1794...
. Fearing persecutions of the Tsarist authorities
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...
, he retreated to Suvalkija
Suvalkija
Suvalkija or Sudovia is the smallest of the five cultural regions of Lithuania. Its unofficial capital is Marijampolė. People from Suvalkija are called suvalkiečiai or suvalkietis . It is located south of the Neman River, in the former territory of Vilkaviškis bishopric...
and largely retired.
His works include Verkiai Palace
Verkiai Palace
Verkiai Palace is an 18th century neoclassical mansion in Verkiai, Vilnius, Lithuania.- History :Until the end of 14th century this place was a property of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. There was a wooden manor even in 13th century. In 1387 Lithuanian Grand Duke Jogaila, on occasion of accepting...
(1769–1781), Palace of de Reuss in front of the Daukantas Square
Daukantas Square
Daukantas Square in Vilnius, Lithuania is located in Old Town in front of the Presidential Palace. Its name commemorates a progenitor of the 19th-century Lithuanian national revival, Simonas Daukantas. In the late 19th century it had a monument of Mikhail Nikolayevich Muravyov-Vilensky.The square...
(1775), expansion of astronomical observatory of Vilnius University
Vilnius University
Vilnius University is the oldest university in the Baltic states and one of the oldest in Eastern Europe. It is also the largest university in Lithuania....
(1782–1788), late Baroque churches of Troškūnai
Troškunai
Troškūnai is the second smallest city in Lithuania. It is located west form Anykščiai. The birthplace of Lithuanian lexicographer and writer Konstantinas Sirvydas is nearby the city. The city was established in 1696 by Władysław Sokołowski, who brought there Bernardines, founded a church and a...
(1774–1787) and Kurtuvėnai
Kurtuvėnai
Kurtuvėnai is a small town in Šiauliai County in northern-central Lithuania. As of 2001 it had a population of 326.-References:*This article was initially translated from the Lithuanian Wikipedia....
(1783–1792), Vilnius Botanical Garden (1784), altar for All Saints Church, Vilnius
All Saints Church, Vilnius
thumb|200px|All Saints ChurchAll Saints Church is a Baroque style church in Vilnius, Lithuania. All Saints church was built between 1620-1630 and was adopted for Carmelites' needs. In the second half of the 17th century, the church was linked with a monastery and formed a single complex. The bell...
(1787), St. Bartholomew Church in Užupis
Užupis
Užupis is a neighborhood in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, largely located in Vilnius' old town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Užupis means "on the other side of the river" in the Lithuanian language and refers to the Vilnia River. The name Vilnius was derived from the Vilnia...
(1788), supervision of the construction of the Green Bridge
Green Bridge (Vilnius)
The Green Bridge is a bridge over the Neris River in Vilnius, Lithuania. It is the oldest bridge in the city and connects city center with Šnipiškės.-History:...
(1789), church in Trakai
Trakai
Trakai is a historic city and lake resort in Lithuania. It lies 28 km west of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Because of its proximity to Vilnius, Trakai is a popular tourist destination. Trakai is the administrative centre of Trakai district municipality. The town covers 11.52 km2 of...
(1789–1790), Tyzenhaus Palace
Tyzenhaus Palace
Tyzenhaus Palace is an 18th century mansion located in the city of Vilnius, Lithuania.-History:The historical sources of 1579 mention a International Gothic building in the same place. However, it later fell into disuse and then into ruin...
(around 1790), archives of the Lithuanian Tribunal
Lithuanian Tribunal
The Lithuanian Tribunal was the highest appeal court for the nobility of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. It was established by Stefan Batory, Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland, in 1581 as the counterpart to the Crown Tribunal of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom, established in 1578...
(1790), residential palace (presently used by Vilnius Conservatory of Juozas Tallat-Kelpša; 1790), manor and park in Paežeriai, Vilkaviškis district (1794), parish school in Troškūnai
Troškunai
Troškūnai is the second smallest city in Lithuania. It is located west form Anykščiai. The birthplace of Lithuanian lexicographer and writer Konstantinas Sirvydas is nearby the city. The city was established in 1696 by Władysław Sokołowski, who brought there Bernardines, founded a church and a...
(1796), Basanavičius street in Vilnius (1798).
Knackfus worked with numerous nobles, including Bishops Ignacy Jakub Massalski
Ignacy Jakub Massalski
Prince Ignacy Massalski was a Polish-Lithuanian nobleman.Ignacy was Bishop of Vilnius and one of the initiators of the Commission for National Education. After few years he was removed from the Commission for embezzlement of public funds...
and Ignacy Krasicki
Ignacy Krasicki
Ignacy Krasicki , from 1766 Prince-Bishop of Warmia and from 1795 Archbishop of Gniezno , was Poland's leading Enlightenment poet , a critic of the clergy, Poland's La Fontaine, author of the first Polish novel, playwright, journalist, encyclopedist, and translator from French and...
, Field Hetman Ludwik Tyszkiewicz
Ludwik Tyszkiewicz
Ludwik Tyszkiewicz as a Polish-Lithuanian nobleman and Field Lithuanian Hetman from 1780 to 1791; Great Lithuanian Treasurer from 1791, Great Lithuanian Marshal from 1793 . Member of the Targowica Confederation....
, voivode Karol Stanisław Radziwiłł, Adam Kazimierz Czartoryski, Grand Marshal Stanisław Lubomirski.