Paul Ritter
Encyclopedia
Paul Ritter was a Western Australia
n architect, town planner, sociologist, artist and author. He was born in Prague
in 1925, the son of Carl Ritter and Elsa née Schnabel. He died on 14 June 2010, aged 85.
At the age of 13 in 1939, Ritter was evacuated from Czechoslovakia
to England
. He graduated from the University of Liverpool
with a Bachelor of Architecture and a Masters in Civic Design. In 1946 he married Jean Finch.
Between 1954 and 1964 he edited and published ten volumes of the journal Orgonomic Functionalism through his own Ritter Press imprint dedicated to the ideas of Wilhelm Reich
about orgone
energy, a field now considered to be psuedoscience. After Reich's death in 1957, he published a memorial volume that included a contribution from the educator A. S. Neill
.
In 1965 Ritter moved to Western Australia
to become Perth's first City Planner and Architect. Whilst City Planner, he was responsible for ensuring that a six lane highway was not built along Riverside Drive between the City of Perth
and the Swan River on which the city lies. He was also responsible for ensuring the preservation of several historic buildings including The Cloisters
and the Barracks Arch. Ritter was dismissed from his post as City Architect of the Perth City Council in 1967. A committee including Sir Walter Murdoch
, Mary Durack Miller
, Stella O'Keefe, Professor E.K. Braybrooke, Professor G.C. Bolton
, Thomas Wardle
and Dr. R.B. Lefroy was formed to inquire into the dismissal. He later successfully sued for wrongful dismissal. Ritter served as a councillor from 1968 to 1986.
In the 1980s Ritter served a 16-month jail sentence for fraudulently attempting to obtain Commonwealth export grants; he maintained that he had been framed.
Ritter is the grandfather of actor Ian Meadows
.
and later in Perth
, he and Jean Ritter ran several exhibitions called "The Child's Eye View", where everything was built 2.5 times normal size to show adults what it was like to be a child.
Ritter designed a housing development, Crestwood Estate, on Radburn principles (see Clarence Stein
) in Thornlie
, Western Australia
. Every house sits on the edge of a park, and movement on foot through the development is possible without encountering vehicles.
In the Supreme Court Gardens in the centre of Perth his sculpture "The Ore Obelisk" (1972) is based on the idea that the state's wealth is largely built on mining.
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
n architect, town planner, sociologist, artist and author. He was born in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
in 1925, the son of Carl Ritter and Elsa née Schnabel. He died on 14 June 2010, aged 85.
At the age of 13 in 1939, Ritter was evacuated from Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He graduated from the University of Liverpool
University of Liverpool
The University of Liverpool is a teaching and research university in the city of Liverpool, England. It is a member of the Russell Group of large research-intensive universities and the N8 Group for research collaboration. Founded in 1881 , it is also one of the six original "red brick" civic...
with a Bachelor of Architecture and a Masters in Civic Design. In 1946 he married Jean Finch.
Between 1954 and 1964 he edited and published ten volumes of the journal Orgonomic Functionalism through his own Ritter Press imprint dedicated to the ideas of Wilhelm Reich
Wilhelm Reich
Wilhelm Reich was an Austrian-American psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, known as one of the most radical figures in the history of psychiatry...
about orgone
Orgone
Orgone energy is a theory originally proposed in the 1930s by Wilhelm Reich. Reich, originally part of Sigmund Freud's Vienna circle, extrapolated the Freudian concept of libido first as a biophysical and later as a universal life force...
energy, a field now considered to be psuedoscience. After Reich's death in 1957, he published a memorial volume that included a contribution from the educator A. S. Neill
A. S. Neill
Alexander Sutherland Neill was a Scottish progressive educator, author and founder of Summerhill school, which remains open and continues to follow his educational philosophy to this day...
.
In 1965 Ritter moved to Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
to become Perth's first City Planner and Architect. Whilst City Planner, he was responsible for ensuring that a six lane highway was not built along Riverside Drive between the City of Perth
City of Perth
The City of Perth is a local government area and body, within the Perth Metropolitan Area, which is the capital of Western Australia. The local government body is commonly known as Perth City Council. The city covers the Perth central business district and surrounding suburbs...
and the Swan River on which the city lies. He was also responsible for ensuring the preservation of several historic buildings including The Cloisters
The Cloisters, Perth
The Cloisters is located at 200 St Georges Terrace, opposite its intersection with Mill Street, in Perth, Western Australia. It is a two-storey dark coloured brick building, which terminates the vista at the top of Mill Street and is a landmark in the rise of the street to the ridge of the...
and the Barracks Arch. Ritter was dismissed from his post as City Architect of the Perth City Council in 1967. A committee including Sir Walter Murdoch
Walter Murdoch
Emeritus Professor Sir Walter Murdoch, KCMG was a prominent Australian academic and essayist famous for his intelligence, wit, and humanity. He was a Founding Professor of English and former Chancellor of University of Western Australia in Perth. Murdoch University, also in Perth is named after him...
, Mary Durack Miller
Mary Durack
Dame Mary Durack AC DBE was an Australian author and historian. She wrote Kings in Grass Castles and Keep Him My Country.-Childhood:...
, Stella O'Keefe, Professor E.K. Braybrooke, Professor G.C. Bolton
Geoffrey Bolton
Geoffrey Curgenven Bolton AO is an Australian historian born on 5 November 1931 in North Perth , Western Australia. He attended Wesley College, Perth from 1943 to 1947. He has been publishing works on Australian history since 1952, and has authored 13 books, most recently Land of Vision and Mirage:...
, Thomas Wardle
Thomas Wardle
Sir Thomas Edward Wardle was a businessman and supermarket proprietor from Western Australia...
and Dr. R.B. Lefroy was formed to inquire into the dismissal. He later successfully sued for wrongful dismissal. Ritter served as a councillor from 1968 to 1986.
In the 1980s Ritter served a 16-month jail sentence for fraudulently attempting to obtain Commonwealth export grants; he maintained that he had been framed.
Ritter is the grandfather of actor Ian Meadows
Ian Meadows
Ian Meadows is an Australian actor and writer.-Early life and education:Born and raised in Collie, Western Australia, Meadows trained at Curtin University and the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts , graduating in 2005.-Acting career:Meadow's highest profile television role to date was...
.
Publications
Ritter wrote several books and journals in such diverse areas as child rearing, planning and education. These include:- Orgonomic Functionalism, Edited by Paul Ritter, Ritter Press, 1954–1964
- Wilhelm Reich; Memorial Volume, Edited by Paul Ritter, Ritter Press, 1958
- The Free Family, Paul and Jean Ritter, Gollancz, 1959
- Translated into German by Rowholt, 1972 & 1978;
- Translated into Dutch by Nelissen and Bloemendaal, 1973;
- Translated into Hebrew by Massada, 1973;
- A later edition, The Free Family and Feedback, Gollancz, 1975, had a large additional section with comments from the children, now young adults, on their upbringing.
- Planning for Man and Motor, Paul Ritter, Pergamon Press, 1964 and 1970
- Educreation, Paul Ritter, Oxford Press, 1966
- Educreation and Feedback, Pergamon Press, 1979
- Concrete Fit for People, Down To Earth Bookshop Press, 1980
Other work
In NottinghamNottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
and later in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, he and Jean Ritter ran several exhibitions called "The Child's Eye View", where everything was built 2.5 times normal size to show adults what it was like to be a child.
Ritter designed a housing development, Crestwood Estate, on Radburn principles (see Clarence Stein
Clarence Stein
Clarence Samuel Stein was an American urban planner, architect, and writer, a major proponent of the "Garden City" movement in the United States.- Biography :...
) in Thornlie
Thornlie, Western Australia
Thornlie is a large outer suburb of Perth, Western Australia, located 18 kilometres south-east of Perth's central business district. It is part of the City of Gosnells local government area. The Canning River runs through the northern side of the suburb...
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. Every house sits on the edge of a park, and movement on foot through the development is possible without encountering vehicles.
In the Supreme Court Gardens in the centre of Perth his sculpture "The Ore Obelisk" (1972) is based on the idea that the state's wealth is largely built on mining.
Further reading
- Gregory, Jenny (2003) City of light : a history of Perth since the 1950s Perth, W.A. City of Perth ISBN 0959463240 (pbk.) Paul Ritter - career of Perth's first City Planner, controversies and achievements and his work as a Perth City Councillor - p. 134-152