Cyril Colnik

Cyril Colnik (20 September 1871 – 25 October 1958) was a metalsmith originally from Austria sometimes called "The Tiffany of wrought iron".. He emigrated to the United States to attend the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, where he won a gold medal for his entry to the exposition.

He settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, opening a workshop there in 1894. He was a pacifist, which led him to close his business instead of making armaments for World War I. Colnik spent the remainder of his career working in and around Milwaukee, retiring in 1955 and dying in 1958.

Early life

Colnik was born in 1871, in the Austrian village of Trieben, Styria. His parents were Dominick and Anna Rudmilla Colnik; his father was a veterinarian, a politician and an economist. The family lived on a large estate, and from an early age, Colnik spent time around the property's smithy, according to author Alan Strekow. In Munich, he worked in Reinhold Kirsch's workshop. He finished his studies there at the Munich Industrial Art School. Artisan Reinhold Kirsch recognized him as an exceptional student, and sent him to America as part of the German ironworking team at the Chicago World's Columbian Exposition. He worked on the hands of a donated clock for display at the Exposition. The United States experienced the Panic of 1893 and entered economic depression soon after the exposition, so he never received a physical copy of the medal. Colnik created many metal items for the wealthy German brewer, including an intricate wrought-iron and antler chandelier which ended up in a Milwaukee tavern called "Von Trier". Colnik soon opened his own shop in Milwaukee, and between 1894–1905 he gained a reputation for excellent iron work, according to Strekow.

Personal life

In 1905, Colnik married Marie Charolette (née Merz), the daughter of a Milwaukee shoemaker. On 24 May 1905 Colnik also became a naturalized United States citizen.