Fritz Weidner

Ernst Friedrich "Fritz" Wilhelm Weidner (13 March 1863 – 10 November 1950) was a German architect.

Life Weidner was born on 13 March 1863, in Vordamm (today part of Drezdenko, Poland). His father, Julius, from Bielefeld, was the head of the railway station. His mother, Antoni Marie Augusta (née Herold), was the daughter of Friedrich Herold, a local masonry master, as well as the mayor of Driesen (Drezdenko). Fritz spent his childhood and early youth in a family home. He graduated from the local public school and later obtained the builder qualification by passing the masonry exam. He soon earned the right to work as a manager.

At the beginning of the 1880s, he moved to Berlin and lived there with his brother Ernst, also a construction technician. According to family letters, Three years later, thanks to the thriving economic situation in Bromberg offering a profusion of career opportunities, he decided to settle in the city.

He brought his family and set up his own architecture office, while keeping his cooperation with his father-in-law. He was particularly active from 1896 to 1914. His studio took part in 90 investments: 25 were projects for new front houses, while the other works were related to rebuilding residential houses or erecting smaller constructions such as utility rooms (stables, garages, warehouses), fencing and parking lots. Most of the realizations were commissioned by private investors, mainly city rentiers, manufacturers, merchants or artisans.

His works are mainly concentrated in: Gdańska Street (9 edifices); Cieszkowskiego Street; Śniadeckich Street; Dworcowa Street; 20 January 1920 Street.

Three buildings were the result of housing cooperative funding . They are located at 13/14, Cieszkowskiego Street, 3/5 Staszica Street and 1 Kołłątaja street. The latter was awarded as the most beautiful new building in 1912, in a competition organized by city authorities (together with Rudolf Kern's house at 20 January 1920 Street).

Weidner was at the origin of the first building in Bydgoszcz using reinforced concrete: designed by Berlin architect Otto Walther, it stands today at 15 Gdańska Street. His work also includes two large edifices in downtown district: the Mix Ernst tenement at 10 Gdańska Street and the Brandt Department Store at 4 Theatre square, today the local seat of Bank Pekao.

Fritz Weidner, at the beginning of the 20th century, turned to Landhaus style, evoking German mansions. He directed the creation of an ensemble of single-family houses in Bielawy, a suburban commune of Bydgoszcz. He also became involved in applying the Garden city movement to Bydgoszcz urban planning.

In December 1910, numerous deficiencies, such as building out of the limits, starting construction works without the reception of the raw building framework, not sticking to the initial blueprint, caused the city representatives in charge of construction policy to submit a request to the mayor to deprive Weidner of his professional rights to practice. Archived records on the case do not make it clear whether the threat was considered positively.

Weidner was an active member of the union's trade board, where he regularly gave lectures and readings about technical problems related to building design (e.g. lighting, water and sewage networks) or issues related to the theory of art and the concept of new artistic trends. From 1903 to 1906, he was the vice-chairman of this board. In 1907 he participated in publishing a book, Industry and Commerce in Bromberg to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Society of Technicians.

Style Fritz Weidner's artistic style evolved from Eclecticism to Art Nouveau, through three stages.

When he arrived in Bromberg, his works were characterized by eclectic forms, with many Neo-Baroque decorative elements.

The second step of his stylistic maturation begun in 1897, with noticeable move towards Historicism where one can perceive a freedom of the planning, a lack of facade symmetry, as well as an abandonment of the stucco decoration, in favor of a decorative arrangement of different architectural elements (e.g. window shapes, loggias topped with arcades, bay windows, balconies).

Finally, in 1901, Weidner's work entered an Art Nouveau architectural phase, where he multiplied the use of various decorative motifs, playing with asymmetry on the frontages of his projects. Weidner's features related to Art Nouveau are mainly referring to the Viennese and German Secession, with a restrained, geometric approach, using organic motifs to a little extent, unlike what one can find in western countries Art Nouveau edifices.

He wrote in one of his articles:

January 1895 Villa Fritz Heroldt Located at 119 Gdańska Street. Earliest surviving project realized by Fritz Weidner.

September 1895 Tenement House Located at 73 Dworcowa Street, Fritz Weidner lived there with his family.

October 1895 Hermann Dyck Villa Located at 25 Królowej Jadwigi Street

August 1897 Carl Bradtke tenement Located at 91 Gdańska Street.

1897 Thomas Frankowski Tenement Located at 28 Gdańska Street.

August 1897 Tenement house Located at 35 Pomorska Street.

September 1898 Vincent Krause's house Located at 22 Cieszkowskiego Street. Vincent Krause was a wealthy local craftsman.

September 1898 Ernst Bartsch tenement Located at 79 Gdańska Street.

August 1901 Carl Bartz House Located at 14 Marchinkowskiego street, it houses today the city cultural center .

July 1902 Tenement House Located at 13/15 Cieszkowskiego Street. Order from a housing cooperative .

November 1902 Carl Mauwe Tenement Located at 29 Śniadeckich Street. Carl Mauwe was a city photograph.

February 1903 Richard Schrammke Tenement Located at 6 Wileńska Street.

+ Main preserved buildings by Fritz Weidner in BydgoszczYearEdificeRemarksPicture September 1903 Carl Ruckenschuch Tenement Located at 3 Plac Wolności. center 80px October 1903 Tenement Houses Located at 3/5 Staszica Street. Order from a housing cooperative . center 80px May 1905 Max Rosenthal Tenement Located at 42 Gdańska Street. center 80px July 1905 and June 1913 Mix Tenement Located at 10 Gdańska Street. Arno Ernst Mix was a soap manufacturer. center 80px August 1905 Moritz Ephraim tenement Located at 2 Śniadeckich Street. center 80px October 1906 Walther Minge tenement Located at 34 Gdańska Street, it represents the scenic trend. center 80px November 1909 Otto Pfefferkorn tenement Located at 12 Dworcowa Street. Otto Pfefferkorn, a furniture factory manager, used the ground floor as a show-room. center 80px December 1909 Tenement House Located at 1 Kołłątaja street. Order from a housing cooperative . center 80px March 1910 Tenement House Located at 19 20 Stycznia 1920 Street, the commissioner was Richard Schrammke, also owner at Wileńska Street 6. center 80px February 1911 Brandt Department Store Located at 4 Theatre square, the commissioner was Max Zweininger, owner of a famous hat manufactory who was living at 2 Focha street. center