Josef Mocker

Josef Mocker (22 November 1835 – 15 November 1899) was a Czech architect and restorer. He worked in a purist neo-Gothic style and is the author of the reconstruction of many important monuments in Bohemia.

Life

Josef Mocker was born on 22 November 1835 in Cítoliby. He studied at the Czech Technical University in Prague and at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. From 1863, he travelled through Austria, Hungary and Bavaria and gained valuable experience. In 1876, he was appointed Architect for Prague. He was a member of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Arts since its founding in 1890. He died in Prague on 15 November 1899, at the age of 63. He is buried at the Vyšehrad Cemetery.

Work

Mocker's first project was the reconstruction of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, on which he participated in 1864–1869.

Today, the most appreciated of Mocker's works is the new building of the Basilica of Saint Ludmila in Prague and the reconstruction of the Old Town Bridge Tower in Prague. On the contrary, the most criticised work includes the reconstruction of Karlštejn Castle. Mocker's notable works include:

Reconstruction and restoration Cathedral of Saint Vitus in Prague Castle, Prague (1873–1899) Old Town Bridge Tower, Prague (1874–1878) Church of Saint Stephen, Prague-New Town (1874–1879) Church of Saint Peter in Poříčí, Prague-New Town (1874–1879) Powder Tower, Prague (1878–1886) Church of Saint Bartholomew, Kolín (1878–1910) Church Saint Henry and its belltower, Prague-New Town (1879) Karolinum, Prague-Old Town (1879–1881) Church Saint James the Great, Slavětín (1880–1881) Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, Prague-Vyšehrad (1880–1903) Křivoklát Castle (1880s) Old New Synagogue, Prague-Josefov (1883) Karlštejn Castle (1887–1899) Konopiště Castle (1889–1894)

New buildings Basilica of Saint Ludmila, Prague-Vinohrady (1888–1893) Church of Saint Margaret, Zvole (1892–1894) Chapel of Saint Felix, Klenová (1897) Church of Saint Procopius, Prague-Žižkov (1898–1903)