Sosthène Weis

Sosthène Weis (29 January 1872 – 28 July 1941) was a Luxembourgish artist and architect who painted over 5,000 watercolors, mostly of Luxembourg City and its surroundings.

Early life Weis was born in Niedermertzig near Ettelbruck on 29 January, 1872. He was the son of François Weis, a tanner and sawyer. After completing high school at the Athénée in Luxembourg City where Michel Engels first introduced him to graphic art, Weis studied civil engineering from 1891 at the Polytechnic in Aachen and then at the Technical University in Munich.

Architectural work

After his studies, he first worked for a few years for the renowned Munich architect Hans Grässel. After returning to Luxembourg, in 1902 he married Marie Pütz with whom he had three children. The same year, the government charged him to conduct a study in connection with the Maison de Santé in Ettelbruck.

In 1904, he designed the Benedictine Convent in Peppange. In 1905, he succeeded Prosper Biwer as government architect and in 1917, he became chief architect for the ARBED steel company. There, together with René Théry from Brussels, he supervised the construction of the new company headquarters in Luxembourg City, as well as housing for the employees and workers. Among his most important works are the Hôtel des Postes, which was Luxembourg City's main post office until 2017, the Lycée technique des arts et métiers in Limpertsberg, extensions to the spa facilities at Mondorf-les-Bains, and the ARBED building.