Heinrich Hübsch (* 9 February 1795 in Weinheim; † 3 April 1863 in Karlsruhe) was an influential German architect, architectural theorist and building official in the Grand Duchy of Baden. He succeeded Friedrich Weinbrenner as head of the Baden building administration in 1827. His manifesto “In welchem Style sollen wir bauen?” (“In What Style Should We Build?”, 1828) founded the Rundbogenstil (round-arch style), a material- and construction-led synthesis of Romanesque and Renaissance, and opened the era of Historicism in southern Germany.
Connection to Baden-Baden
As Baden-Baden rose to become the international “summer capital of Europe” in the 19th century, Hübsch directed the architectural modernisation of the world-famous spa town in his role as head of state building construction. His work shapes the townscape to this day:
- His masterpiece: the Trinkhalle (pump room, 1839–1842). The 90-metre open promenade hall in the Kurgarten counts as Hübsch’s finest work in the Rundbogenstil. Sixteen Corinthian columns of regional red sandstone carry the building, which breaks deliberately with strict Classicism. Historical frescoes were added to the round-arched niches later. The hall settles harmoniously into the Kurgarten landscape and answers the Kurhaus (spa house) in both function and appearance.
- The Altes Dampfbad (Old Steam Bath, 1846–1848). Directly behind the Stiftskirche (collegiate church), Hübsch designed the Altes Dampfbad as a functional and aesthetic utilitarian building to modernise the town’s medical spa operations. Its palatial façade and Roman-Byzantine interiors made it a monumental structure.
- Urban-planning influence. Hübsch also assessed the expansion of the Kurgarten along the Oos and coordinated alterations to the existing Kurhaus, adapting the town’s prestigious infrastructure to the enormous influx of the European high nobility.
Today his architectural legacy forms a central part of the town’s UNESCO World Heritage listing (Great Spa Towns of Europe).
Notable Buildings (Selection)
- School in Karlsruhe-Rintheim (1827) – the first purely Rundbogenstil building
- Trinkhalle, Baden-Baden (1839–1842)
- Staatliche Kunsthalle, Karlsruhe (1840–1846)
- Altes Dampfbad, Baden-Baden (1846–1848)
- West façade of Speyer Cathedral (1854–1858)
Web links
- Heinrich Hübsch on Wikipedia