Franz Heinrich Schwechten

Franz Heinrich Schwechten (12 August 1841 – 11 August 1924) was one of the most famous German architects of his time, and has contributed to the development of the historicist architecture.

Schwechten was born in Cologne. He attended Friedrich Wilhelm Gymnasium, where he was an apprentice of Julius Carl Raschdorff. In 1861, Schwechten enrolled in the Bauakademie, studies continued till 1863. After the studies Schwechten worked with Friedrich August Stüler. When he was 28, Schwechten received an award for the design of the Prussian Parliament palace from the Berlin Architect's Union. The first major work of Schwechten was the Berlin Anhalter Bahnhof train station terminal. Among his works were the designs of Tyszkiewicz Palace in Palanga (Polangen) and the Imperial Castle in Poznań (Posen). One of the most notable of Schwechten's designs was the memorial church of William I, German Emperor, known as the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. He prepared a design of a church with a 113 meter-high tower, retaining late Romanesque style elements. Just after this design was completed, he became a professor. Schwechten died in Berlin and was buried in Schöneberg.