Back November 19th, 2013

Architect Frigyes Schulek never got the financial and moral appreciation in his life he would have deserved by his works. Today many foreign tourists travelling to Hungary visit his most important work, the Fisherman’s Bastion, the Belvedere Tower on John’s Hill and the Matthias Church, which gained its current looks by his plans.
Frigyes Schulek was born in 1841 in Pest, his father was a merchant and also a clerk in the Ministry of Finance, in the era of ministry of Lajos Kossuth. Schulek had prepared himself for being an architect from a very young age: during the summers he worked as a construction assistant. He took his academic studies in Vienna, and then took a study visit in Paris and Italy. His friend and fellow architect, Imre Steindl, the later creator of the Parliament building asked him to return to Pest, so he did so and they started to work together. From 1870 he mostly worked on restoring Hungarian monuments. In 1872 he became Hungary’s first revivalist and co-founder of the National Board of Monuments. As a revivalist one of his most important works is the Matthias Church, which was restored by his plans in 1893. Between 1911 and 1913 he was a professor at the Budapest University of Technology. He built the Belvedere Tower on John’s Hill (Jánoshegy) as well. He died in 1919 in Balatonlelle.
His Most Important Work, the Fisherman’s Bastion
Building the Fisherman’s Bastion located in the Buda Castle Quarter in the 1st district of Budapest Frigyes Schulek turned the previously mostly military-purpose area into a peaceful avenue. He built the bastion between 1895 and 1902 adapting to the area’s natural characteristics, but still loosing the rigidity of the old walls. The Fisherman’s Bastion built in Neo-Romanesque style is now one of the most visited monuments of Budapest, which besides the building itself is popular by the view which can be enjoyed from its top. The stone towers of the 140-meter-long building symbolize the seven chieftains of the Hungarians. The restoring of the building demolished during the World War II was conducted by Schulek’s son, architect János Schulek. The Fisherman’s Bastion became a World Heritage Site in 1987.
Sources:
hu.wikipedia.orghu.wikipedia.orgfarm4.staticflickr.com