Paul Buchner

The Stable Building at the Jüdenhof designed by Paul Buchner in a picture from 1680

Paul Buchner (* June 1531 in Nuremberg; † 13 November 1607 in Dresden) was a German architect, geometer, carpenter and screw maker from Nuremberg.

Life

Dresden Portal Schlossgasse of the Residenzschloss, engraving from the Weck Chronicle 1680

Buchner grew up in Nuremberg and learnt the carpentry trade and the art of screw making from his cousin Leonhard Danner. In 1556 he entered the service of the English queen Elizabeth I. in London. His task was to produce screw works, which were used to destroy fortifications. In 1557 Duke Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy invited him to Brussels.

Recommended by Leonhard Danner, who supplied military equipment for the Saxon court, Elector August of Saxony summoned Buchner 1558 to Dresden. At first he made screw tools and 1559 he was appointed electoral master craftsman and 1563 commander of the Dresden arsenal. He worked together with Caspar Voigt von Wierandt, an experienced architect and master witness. From 1567 he was in charge of the supervision of the extension of the Dresden fortifications. Due to his extensive knowledge of fortress construction and weapons technology, Buchner was appointed master of the house and land in 1575. He was thus responsible for all fortifications, armouries and weapons in Saxony.

1586 to 1590 Paul Buchner built the Dresden Stallhof (The Stable Building) at the Jüdenhof under Elector Christian I.

Buchner died in 1607 in Dresden and was buried at the Frauenkirchhof in Dresden.

The medalist Tobias Wolff made a portrait medal of Paul Buchner showing him at the age of 49.

Paul Buchner was married to Maria Kröß, daughter of the chamber servant of the Electorate of Saxony and mayor of Dresden Bastian Kröß. He was the father of the famous scholar August Buchner.

Works

• Collaboration on the Dresden Armoury (Zeughaus) 1559-1563 (after several alterations today Albertinum, Dresden)
• Conversion Wilsdruffer gate at Dresden 1568
• Powder mill Dresden 1574/75
• Conversion of Castle Gommern into a princely hunting lodge from 1578
• Dresden Stallhof (The Stable Building) at the Jüdenhof (1586-1589) of the Dresden Castle, today Dresden Transport Museum
• electoral stable building, so-called "Old Castle" in Zabeltitz 1588-1598
• Extension of the Königstein Fortress from 1589 (Gate House, Old Armoury, Guard House, Christiansburg)
• Pirna Gate at Dresden 1590/91
• old Gewandhaus at Dresden 1591

• 
  Stallhof Dresden, engraving 1680, by Anton Weck
• 
  Long corridor in the Stallhof Dresden, engraving 1680, by Anton Weck
• 
  Entrance to the Stallhof Dresden
• 
  Stallhof Dresden
• 
  The Pirnaische Tor Dresden 1679
• 
  Zabeltitz Castle
• 
  Königstein Fortress, Altes Zeughaus
• 
  Königstein Fortress, Altes Zeughaus

Literature

• Esther Hoppe-Münzberg: The Elector's Stable and Armory Chamber Building with Long Corridor and Stable Courtyard - a new construction task in the complex of the Dresden Residential Palace in: Saxony State Office for the Preservation of Monuments (Ed.): The Residence Palace of Dresden. Volume 2: The castle complex of the Renaissance and its early baroque alterations and decorations. Petersberg 2019, pp. 397-419.
• Franz Richard Steche: [https://books.google.de/books?id=6F9HAAAAYAAJ&dq=Steche%2C%20Franz%20Richard%20Hans%20von%20Dehn-Rothfelse&hl=de&pg=PA5#v=onepage&q&f=false Hans von Dehn-Rothfelser. Ein Beitrag zur Kunstgeschichte Sachsens (online atGoogle-Books). Blochmann, Dresden 1877, on Buchner pp. 36-43.