Peter Parler (, , ; 1333 – 13 July 1399) was a German-Bohemian architect and sculptor from the Parler family of master builders. Along with his father, Heinrich Parler, he is one of the most prominent and influential craftsmen of the Middle Ages. Born and apprenticed in the town of Schwäbisch Gmünd, Peter worked at several important late Medieval building sites, including Strasbourg, Cologne, and Nuremberg. After 1356 he lived in Prague, capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia and seat of the Holy Roman Empire, where he created his most famous works: St. Vitus Cathedral and the Charles Bridge.

Early life

thumb|The choir of Holy Cross Minster, [[Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany]]

Little is known about the earliest youth of Peter Parler. His father, Heinrich Parler the Elder, was a stonemason at Cologne Cathedral. Around 1333, when Peter was born, Heinrich was invited by the free imperial city of Schwäbisch Gmünd to take over construction of a large new parish church, Holy Cross Minster. Peter was already working alongside his father on the church when the cornerstone of the choir was laid in 1351. This is presumably also where his apprenticeship was completed. The division of the choir by a continuous balustrade demonstrates what would become his trademark style. The arched section at the southern portal of the church can also be attributed to Peter. The designs developed by the father and son team at Holy Cross were unique and mark an important milestone in late Gothic architecture and sculpture.

Peter then set off on his ' as a wandering journeyman. On these visits he learned the most important concepts of Gothic construction techniques in Central Europe. He visited Cologne, perhaps Paris, and certainly spent time in Strasbourg – precise knowledge of Strasbourg Cathedral can be seen in his subsequent buildings. While working in Cologne he met Druda (Gertrud), daughter of the resident architect Bartholomäus von Hamm. They eventually married and had four children: three sons, of which two went on to become known master builders in their own right, and a daughter.

While undocumented, some scholars believe Parler traveled to England during this period, while others find the possibility unlikely. The idea arises because certain detailed and concealed technical devices appear in his later work which could have only been obtained through first-hand experience and not from any architectural drawings. What is definitely known is that masons at Strasbourg implemented specific craft methods from western England in the late 1200s, which points to knowledge of English Gothic architectural methods in the Rhineland. Since Peter Parler spent time working at Strasbourg, it is much more likely his knowledge of these methods came from there. In particular, the vaults he later designed at St. Vitus Cathedral were most probably modeled after the St. Catherine Chapel of Strasbourg Cathedral.

Nuremberg

thumb|[[Frauenkirche, Nuremberg, Germany, where the first sculpture by Peter Parler can be directly identified (1352–1356)]]

Sometime after 1352 Peter joined the construction works at the Frauenkirche in Nuremberg as the parlier, or chief site assistant alongside his father. The exact date and his precise role are unclear. The foundations of the church had already been laid in 1351 on the initiative of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, who envisioned it as a center for holding imperial ceremonies. This is reflected in the carved coats of arms of the Emperor, the seven Prince-electors, and the city of Rome where the Holy Roman Emperors were crowned. Here the first sculptures can be directly ascribed to Peter, among them a prominent figure of Zacharias. Built on the ruins of an older castle, its ambitious architecture can be directly connected to the Parlers and Peter probably worked there as a sculptor. which accounts for a pause in construction in both Nuremberg and Prague, as well as information that he was at least 23 years old at the time of his appointment.

St. Vitus Cathedral

When Peter arrived in Prague in 1356 at the age of 23, his immediate assignment was to take over the construction site at St. Vitus Cathedral, which had languished since the death of Matthias of Arras in 1352. It is indicative of Peter's talents that the most important building in the Empire was then entrusted to such a young architect. Peter continued the works at St. Vitus from the ambulatory and chapels, which were partially complete, and gradually changed the Matthias plan while keeping continual references to the original vision.

The east tower of the Bridge, Old Town Bridge Tower, was also built by Peter Parler. Its arch contains a net vault that was the first of its kind in Bohemia.

Other works

Apart from the cathedral and the bridge, Peter was also the main designer of the New Town of Prague. He also built the All Saints' Chapel inside the Royal Palace of Prague Castle. After a fire in 1541 it was redecorated in the Baroque style. Between 1360–78 Parler built the chancel of the St. Bartholomew church in Kolín. Peter is also responsible for various tombs, shrines and sculptures at various sites in and around Prague, including at Kutná Hora.

Family and personal life

thumb|Tombstone of Peter Parler in St. Vitus Cathedral

The Parler family grew large and its many members worked at Gothic construction sites all over Central Europe and Northern Italy. Peter's branch of the family began with his marriage to his first wife, Gertrude. Although their wedding date is not exactly known, by 1360 they were raising three sons and a daughter:

  • Johann Parler the Younger: born around 1359, educated in Prague, worked alongside his father on St. Vitus. Johann took over his father's role as the cathedral's master builder in 1398 and also became the master builder of St. Barbara's Church, Kutná Hora, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  • Nikolaus Parler: became a clergyman and served as a canon in Prague from 1380–1398. Little else is known about him.
  • Their daughter appears around 1383 as the wife of a Michael from Cologne, possibly the son of another cathedral architect named Michael (1364–1387). He may have had other children as well.

Peter was granted citizenship in Prague in 1379. He died in Prague in 1399 and was buried at St. Vitus Cathedral, with his sons Peter and Wenzel carrying on his work.

Legacy

Peter Parler was one of the most well-known and influential craftsman of the Middle Ages. The designs of both him and his father became known as the "Parler style" and spread throughout Central Europe. Significant examples include: St. Martin's Church, Landshut (begun 1389); St. Lorenz, Nuremberg (nave begun 1400); St. George's Minster, Dinkelsbühl (begun 1448); St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna (south tower begun 1368); and numerous other examples across the Hanseatic League from the Netherlands to Poland. Examples can also be found in Scandinavia, such as at St. Mary's, Helsingør, Denmark.

A demonstration of just how far his ideas went can be found at Seville Cathedral, begun in 1402 and today still the largest Gothic cathedral in the world. The standard Gothic verticality of the central space is broken up by a balustrade at the boundary with the clerestory windows. More importantly, the balustrade's widely spaced vertical bars and its position flowing outside of the outermost ribs are exactly like Peter Parler's original design of the western bays at St. Vitus’ Cathedral. Construction at Seville Cathedral continued until 1506.

During the Hussite wars (1419–1434) the lands of the Bohemian Crown were totally ravaged. Although his buildings still stand, much of Peter Parler's sculptural works were destroyed. A portrait of him, carved out of his hand, remains in the ' at St. Vitus Cathedral.

Asteroid

An Asteroid named in honor of Peter Parler, 6550 Parléř, was discovered by Antonín Mrkos at Kleť Observatory on 4 November 1988.

Parler Prize

The "Peter Parler Prize" was established in 1994 by the German Foundation for Monument Protection () and the Federal Association of German Stonemasons (). It is awarded every two years at the International Exhibition of Natural Stone and Stone Processing in Nuremberg for outstanding service in the preservation of cultural heritage. The prize is accompanied by a commemorative bust of Peter Parler and EUR 15,000. It was most recently awarded in 2015 to August Weber and Helmut Schneider for restoration work at St. George's church in Ulm.

List of major works

Buildings in Prague

  • St. Vitus Cathedral (1356–1396)
  • Chancel, sacristy and tower
  • Chapel of St. Wenceslas
  • Golden Gate
  • Charles Bridge (1357–1402)
  • Old Town Hall (1360–1381)
  • chapel
  • bay, stone decoration
  • Old Town Bridge Tower (1370–1380)
  • Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and Charlemagne (consecrated 1377)
  • All Saints Church (1372–1386)
  • Church of Our Lady before Týn (choir 1380–)
  • Karolinum (1383–1386)
  • gothic bay

Buildings elsewhere

  • Heilig-Kreuz-Münster, Schwäbisch Gmünd (?–1351), consecrated 1410.
  • Karlštejn Castle (1357–1365)
  • St. Bartholomew's Church, Kolín (1360–1378)
  • Frauenkirche, Nuremberg (1352–1356)
  • Wenzelschloss, Lauf an der Pegnitz (1355–1356)
  • St. Barbara's Church, Kutná Hora (begun 1388)

Architectural drawings

  • Peter Parler: Drawing of the choir and western facade of St. Vitus Cathedral (black ink on parchment, 132 x 52.5 cm), Kupferstichkabinett, Akademie der Bildenden Künste, Vienna
  • Peter Parler: Drawing of the south tower of St. Vitus Cathedral (black ink on parchment, 106 x 93 cm), Kupferstichkabinett, Akademie der Bildenden Künste, Vienna