150 years ago, Silesian architect Leopold Bauer was born

Prague - Leopold Bauer, a native of Krnov, who was born 150 years ago, on September 1, 1872, left behind a number of remarkable buildings, not only in Silesia, from where he originated. Among the most famous buildings from his studio are the majestic palace of Priessnitz's sanatorium in Jeseník from 1908 to 1910, the headquarters of the Opava Chamber of Commerce and Industry from the same period, and the Breda department store in Opava. He gradually moved away from modernism towards classicism and a historicizing approach to architecture, often organically combining elements of various styles in his plans and realizations. Bauer's residential accessories, such as glass and tapestries, are also renowned. Around the turn of the millennium, Bauer belonged to the leading representatives of modern architecture in Central Europe.

The future architect came from an artistically inclined family, though his ancestors were more focused on music - his grandfather was a violin maker and versatile musician, while his father was an excellent pianist. Artistically gifted, Leopold studied at the industrial school in Brno and continued to the Viennese academy under Otto Wagner, who also taught several other prominent Central European architects of the first half of the 20th century; for instance, Jan Kotěra was Bauer's classmate. After Wagner, he later took on the professorship at the academy, serving there between 1913 and 1919.

He began creating at the turn of the century in Krnov; although a modernist project for the town hall encountered obstacles, Bauer established himself as an interior designer. His Reissig villa in Brno (1901 to 1902) is often referred to as the first modern house in the Habsburg monarchy. The architect, who over time moved from modernism to more historicizing forms, also designed the Opava church of St. Hedwig (completed only in the 90s). His last work was the wooden summer villa of Hana Larischová in Krnov, built in 1936. He died on October 7, 1938, in Vienna at the age of 66.