A monument for the Bernese cavalry units on the Lueg near Burgdorf was designed by Erwin Friedrich Baumann in 1919, though the project never reached completion due to a dispute regarding the inclusion of additional relief work. This career pivot from military service towards architecture and sculpture defined a life spent navigating both aesthetic expression and technical construction across Switzerland and abroad.
Early Education and Military Service
Born in Bern in 1890, Baumann was the son of a master builder. Childhood illness led to academic difficulties, yet he eventually attended the Minerva School in Zurich and studied art history and mathematics at the University of Bern. In 1911, he joined the student fraternity Rhenania. His military training as a non-commissioned officer in the cavalry was cut short by tuberculosis following an injury. Despite health challenges, he pursued architecture at the Institute of Technology in Darmstadt, influenced by the local artists' colony, before World War I halted his formal German education.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →International Experience and Artistic Development
Baumann traveled extensively during the 1920s to refine his craft. After working for Rudolf Gaberel in Davos, he spent the summer of 1921 in Paris studying with Antoine Bourdelle. A journey to Egypt allowed him to work as both a sculptor and architect, where he encountered figures like Mahmoud Mokhtar. Between 1924 and 1929, he resided in California. During this American period, he won a 1925 competition for department store interior decoration in Los Angeles and received an award from the Los Angeles art museum for his stone sculpture Quarryman.
Professional Practice and Renovation
Returning to Switzerland in 1929, Baumann worked in Davos, Bern, and Münchwilen. In 1938, he married Rita Keller and later trained under Ossip Zadkine in Paris. After 1939, he resided in a renovated farmhouse in Faulensee. His later career involved significant restoration and construction management, including work on the Romanesque church in Einigen, the historic inn St. Urs in Biberist, and the British embassy in Bern. He maintained a workshop in the former animal hospital of Bern until his death in 1980.
Monumental Technique
Baumann applied distinct methodologies to large-scale sculpture, most notably for the cenotaph eagle on the Simplon pass. Rather than relying solely on elevation plans, which he found imprecise for tenfold magnification, he utilized a 1:10 scale plaster model. By creating inverse forms from this model, he provided stonemasons with a practical reference system that aligned with traditional construction practices, allowing for accurate execution of complex sculptural elements.
Fast facts
- Born: 1890, Bern
- Died: 1980, Bern
- Citizenship: Switzerland
- Occupations: Architect, Sculptor
- Education: University of Bern, Institute of Technology in Darmstadt
- Spouse: Rita Keller
- Notable Works: Quarryman, Simplon Pass eagle monument
Questions readers ask
Where did Erwin Friedrich Baumann live outside of Switzerland?
He lived in Egypt during the early 1920s and in California from 1924 to 1929.
Which significant buildings in Bern did he manage?
He managed the construction for the new British embassy in 1962 and the administrative building for the Bernese power company between 1960 and 1963.