Frankfurt Main Station serves as the primary example of Georg Peter Hermann Eggert’s influence on German civic architecture. Completed between 1883 and 1888, the project stands as his most significant technical achievement. Over the course of his professional life, Eggert navigated the shifting stylistic demands of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, primarily through the lens of Neo-Renaissance design.
Professional Formation and Early Work
Born in 1844 in Burg, Eggert pursued formal architectural studies at the Bauakademie in Berlin, where he trained under Heinrich Strack. His career involved diverse roles including architect, general contractor, and government official. His early output included the Ernst Moritz Arndt Tower on Rügen, completed in 1877, and an unsuccessful competition entry for the Berlin Cathedral in 1869.
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Between 1875 and 1889, Eggert functioned as the Universitätsbaumeister in Strasbourg. During this tenure, he designed several university facilities, including the institution's observatory. His most prominent project in the city was the Palais du Rhin, commissioned for Emperor Wilhelm II. This period solidified his reputation for executing large-scale administrative and public buildings.
Berlin Ministry and Hannover Commissions
Eggert later served as an Oberbaurat within the Prussian Ministry of Public Works in Berlin, focusing largely on church architecture. By 1898, he moved his office to Hannover. He participated in the competition for the New Town Hall in Hannover in 1895, securing the commission for the building's exterior after winning a second competition in 1896. This project ultimately proved contentious, leading to a conflict with Christian Heinrich Tramm over the design of representative rooms and the eventual cancellation of his contract in 1909.
Legacy and Records
Eggert’s professional contributions encompassed railway stations, veterinary colleges, and university annexes, such as the extension of the Technische Hochschule in Charlottenburg. Following his death in 1920 in Weimar, his archived designs were preserved at the Museum of Architecture of the Technische Universität Berlin. In 2009, a street in the Gallus quarter of Frankfurt was renamed Hermann-Eggert-Straße in his memory.
Fast facts
- Born: 1844, Burg
- Died: 1920, Weimar
- Education: Bauakademie, Berlin
- Notable Work: Palais du Rhin
- Key Style: Neo-Renaissance
- Membership: Prussian Academy of Arts
- Worked in: Berlin, Hanover, Weimar, Strasbourg
Questions readers ask
What is considered Hermann Eggert's most important work?
Frankfurt Main Station, which he built between 1883 and 1888, is widely regarded as his most significant project.
Why was his contract for the New Town Hall in Hannover cancelled?
The contract was cancelled in 1909 due to a conflict regarding the design of the building's representative rooms with Christian Heinrich Tramm.
Achievements
- Notable work: Palais du Rhin
- Trained at Bauakademie
