DOI article:
Hoffmann, Annette; Murovec, Barbara [Contr.]: Josef Strzygowski and Avguštin Stegenšek Some Remarks on their Jerusalem Studies
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.73804#0076
75
understand and teach the 'Orient'.55 The model of the Aus-
tro-Hungarian Empire, in which Byzantine research (in
contrast to German art history) was focused on Balkan
and the South Slavic lands, as a direct territorial interest of
the Monarchy ('the Orient closest to us ),56 was continued.
55 Cf. W. Balus, 'The Place of the Vienna School of Art History in
Polish Art Historiography of the Interwar Period', Journal of Art
Historiography, 21, 2019, pp. 1-15, here p. 2.
56 'Das uns am nachsten liegende Gebiet des Orient', Hans Sedlmayr
to Ernst Diez, 22 September 1937, University of Vienna, Depart-
ment of Art History Archives, Sedlmayr Folders, Vienna, quot-
ed after Z. Tonbul, 'From Strzygowski's 'Orient oder Rom' to
Hans Sedlmayr's 'Closest Orient", Journal of Art Historiography,
23, 2020, pp. 1-15, here p. 2.
SUMMARY
Annette Hoffmann, Barbara Kristina Murovec
JOSEF STRZYGOWSKI AND AVGUSTIN
STEGENŚEK. SOME REMARKS ON THEIR
JERUSALEM STUDIES
Josef Strzygowski and Avgustin Stegensek, his student at
the University of Graz, made a decisive contribution to
the institutionalisation of art history in the Styrian prov-
ince of the Habsburg Monarchy around 1900. At the time,
research in Vienna focused on antiquity and the Renais-
sance, while very few art historians in the German-speak-
ing world devoted themselves to the study of the 'Orient',
and even fewer to Jerusalem studies. Strzygowski dedicat-
ed the last chapter of his book Orient oder Rom (1901),
in which he argued for Europe's dependence on Orien-
tal forms, to the Constantinian Church of the Holy Se-
pulchre, thus embarking on an interdisciplinary research
project that was mainly carried out by archaeologists,
theologians, Byzantinists and orientalists. Strzygowski's
book was severely criticised by Max Dvorak, his colleague
and rival at the University of Vienna from 1909 onwards,
and other scholars, such as Anton Baumstark.
Between 1899 and 1902, Stegensek was a student at the
Roman Institute of the Gorres Society on the Campo San-
to Teutonico, where he listened to Josef Wilpert's lectures
and came into contact with many other German intellec-
tuals who supported the primacy of Rome. Stegensek's re-
search was based on his topographical work in southern
Styria, in which he traced how the 'originals' of Jerusa-
lem were copied in the Calvaries of Europe and in the Sta-
tions of the Cross. A forgotten text on the pictorial repre-
sentation of church buildings in Jerusalem in the fourth
century, published by Stegensek in Oriens Christianus in
1911, reveals his method which is based on a comparative
study. Stegensek, moreover, was interested not only in re-
constructing holy sites, but above all in topographically
locating the biblical events within the urban space. In
the idea of memorial sites (Erinnerungsstdtten) Stegensek
points ahead not least to the studies of the Holy Land by
Maurice Halbwachs.
After 1912, when Stegensek attempted to obtain fund-
ing from the Imperial and Royal Ministry of Education
and Culture for a trip to Jerusalem, his path became
more closely linked with Strzygowski's again. However, as
Stegensek did not trust his former professor from Graz,
he travelled to Jerusalem at his own expense in 1913. With
the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the process
of establishing art-historical studies at the newly founded
University of Ljubljana began; Stegensek declined to be-
come the first professor and later unsuccessfully offered to
teach the history of Byzantine art. Due to his early death,
his research has remained largely unpublished and over-
looked.
understand and teach the 'Orient'.55 The model of the Aus-
tro-Hungarian Empire, in which Byzantine research (in
contrast to German art history) was focused on Balkan
and the South Slavic lands, as a direct territorial interest of
the Monarchy ('the Orient closest to us ),56 was continued.
55 Cf. W. Balus, 'The Place of the Vienna School of Art History in
Polish Art Historiography of the Interwar Period', Journal of Art
Historiography, 21, 2019, pp. 1-15, here p. 2.
56 'Das uns am nachsten liegende Gebiet des Orient', Hans Sedlmayr
to Ernst Diez, 22 September 1937, University of Vienna, Depart-
ment of Art History Archives, Sedlmayr Folders, Vienna, quot-
ed after Z. Tonbul, 'From Strzygowski's 'Orient oder Rom' to
Hans Sedlmayr's 'Closest Orient", Journal of Art Historiography,
23, 2020, pp. 1-15, here p. 2.
SUMMARY
Annette Hoffmann, Barbara Kristina Murovec
JOSEF STRZYGOWSKI AND AVGUSTIN
STEGENŚEK. SOME REMARKS ON THEIR
JERUSALEM STUDIES
Josef Strzygowski and Avgustin Stegensek, his student at
the University of Graz, made a decisive contribution to
the institutionalisation of art history in the Styrian prov-
ince of the Habsburg Monarchy around 1900. At the time,
research in Vienna focused on antiquity and the Renais-
sance, while very few art historians in the German-speak-
ing world devoted themselves to the study of the 'Orient',
and even fewer to Jerusalem studies. Strzygowski dedicat-
ed the last chapter of his book Orient oder Rom (1901),
in which he argued for Europe's dependence on Orien-
tal forms, to the Constantinian Church of the Holy Se-
pulchre, thus embarking on an interdisciplinary research
project that was mainly carried out by archaeologists,
theologians, Byzantinists and orientalists. Strzygowski's
book was severely criticised by Max Dvorak, his colleague
and rival at the University of Vienna from 1909 onwards,
and other scholars, such as Anton Baumstark.
Between 1899 and 1902, Stegensek was a student at the
Roman Institute of the Gorres Society on the Campo San-
to Teutonico, where he listened to Josef Wilpert's lectures
and came into contact with many other German intellec-
tuals who supported the primacy of Rome. Stegensek's re-
search was based on his topographical work in southern
Styria, in which he traced how the 'originals' of Jerusa-
lem were copied in the Calvaries of Europe and in the Sta-
tions of the Cross. A forgotten text on the pictorial repre-
sentation of church buildings in Jerusalem in the fourth
century, published by Stegensek in Oriens Christianus in
1911, reveals his method which is based on a comparative
study. Stegensek, moreover, was interested not only in re-
constructing holy sites, but above all in topographically
locating the biblical events within the urban space. In
the idea of memorial sites (Erinnerungsstdtten) Stegensek
points ahead not least to the studies of the Holy Land by
Maurice Halbwachs.
After 1912, when Stegensek attempted to obtain fund-
ing from the Imperial and Royal Ministry of Education
and Culture for a trip to Jerusalem, his path became
more closely linked with Strzygowski's again. However, as
Stegensek did not trust his former professor from Graz,
he travelled to Jerusalem at his own expense in 1913. With
the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the process
of establishing art-historical studies at the newly founded
University of Ljubljana began; Stegensek declined to be-
come the first professor and later unsuccessfully offered to
teach the history of Byzantine art. Due to his early death,
his research has remained largely unpublished and over-
looked.