Peter Parler

Lore & Background

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. 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. Peter then set off on his German: Wanderjahre as a wandering journeyman, visiting Cologne, perhaps Paris, and certainly spending time in Strasbourg. 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. Sometime after 1352 Peter joined the construction works at the Frauenkirche in Nuremberg as the parlier, or chief site assistant, alongside his father. The foundations of the church had already been laid in 1351 on the initiative of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor. Here the first sculptures can be directly ascribed to Peter, among them a prominent figure of Zacharias. By 1355 their sophisticated style had come to the attention of Charles IV and Peter was called to work in Prague. The year of this appointment is not entirely clear since the documentary inscription in Prague was partially painted over in the 15th century. Today research usually sets the date to 1356. When Peter arrived in Prague 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. In 1357, Charles commissioned Peter to build a new bridge across the Vltava. The first foundation stone was ceremonially laid on 9 July 1357 at 5:31 am, a time chosen by the royal astrologists as the most auspicious for starting construction. The east tower of the bridge, Old Town Bridge Tower, was also built by Peter Parler and contains a net vault that was the first of its kind in Bohemia. Apart from the cathedral and the bridge, Peter was also the main designer of the New Town of Prague. He built the All Saints' Chapel inside the Royal Palace of Prague Castle. 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. Peter died in Prague in 1399 and was buried at St. Vitus Cathedral, with his sons Peter and Wenzel carrying on his work.

Reader's Guide

Peter Parler's significance lies in his role as a leading architect and sculptor of the late Middle Ages, whose work in Prague helped define the city as a showcase capital of the Holy Roman Empire under Charles IV. His most famous contributions, St. Vitus Cathedral and the Charles Bridge, remain iconic landmarks. Parler's designs, such as the net vault on the Old Town Bridge Tower, introduced innovative Gothic techniques to Bohemia. His career reflects the mobility of medieval craftsmen, as he drew on knowledge from Strasbourg, Cologne, and Nuremberg. While some scholars believe Parler traveled to England, the source notes that masons at Strasbourg implemented specific craft methods from western England in the late 1200s, making it much more likely his knowledge of English Gothic 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. The Parler family's influence extended across Central Europe and Northern Italy, with Peter's sons Johann and Wenzel becoming master builders in their own right. 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. Wenzel went on to become master stonemason at St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna. Peter's legacy is preserved in the structures he designed and the sculptural works he created, which continue to be studied for their technical and artistic achievements.

Did You Know?

• The first foundation stone of the Charles Bridge was laid on 9 July 1357 at 5:31 am, a time chosen by royal astrologists because the palindromic number 135797531 was carved into the bridge's tower.
• Peter Parler took over construction of St. Vitus Cathedral at the age of 23, after it had languished since the death of Matthias of Arras in 1352.
• The net vault on the Old Town Bridge Tower was the first of its kind in Bohemia.
• Peter Parler's sons Johann and Wenzel both became master builders: Johann took over St. Vitus Cathedral in 1398 and also worked on St. Barbara's Church in Kutná Hora, while Wenzel became master stonemason at St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna.
• The vaults Parler designed at St. Vitus Cathedral were most probably modeled after the St. Catherine Chapel of Strasbourg Cathedral.