2003, Documentary, 52'

Script/Director: Karin Reiss und Jan Franksen

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Produced by:

Catpics Coproductions AG, Alfi Sinniger

In coproduction with:

Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen/Switzerland

In commemoration of Gottfried Semper's 200th birthday, the 53-minute documentation by Karin Reiss and Jan Franksen illustrates the multifaceted personality of an outstanding architect, whose legacy reaches far beyond his architectural works. Contemporaries such as Richard Wagner referred to him as the greatest genius in architecture of his time, but Semper's work as a researcher and professor should also not be forgotten. Along with the “Semperoper” in Dresden and the “Kaiserforum” in Vienna, the film focuses particularly on his teaching position at the first architectural school in Zurich – today's ETH – where a vast portion of his personal estate is archived.