Franciszek Maurer

Franciszek Maurer was born on November 7, 1918 in Łącko near Nowy Sącz in southern part of Poland. At that time this part of Poland belonged to Austro-Hungarian Empire. Four days later Poland gained independence. After graduating from Tadeusz Kościuszko Gymnasium in Lwów in 1938, he started his studies at University of Lwów, Department of Architecture. He continued studies during Soviet and German occupation and received master's degree in 1943. During the occupation he participated in Polish underground resistance movement Armia Krajowa.

In 1946 he started working as an architect, reconstructing country after the war. He managed the Railway Reconstruction Company in Katowice. In 1948 he moved to Gliwice, where he was a chief designer for the reconstruction of the city of Gliwice historical district. At that time he started to work at the University of Gliwice Politechnika Śląska. He was conducting scientific research and teaching the history of architecture, urban design and preservation of historical buildings. He received PhD in 1965 at Gdańsk University.

Franciszek Maurer is a member of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw and Katowice, section for Architecture and Urban Design and the Commission for the Preservation of the Cultural Monuments. He received numerous medals and decorations for his work (Golden Cross of Merit, Order of Polonia Restituta, Order of Saint Stanislaus)

Since his young years, Franciszek Maurer has been very passionate about the artistic drawing and painting. He had numerous exhibitions of his work in Poland and abroad in Vienna, Rome, Verona, Turin and overseas in Toronto.

Gliwice is the place, where many public spaces are decorated with mural work by Franciszek Maurer. Commemorative sgrafitto portraits of the famous Polish personalities in Gliwice: gen. Emil Fieldorf "Nil" at st. Barbara church, Wojciech Korfanty at Korfanty Street, gen. Leon Berbecki at the house of his residence on Puszkina Street, poet Cyprian Kamil Norwid at One Norwid Street, General Józef Pilsudski at the square of his name, Saint Jadwiga near the church of the All Saints (Kościół Wszystkich Świętych).

Creative passion of Franciszek Maurer is the important element in his teaching work with university students to incite the artistic interest and culture.

Franciszek Maurer died on July 10, 2010 in Gliwice. He was active until his last days. His last project, gen. Fieldorf's tablet was unveiled in September 2009. Tablet for father Popiełuszko remains unfinished. He lived 92 years.