Franciszek (Franz) Stempkowski (Stempkowsky; 1844–1902), a Polish architect of the Historicist period , who practised in Switzerland . Information about his life is scarce; little is known, in particular, about Stempkowski’s early years, and even his place of birth remains unknown. He was educated in Warsaw , though he presumably interrupted his studies to take part in the January Uprising. It is highly likely that he left the Kingdom of Poland for good immediately afterwards. He continued his studies, studying architecture in Prague and Vienna . He arrived in Switzerland in the late 1860s as a political refugee, and presumably also attended the technical university in Zurich . For a time, he worked in that city as a draughtsman, after which he left for Hungary, taking up a post as a railway site manager. However, he returned to Switzerland; after another spell in Zurich in the early 1870s, he moved to Bern , where he joined the architectural practice of Johann Carl Dähler . In December 1875 he was appointed assistant to the cantonal architect Friedrich Salvisberg . Four years later , Stempkowski was granted citizenship of the municipality of Guttannen . A significant promotion came in March 1880 when he took over the temporary management of the cantonal architect’s office following Salvisberg’s dismissal. From then on, as part of his official duties, Stempkowski not only undertook an increasing number of design projects but also oversaw the technical aspects of all public works in the canton of Bern. Through his conscientious and diligent performance of his daily, painstaking duties, the Polish émigré gradually gained increasing recognition from his superiors, as evidenced by his final appointment as cantonal architect on 17 December 1890. Stempkowski remained in this post until his death by suicide. It came as a surprise to everyone; no explanation for this desperate act can be found in the documents currently available. The architect left behind a wife and six children.

Almost all of Stempkowski’s known works are linked to his official duties in the Canton of Bern. In addition to the construction of new buildings, this work also encompassed numerous refurbishments and consultancy assignments, which makes it very difficult to define the architect’s core body of work (n.b. the surviving archival designs are unsigned ) . The buildings designed by Stempkowski typically combine good, functional interior solutions with modest façade designs, most often drawing on the Renaissance or the provincial, local Baroque style. This restraint in form, resulting from budgetary constraints, simultaneously continued the canton’s traditional visual identity for public projects. Examples include the Molkereischule Rütti in Zollikofen ( 1890), or the local government offices (the so-called ‘Amtshaus’) in Bern, Biel and Meiringen ( the latter having been rebuilt). The prison building in Biel ( 1886) was characterised by austere Neo-Romanesque architecture.

A good example of the difficulty in distinguishing the roles of individual architects in a project that took a long and arduous time to complete is the large complex in Münsingen, which is significant for the history of mental health care. From 1880 onwards, the architect Adolf Tièche prepared three versions of the building and the basic concept for the whole complex; however, Stempkowski likely had the decisive say in the development of the final version (constructed 1892–1895). The complex of buildings, innovative in its functional layout, was given an exterior design that skilfully combined the forms of a traditional Swiss chalet with touches of provincial Renaissance and Baroque styles.

Among his many other works, one might also mention the refurbishment of the school in Brügg and the interior of the church in Täuffelen ( 1880–1902), the church tower in Münchenbuchsee ( 1890–1891) and, presumably, the conversion of the monastery in Bellay into a psychiatric asylum.

Against this backdrop, the buildings designed by Stempkowski for the University of Bern are particularly interesting , given the significance and unconventional nature of the commissions : the chemistry laboratory (1891–1893, demolished in the 1960s), the Institute of Physiology, known as the Hallerianum (1892–1894), and the Institute of Anatomy (1896–1898). These buildings were not routine projects; their functional design had to meet the increasingly complex needs of the natural sciences. For example, during the construction of the chemistry laboratory, Stempkowski consulted the eminent chemist, Stanisław Kostanecki . The low-rise, highly segmented structures proved to be a practical solution, whilst the understated Renaissance-style façades, with their sparse detailing and brick cladding, effectively and without pomposity conveyed academic solemnity and practicality.

Unfortunately, Stempkowski’s unusual work—created outside his official duties—is known only from a description; together with Friedrich Studer , he submitted it to the competition for the Union Institute for the Physically and Mentally Ill in Chur (1888). In the justification for awarding third prize, the overall layout and the French-style façades were commended.

Although the buildings he designed constitute an important part of the Bernese architectural scene during the Historicist period, Stempkowski is today a figure who has been almost completely forgotten. A promising sign for the restoration of his rightful place in the history of Swiss architecture is a publication devoted to the architecture of the University of Bern, published in 2009 . It was there that the Kantonsbaumeister’s designs were, for the first time, the subject of a historical and artistic analysis, which revealed the high standard of his professional craftsmanship.