Dr. Conrad Schick (1822 – 1901) was a German architect; archaeologist, cartographer; researcher of the Land of Israel, and a Protestant missionary who lived and worked in Jerusalem in the second half of the 19th century. Furthermore, Schick was one of the most prominent figures in Jerusalem of his time; the end of the Ottoman period and was one of the most important scholars of the Land of Israel and Jerusalem at that time.
For many years Conrad Schick worked with the British Foundation for the Study of the Land of Israel (PEF) and the German Association for the Study of the Land of Israel (DPV) and published hundreds of articles describing the physical condition of Jerusalem and the archaeological research carried out there. As an architect, he was considered one of the most prominent builders of Jerusalem during the expansion of Jerusalem in the 19th century. And was behind the planning of community institutions; education, health; and housing in the service of the Christian and Jewish communities.
The Exploration of the Land of Israel and the Construction of Jerusalem
Simultaneously with his missionary work, Conrad Schick began to engage in archeology; the study of the Land of Israel, and the building of models of buildings by his artist. So in these fields, he excelled and stood out, and gradually acquired a reputation in Jerusalem as an expert with a stature. In the service of the Anglican Mission and the commission of other Christian organizations, he designed schools; hospitals; churches, and monasteries on new lands purchased on the outskirts of the city; in the new areas outside the old city walls.
So the Ottoman authorities noticed his talent and asked him to help plan the development and infrastructure work required in developing Jerusalem. The buildings that Conrad Schick designed stood out for their beauty and uniqueness, and he became famous as a great architect, who applied innovative techniques in design and construction. The style of his buildings was characterized by an intelligent and inspiring combination of European citrus with Middle Eastern and Ottoman architecture.
