Fridolin Dietsche

Fridolin Dietsche (31 October 1861 - 25 June 1908) was a German sculptor from Baden.

Following unification in 1871 Germany underwent several decades of rapid economic modernisation and growth, which was coupled with government encouragement for expressions of national pride. This was reflected in a building boom in Karlsruhe and across the country. New churches, commercial properties and homes for rich entrepreneurs were enhanced with fashionable coloured glass embellishments, elaborate ironwork grills and ceramic tiles, wall-mounted fountains in entrance halls and, naturally, with sculptures. Municipal authorities and other public bodies also competed to commission and erect imposing sculptures in public squares, outside public buildings and in other suitable locations. This provided encouragement and opportunity for artists such as Dietsche in Karlsruhe as eleswhere.

Fridolin Dietsche was born at Schönau im Schwarzwald, a small town along the Wiese valley in the hills to the north-east of Basel. His father was a cabinet maker. His artistic journey began with a three-year training at the wood carving school in Furtwangen. After that, between 1880 and 1884 he studied at the "Arts and Crafts Academy" ("Kunstgewerbeschule") in Karlsruhe. The next year was spent at the in Berlin, before a two-year period of study under Fritz Schaper at the Prussian Academy of Arts. He then studied more briefly under Wilhelm von Rümann at the Fine Arts Academy in Munich, before returning to Karksruhe.

Back at the "Arts and Crafts Academy" in Karlsruhe he was a of Hermann Volz (), while also working as a researcher and undertaking teaching assignments between 1888 and 1898. He also took the opportunity to undertake extended study trips to Paris and to Italy. In 1898 he succeeded Adolf Heer () as Professor of Sculpture at the Karlsruhe academy.

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