Hugo Gerard Ströhl

Hugo Gerard Ströhl (24 September 1851 – 7 December 1919) was an Austrian heraldist.

Ströhl was born in Wels in Upper Austria. As a talented painter he studied at the School for Applied Arts ("Kunstgewerbeschule des Österreichischen Museums für Kunst und Industrie", now "Hochschule für angewandte Kunst") in Vienna. After graduation, he worked as a teacher of painting and drawing, but he also founded his own small atelier and printing office. His main work was to design (heraldic) books and (advertising) stamps.

His heraldic drawings, especially of his main books, the Austrian-Hungarian and the Imperial German rolls of arms, are among the best heraldic drawings ever published.

Although not his first work on heraldry, he became famous with the publication in 1890 of the Roll of Arms of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, or "Österreichisch-Ungarische Wappenrolle", an overview of the arms of all the territories (and claims) of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. These images can be seen in detail here

Besides European heraldry he was also interested in the Japanese style of heraldry and he published a large book on Japanese mons, the "Nihon moncho" or Japanese Roll of Arms.

His large volume "Heraldische Atlas" is still considered a standard work in German heraldic literature.

Ströhl designed for the St. Karl Borromäus-church in the old peoples home "Am Wienerwald" in Vienna, 130 arms of Viennese guilds, which are still shown on the walls of the church (see here. He also designed a large number of civic coats of arms for municipalities in Austria and Germany, including the arms of Vienna. He died in Mödling.

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