Hugo Gerhard Ströhl
Austrian, 1851 – 1919
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Hugo Gerard Ströhl was an Austrian heraldist.
Ströhl was born in Wels in Upper Austria. 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 taught painting and drawing, and founded a small printing office. Much of his work involved designing heraldic books and stamps for advertising.
His heraldic drawings, especially his main books, the Austrian-Hungarian and the Imperial German rolls of arms, are considered among the best heraldic drawings ever published.
Although it was not his first work on heraldry, 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, led to Ströhl's fame following its 1890 publication. These images can be seen in detail here
Besides European heraldry, Ströhl was also interested in the comparable Japanese system of symbolism, and he published a large book on Japanese mon, the "Nihon moncho" (日本 もんちょ) or Japanese Roll of Arms.
His "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.