author
Josef M. (Josef Maria) Ritz
1892–1960
A German art historian and preservation specialist, he wrote vividly about folk art, painted furniture, and the visual traditions of rural Bavaria. His books reflect a close, practical interest in the everyday objects that carry cultural history.
1 Audiobook
Barocke Kirchen und Klöster Unterfrankens
by Josef M. (Josef Maria) Ritz
About the author
Born on January 2, 1892, in Drosendorf near Bamberg, Josef Maria Ritz studied art history in Würzburg, Munich, and Freiburg in Switzerland, and earned his doctorate in 1917. He went on to work in museums and monument preservation, building a career around the study of regional art and historic objects.
Ritz is especially associated with writing on Bavarian folk art and decorative traditions. Works linked to his name include studies of painted rural furniture and other forms of popular art, showing a strong interest in how craftsmanship and local style preserve the character of a place.
He later served in Bavaria's heritage and conservation world and died on June 25, 1960, in Hohenaschau. Remembered as both an art historian and a conservator, he helped document cultural material that might otherwise have been overlooked.