Antoni Reichenberg

Antoni Reichenberg (7 June 1825, Gorlice, Austrian Empire – 23 January 1903, Ternopil, Austria-Hungary) was a Polish priest, Jesuit, and artist. He took care of orphans and the poor in Ternopil.^[1]

Antoni Reichenberg
Born	(1825-06-07)7 June 1825 Gorlice, Austrian Empire
Died	23 January 1903(1903-01-23) (aged 77) Ternopil, Austria-Hungary
Occupation	Jesuit priest
Known for	Paintings

Biography

In 1848, he participated in the Hungarian Revolution.^[2]

Reichenberg studied painting in Budapest and the Munich Academy of Arts, graduating in 1862. During his studies, he was friends with Jan Matejko.^[2][3][4]

He studied theology in Munich and Przemyśl, where he was ordained a priest on 13 September 1868. On 7 December 1869, he entered the Jesuit novitiate in Stara Wieś.^[2] In 1871, he joined the Society of Jesus.^[3]

From 1875 he lived in Ternopil. From 1875 to 1887, he was a professor of drawings at the Jesuit convivium; in 1884–1885 he was prefect of the student hospital, and in 1886 he taught German. He founded two shelters for the poor in the city, where he worked after the liturgy.^[3][5] Every day at 7 p.m. Reichenberg prayed at the figure of St. Tekla on Panska Street in Ternopil.^{[1][6][relevant?]}

He died on 23 January 1903 in Ternopil.^[3] He was buried on 27 January 1903 at the Mykulyntsi cemetery in Ternopil,^[3][7] where the tombstone bears an inscription: "To the guardian of the poor, Antoni Reichenberg T. I., grateful citizens of Ternopil".^[3] The grave of Fr. Antoni Reichenberg was declared a newly discovered monument of cultural heritage.^[8]

Works

He was a talented artist.^[3] Among his works are the image "Our Lady of Sorrows" (kept in Stara Wieś)^[2] and a portrait of Alfred Potocki (until 1918 it hung in the hall of the Galician Sejm).^[9]