Professionally involved in architecture and urban conservation, as well as film and television, Götz Hagmüller arrived in Nepal for the first time in 1968. He was trained as an architect in Vienna. He was actively involved in the preservation of cultural heritage all over the world, including in Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Luang Prabang in Laos. In Kathmandu Valley, he has been involved in the restoration of Bhaktapur, the Patan Museum, and the Garden of Dreams. He worked for the United Nations and was stationed in Bangkok until his posting with FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) brought him to Nepal for a short visit in 1968 to research the use of wood in public housing. During this visit, he had the opportunity to explore important historical monuments in the Kathmandu Valley, some of which he later contributed to in restoration and reconstruction. In 1979, Hagmüller was back again for the Bhaktapur Development Project (BPD) and got involved for four and a half years.

“Bhaktapur is one of the best administered cities today and there is great emphasis on heritage preservation.”

Götz also worked together with Niels Gutschow, a well-known German architect, to create a film about their 1987-1990 reconstruction of the precious 18th century Chyasilin Mandap (the “Pavilion of Eight corners”) on Bhaktapur’s Durbar Square that had been destroyed by the great earthquake of 1934 and was rebuilt from scratch relying on a few carved panels, engravings, and watercolour drawings and photographs. Under the German UDLE project, he worked alongside Shaphalya Amatya to prepare a Conservation Master Plan for Swayambhunath. He was consequently appointed as one of the consultants to the Department of Archeology for implementing this plan. From 1991 to 1994, the team led by Niels and Götz initiated Patan Conservation and Development Programme under UDLE/GTZ. However, it was during the period 1986 to 1997, as chief architect and project coordinator of the Patan Durbar Conservation and Museum Project, that Hagmüller reached his professional pinnacle.

In 2001, Götz Hagmüller was awarded the Gorkha Dakshin Bahu by the late King Birendra and the honorary title “Professor” by the Austrian President. After that, he was involved in the restoration of the Garden of Dreams, inaugurated in October 2006.

In 2002 he published his book, “Patan Museum -The Transformation of a Royal Palace in Nepal.” In 2017, his book, “A Picture Book of My Life Vol. 1 &2,” was released at Taragaon Museum. That book captures many of his contributions and accomplishments, including the detailed documentation of the planning and transformation process of the historic palace building of the Patan Museum and the Garden of Dreams. It also includes his architectural work and life.

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A