Austrian architect. Father of Otto Schreier.

Career Summary

Theodor Schreier was born in Vienna, the son of businessman Moritz Schreier (1844‒1922) and his wife Regina (1837‒1905). He studied at the Vienna Technische Hochschule 1891‒96, and from 1899 to 1906 worked as a partner in the architectural firm of Ernst Lindner and Theodor Schreier. After 1906 he set up independently, undertaking projects such as schools, synagogues, and office buildings as well as residential properties. His most important work was the synagogue in Sankt Pölten which was built in 1912‒13. During World War I he served in the Austrian military construction command. Following the War, he worked in the technical division of the Austrian Creditanstalt Bankverein, becoming its head.

Theodor married Anna (née Turnau, 1878‒1942) c.1900. Their only child was Otto (1901‒29), equally gifted in mathematics and music, who studied piano with Moriz Violin and Schenker himself (see below). After the tragically early death of Otto in 1929, Theodor effectively served as a father to Irene (daughter of Otto and his wife Edith), born in Vienna less than a month after Otto's death.

It was probably due to Anna’s ill-health that Theodor and she did not attempt to emigrate as Irene and her mother did after the annexation of Austria in 1938. In spite of later efforts to bring them out of then-Nazi Germany, the two were deported on October 10, 1942 and both died in Terezin (then Theresienstadt) concentration camp, Anna shortly after arrival, and Theodor on January 22, 1943. Theodor was posthumously honored by the city of Vienna in a ceremony at the centenary of the construction of his Sankt Pölten (now former) Synagogue.

Theodor Schreier and Schenker

Theodor approached Schenker on behalf of his son on September 16, 1920. Subsequently Theodor and Anna called on Schenker with Otto, when Schenker accepted Otto provisionally as a pupil from October. In January 1921, Theodor asked Schenker for a continuation of Otto's tuition, "since his son is enjoying it greatly," and this was evidently granted. Schenker wrote to Theodor on September 2, 1921, raising his fee for the coming year, at which point Theodor withdrew his son. The two men met once or twice thereafter according to Schenker's diary.

Correspondence

Schenker's diary attests that there was correspondence between Theodor and Schenker, but none is known to survive.

Sources

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