Josef Frank (1885-1967) was an Austrian-Swedish architect, designer, and theorist. He was born on July 15, 1885, in Baden bei Wien, into a Jewish family with roots in Heves, Hungary. His father, Ignaz (Isak) Frank (1851-1921), was a textile merchant, and his mother, Jenny Frank (1861-1941), was born in Vienna. He was the brother of the physicist, mathematician, and philosopher Philipp Frank.
He studied architecture at the Vienna University of Technology and, between 1919 and 1925, taught at the city's School of Arts and Crafts. He also participated in the founding of the Austrian Werkbund and maintained a close professional collaboration with Oskar Wlach, with whom he was a partner in the firm "Haus & Garten."
His work during the 1920s and 1930s was particularly focused on modern housing. In 1927, he had the opportunity to design a house for the Werkbund residential complex in Stuttgart. Later, he played a central role in the Vienna Werkbundsiedlung, promoting and directing its construction until its completion in 1932. Between 1929 and 1930, he worked with Oskar Wlach on the overall concept of the Villa Beer in Vienna, including its interior design.
The political situation in Austria had a decisive impact on his life. In 1933, he moved, initially temporarily, to Stockholm with his Swedish wife, Anna. He obtained Swedish citizenship in 1939 thanks to the intervention of the politician Malte Jacobsson and the poet Anders Österling.
In the early 1940s, he lived for a time in Manhattan, New York. However, a fundamental part of his career remained linked to Svenskt Tenn, a Stockholm design firm founded by Estrid Ericson. For the company, he created furniture and numerous textile designs. Among her works are chairs, sofas, and wardrobes, as well as floral prints that achieved widespread acclaim and helped solidify her international reputation.
After 1945, she remained in Sweden. Her work, encompassing architecture, interior design, furniture, and textiles, occupies a prominent place within the modern movement that is most attentive to the domestic character of spaces and their inhabitants.
She died at the age of 81 on January 8, 1967, in Stockholm, Sweden.
