Maurycy Silberstein (1857–1912) was a Lviv-based architect and a representative of the generation that shaped the city’s architectural character during the transition from historicism to Secession (Art Nouveau). His work combined structural logic with refined decorative expression, particularly evident in his later projects.
He studied at the Lviv Technical Academy from 1877 to 1884, where he received professional training in architecture and engineering. In 1886, he obtained an official license to practice architecture in Lviv, which allowed him to run his own practice. He often collaborated with his elder brother, Jakób Silberstein, a skilled builder who typically oversaw the construction of Maurycy’s designs.
Silberstein was professionally active in Lviv from the late 19th century into the early 20th century. Until 1900, his work followed the stylistic principles of historicism — employing Neo-Renaissance, Neoclassical, and Neo-Gothic forms, adhering to academic symmetry and classical composition. However, with the onset of the new century, he adopted a more progressive architectural language — Secession — which revitalized his creative approach.
His buildings from this period are distinguished by richly modeled facades, undulating attic lines, and decorative elements such as stylized flames, flowers, and female heads — hallmark motifs of ornamental Art Nouveau. Silberstein used these features not merely as embellishments, but as integral compositional accents that defined the entire architectural image of his buildings. His tenement houses successfully balanced visual artistry with practical function, catering to the needs of the urban middle class.
On January 1, 1907, he became a member of the Polytechnic Society in Lviv, a testament to his recognition within the professional architectural community. Many of his buildings, constructed primarily in the central and southwestern districts of Lviv, became prominent features of the urban landscape, and a number of them have survived to this day.
Maurycy Silberstein died in 1912. His architectural legacy exemplifies the shift from academic classicism to modern stylistic innovation, embodying the spirit of a new era and leaving a lasting imprint on Lviv’s cityscape.