Balbronn hand

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Balbronner Hand, replica in the Musée Historique

The Balbronn hand ( French : main de Balbronn ) is a passive, left forearm prosthesis from the 16th century, the remains of which were found in 1907 or 1908 - next to human bones - during renovation work in the choir of the church in Balbronn ( Alsace ). The grave slab of the knight Hans von Mittelhausen ( Jean de Mittelhausen ), who according to the inscription died in 1564, used to be at the site . The artistic blacksmiths A. and O. Zschokk from Strasbourg created two replicas on behalf of Robert Forrer at the beginning of the 20th century , which are exhibited today in the Protestant church of Balbronn and in the Musée Historique in Strasbourg. The only partially preserved original is also shown there.

Due to the great structural similarity with the much better known " Iron Hand " of Götz von Berlichingen, it can be assumed that both come from the same manufacturer.

construction

The prosthesis replaced the left hand, forearm and elbow - Götz von Berlichingen, on the other hand, was missing the right hand. Accordingly, the Balbronn hand differs from the "Götzhand" mainly in its movable elbow joint, which can be adjusted using a 1.6 cm thick gear wheel with a diameter of 4 cm. In order to reduce weight, the forearm of the Balbronn hand was openwork like that of the Altruppin hand and not made of solid sheet metal . The weight of the copy is still 1675 g.

The fingers are designed to be independently movable in three joints ( thumb in two joints). As with the "Götzhand" and simpler contemporary prostheses, the joints were locked using a locking mechanism with pawls . Like this, the Balbronn prosthesis had to be adjusted with a healthy hand or by propping it up, and when a button was pressed it jumped back into the (open) starting position through spring force . The mechanisms of the Balbronn hand and the younger Götzhand from around 1530 are largely identical. Small stylistic differences in the armorer's work suggest this. that the Balbronn hand is possibly a little younger.

  • Balbronner Hand 2.jpg
  • Balbronn hand 1.jpg
Mechanism of the artificial hand, original in the Musée Historique .

literature

  • Un bras méchanique au XVI e siècle . In: Le Journal , December 15, 1907. Reprinted in: La Chronique médicale: revue bi-mensuelle de médecine historique, littéraire & anecdotique. No. 15, Paris 1908, p. 527 ( digitized version ).
  • Robert Forrer: The iron hand of Balbronn (Alsace). In: Journal for historical weapons and costume studies . Volume 7: 1915-1917, pp. 102-107 ( digitized version ).
  • Ernest Wickersheimer : Un appareil alsacien de prothèse du XVI e siècle: La "main de fer" de Balbronn. In: Augustin Gilbert (ed.): Paris médical: la semaine du clinicien. No. 32, Baillière & Fils, Paris 1919, pp. 179f. ( Digitized version ).
  • Liebhard Löffler: News from old hands: Newly discovered and previously neglected arm and hand prostheses. In: Orthopedic technology. No. 5, 1981, pp. 75-81.
  • Liebhard Löffler: The substitute for the upper extremity: the development from the first evidence to the present day. Dissertation. Enke, Stuttgart 1984, ISBN 3-432-94591-4 .

Web links

Commons : Main de Balbronn  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Un bras méchanique au XVI e siècle .
  2. ^ A b Robert Forrer: The iron hand of Balbronn (Alsace).
  3. ^ Description in the Musée Historique in Strasbourg
  4. ↑ Church of Balbronn on itinerairesprotestants.fr
  5. ↑ a b c d Liebhard Löffler: The substitute for the upper extremity . P. 56f.
  6. ↑ Günter Quasigroch: The hand prostheses of the Frankish imperial knight Götz von Berlichingen. 2nd continuation: the second hand. In: weapons and costume studies. Vol. 25, 1983, p. 118.