Johann Christoph Schuster

Double globe clock by Schuster in the Mathematical-Physical Salon in the Zwinger in Dresden

Johann Christoph Schuster (born October 8, 1759 in Westheim (Middle Franconia) , † September 7, 1823 in Ansbach ) was a German watchmaker and inventor of calculating machines . Schuster, the son of a farmer, trained as a watchmaker with Philipp Matthäus Hahn for two and a half years in Kornwestheim and was also familiar with building calculating machines at Hahn. In 1785 he married his sister Maria Katharina Jacobina (1759-1812) and had three sons with her (two of whom died early) and five daughters.

He initially took over his father's farm after his death and also ran a workshop in which he made clocks, sundials, earth and celestial globes and calculating machines. From 1786 he was a freelance watchmaker, first in Westheim and then in Uffenheim . In 1797 he is a mechanic (Mechanicus) and watchmaker in Ansbach. He was a member of the watchmaker's guild.

He built his first calculating machine according to Hahn's design, completed in Uffenheim in 1792 (Hahn had died two years earlier). From 1805 he developed his own calculating machine in Ansbach (four-species machine, staggered roller principle), which is also based on Hahn's design, but is more compact and easier to use. It was completed in 1820 and is in the Deutsches Museum in Munich (just like the first Schuster calculating machine). In 1822 he completed his third and last calculating machine, which is in the Arithmeum in Bonn. It was acquired in 1999 and restored so that it is in working order.

His calculating machine from 1822 is depicted on a German postage stamp from the Kulturstiftung der Länder series from 2002. Pocket watches (Württembergisches Landesmuseum Stuttgart, Stadtmuseum Ansbach) and two double globe clocks (Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon Dresden and privately owned) have also survived.

literature

• Bernhard Korte : The adding machine from Johann Christoph Schuster 1820/22 . Kulturstiftung der Länder, Berlin 2004 (= Patrimonia 203).
• Ina Prinz:  Schuster, Johann Christoph. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 23, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 2007, ISBN 978-3-428-11204-3 , p. 769 ( digitized version ).
• Aagje Ricklefs, Christian Väterlein (editor): Philipp Matthäus Hahn 1739 - 1790. Pastor, astronomer, engineer, entrepreneur . Stuttgart: Württembergisches Landesmuseum

Web links

• Arithmeum Bonn to Schuster and his calculating machine
• Article in watch wiki
• Philipp Matthäus Hahn. history-computer, accessed on August 15, 2013 (English, adding machine from Schuster).