Johann Ehrenfried Pfeiffer

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Johann Ehrenfried Pfeiffer (born September 17, 1767 in Warmbrunn in Silesia , † March 19, 1841 ) was a German auction commissioner , innkeeper and writer .

Life

Johann Ehrenfried Pfeiffer was the son of an art gardener in the service of Count Schaffgotsch . After completing elementary classes, he attended grammar school in Schweidnitz under the rector of Stutz. However, since his parents, who had moved from Warmbrunn to Schweidnitz, left this town in 1785 and were unable to support their son, he tried to earn a living as an elementary teacher in the country. In order to get a permanent position, practical knowledge of music , mainly organ playing, was necessary. Since Pfeiffer had little knowledge of this, after three years he exchanged his position with that of a secretary at the consistorial councilor Tiede zu Schweidnitz. Here he used the rich book collection of his employer to obtain a higher scientific education. He was particularly drawn to great natural history works as well as the collection of insects and conchiles , so that Tiede had him compile the lists.

The tendency towards mathematics prompted Pfeiffer to ask his former rector Stutz to be allowed to attend mathematics lessons in the first grade of the grammar school, which he was gladly granted. This science so attracted him that he believed that it would find his further advancement in it. Therefore, he drew a map and a plan and sent it to the then royal war and domain chamber in Breslau and asked for a job at the road construction, which he was also promised. However, since the construction of the highways was too weak because of the Prussian campaign in Poland , his prospect of this job vanished. In contrast, he got a job in Breslau in 1794 as an accountant and cashier at the lottery inspection, which was headed by the merchant Wenzel. He worked here for six years.

In 1800 Pfeiffer founded the coffee house Die Krone in Breslau . He had the opportunity to get in touch with local and foreign scholars and artists. He now had an adequate income and, as an art lover, devoted himself to the collection of paintings and engravings by older and more recent masters. Due to the loss of a significant capital, he had to sell this 5000-sheet collection in Leipzig in 1811 . As early as 1806/07 he had entered into correspondence with Johann Georg Meusel in Erlangen . In the archive published by Meusel for artists and art lovers , he completed the list of Rugendas copper engravings located there. In the same journal there is also an article by him on the state of the arts in Silesia .

In 1811 Pfeiffer gave up his employment as a landlord and became auction commissioner for literature and art, combined with antiquarian shops, in which position he remained until 1834. Since then he has owned the Deutsches Haus , a first class inn. In addition to the mentioned contributions to Meusel's magazine, he published the songbook for happy societies (Breslau 1803) and the paperback for rifle shooters and those who want to become one (Breslau 1814). He died in 1841 at the age of 73.

literature

personal data
SURNAME Pfeiffer, Johann Ehrenfried
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German auction commissioner, innkeeper and writer
DATE OF BIRTH 17th September 1767
PLACE OF BIRTH Warmbrunn , Silesia
DATE OF DEATH March 19, 1841