Johann Georg Schröter

Johann Georg Schröter , also Schröder (baptized August 20, 1683 in Berlstedt , † August 24, 1747 in Mühlhausen ) was a German organ builder .

Schröter organ in St. Petri in Wandersleben

Life

Johann Georg Schröter learned the trade of organ building from 1701 to 1708 from Johann Conrad Vockeroth , who was based in Berlstedt. In 1712 he moved to Erfurt , where he acquired citizenship and the coveted organ building privilege, which resulted in numerous commissions in and around Erfurt in the following years. A temporary participation in the workshop of Georg Christoph Stertzing is likely, since Schröter completed his last organ in the Erfurt Augustinian Church .

His student Franciscus Volckland also came from Berlstedt and was possibly related to him. Volckland did not manage to acquire the privilege and was therefore in dispute with his teacher for years. However, both of them shaped an organ building style independently of one another, which was formative for the Thuringian organ in the 18th century. Numerous students emerged from the workshops of both organ builders.

Schröter's workshop at Gotthardtstrasse 23 is said to have been of great importance for the craft of instrument making in the city of Erfurt for a long time. At the end of his life, Schröter had to experience the economic decline of his company. He sold the residential and workshop building and spent the last year of his life in Mühlhausen , where he also died.

meaning

In the first half of the 18th century, Thuringia experienced a heyday of organ building. It was due to the development of church history, which had brought about a lively spiritual life in almost every village. On the other hand, there was a rich musical culture in this region back then. Almost every parish had a cantor who could accompany the services in a qualified manner, guide instrumentalists and choirs (mostly adjuvants ) and sometimes even compose. An outstanding example of this is the widely ramified Bach family .

Johann Georg Schröter and his colleagues found a rich field of activity. Through the passing on of knowledge in the craft over many generations, but also through the mutual exchange, a special organ building style was shaped, which corresponded to the regional requirements of church music . Due to their high social status, organ building around Erfurt was at the height of the times.

Schröter's organs have a rich fund of coloring voices in the basic register and a solid and smooth technical system. Time and again, the musicians who work on his organs have attested to their good quality. An example is Johann Sebastian Bach and his report on the Schröter organ in the Augustinian Church in Erfurt. In this, Bach confirmed that “the first masterpiece he made was so good, and that there was no doubt about his far-distant work”. With this award, Johann Georg Schröter was able to successfully advertise himself for many years and obtain orders.

In addition to Volckland, Johann Stephan Schmaltz (1715–1784), Johann Paul Trampeli (1708–1764) and Schröter's nephew Johann Georg Stein (1712–1785) were particularly important among his students . The latter emigrated to Northern Germany after Schröter's workshop was closed, thereby exporting the style of the Erfurt School.

Works (new buildings)

• 1714 Schallenburg
• 1715 Alach Monastery
• 1716 Erfurt, Augustinian Church
• 1716 Scherndorf
• 1718 Kleinbrembach
• 1719 Riethnordhausen (destroyed by church fire in 1996)
• 1719 Rohda (preserved)
• 1719 Büßleben (later moved to Denstedt , not preserved)
• 1720 Kerspleben (case and parts of the movement preserved)
• 1721 Kleinrettbach
• 1722 Urbich
• 1722 Linderbach
• 1722 Töttleben (preserved, restored in 1993)
• 1723 Walschleben
• 1723 Waltersleben (preserved changed)
• 1724 Erfurt, All Saints Church
• 1724 Wandersleben (preserved, restored in 1999)
• 1725 Schellroda (preserved dismantled)
• 1725 Klettbach (preserved, restored in 1993, attribution uncertain)
• 1727 Alach , parish church
• 1728 Herbsleben
• 1731 Niedernissa (preserved)
• 1734 Niederzimmer (housing preserved)
• 1737 Andisleben (preserved)
• 1737 Hospital Church (Erfurt)
• 1742 Neuroda (preserved)
• 1743 Nottleben
• 1746 Stedten on the Gera

Unless otherwise noted, the instruments have not been preserved.

literature

• Hartmut Haupt: Organs in North and West Thuringia. Verlag Bildung + Wissen, Bad Homburg / Leipzig 1998.
• Torsten Sterzik: Two organ builders - one school. For the 300th birthday of F. Volckland and J. Chr. Dotzauer. In: Thüringer Orgelsommer eV (Ed.): Thüringer Orgeljournal 1996, Arnstadt 1996, p. 27 ff.
• Bernd Kramer: The Schröter organ in the St. Petrikirche in Wandersleben. Festschrift for the consecration of the organ on October 3, 1999. Ed .: Ev.-luth. Wandersleben parish, Wandersleben 1999.