Johann Heinrich Mayr

Johann Heinrich Mayr (1768–1868). Painting by Conrad Hitz from 1836, exhibited in the Historisches Museum Schloss Arbon

Johann Heinrich Mayr (born May 3, 1768 in Arbon ; † October 29, 1838 ibid) was a Swiss dye manufacturer, publicist and world traveler.

biography

Johann Heinrich Mayr, son of Leoedgar Mayr and Maria Ursula Mayr, née Sulzer, came from a family of merchants and politicians from Arbon who had been in the linen trade since 1716. He spent his childhood in Arbon. In order to enable their son to get a proper education, the parents sent their nine-year-old son to the Latin school in Lörrach in 1777 . Another school-related stay took place in Vevey . In 1782 he entered an institute in Aarau . Three years later Mayr returned to Arbon, where he initially worked in his father's business on the Bleichi . This included the bleach business, Indienne -Fabrikation and a farm.

In 1786, at the age of 18, Mayr was sent to Milan by his parents , where he learned the Italian language, which is important for commercial activities. After half a year in the Lombard city, I did an internship in Genoa . Illness and severe homesickness caused the training period in Genoa to end earlier than intended in the summer of 1788.

Father Leoedgar Mayr died at the end of 1791 at the age of 65. Then Johann Heinrich Mayr took over the business on the Bleiche near Arbon. The main business was now the course and export of dyed and printed fabrics, namely patterned handkerchiefs. Encouraged by the current political events, he also printed caricatures of important politicians on his indiennes . In 1791 he opened a dye works in Rheineck. Another branch was established in Mühlhausen in 1805 (silk printing). At times, Mayr employed over 100 people. For business reasons, the successful entrepreneur often traveled to Italy with Uncle David and nephew Michael , where he primarily exported.

In 1809 his mother died. She had been an indispensable help to him in the Bleichi . Because Sister Susette was unwilling to take over the duties of the deceased mother, Mayr hired a housekeeper. This resulted in great difficulties with the result that Mayr withdrew from active business activity in 1810. In this context, it should be mentioned that Mayr remained single throughout his life for health reasons.

From March 25, 1812 to the end of February 1814, he undertook a sometimes grueling journey to the Orient. He recorded his impressions in five notebooks. These met with great interest in the circle of friends. At the urging of his readership and in order to preserve the original manuscript, Mayr felt compelled to publish his travel experiences under the title Fate of a Swiss man during his trip to Jerusalem and Lebanon . The work, published in 1815, consists of six books, divided into three volumes. A second edition appeared in 1820. During this time he was nicknamed Lebanon-Mayr .

From 1815 until his death in 1838, Mayr led a life that Buenzli called vita contemplativa . During this time he maintained contact and correspondence, etc. a with Angelika Kauffmann , David Hess , Johann Conrad Appenzeller, Johannes Büel and Thomas Bornhauser . However, he rejected the slogans of equality of the French Revolution . He did not want to know anything about the Helvetic or the liberal currents of the 1830s. He did not accept any political mandates.

The handwritten autobiography Meine Lebenswanderung resulted from the diary . It was not until the end of the 20th century that the question arose whether this monumental work, which comprises over 3,000 pages, should not also be made available to a wider public. When this question was answered in the affirmative, long years of transcription work began . This work of national importance went to press in 2010. The vernissage took place in Arbon at the beginning of 2011.

Publications

The fate of a Swiss man during his trip to Jerusalem and Lebanon. Written by himself. 3 volumes. St. Gallen 1815.
England's industry and mechanical inventions are the undoing of the land. St. Gallen 1817.
Johann Heinrich Mayr's trip to Constantinople, Egypt, Jerusalem and Lebanon. Edited by Conrad Appenzeller, 2nd, improved edition. St. Gallen 1820.
My hike in life. Historical-critical edition of the autobiographical writings of Johann Heinrich Mayr, edited by Kurt Buenzli with the collaboration of André Salathé and Beatrice Sendner. Volumes I (commentary and register), II, II and IV. Verlag Huber, Frauenfeld 2010.

literature

Hans Geisser: Stories tell stories. A journey through Arbon's past. Ed .: Museumsgesellschaft Arbon, Arbon 2005, ISBN 3-03300580-2 .
Hans Brauchli: Johann Heinrich Mayr 1768–1838 . In: Hans Brauchli (Ed.): Thurgauer Ahnengalerie . Weinfelden 2003, ISBN 3-85809-127-8 , pp. 327-331 .
Hugo Mayr: Johann Heinrich Mayr (1768–1838). In: Thurgauer Jahrbuch , Vol. 60, 1985, pp. 52-88. ( e-periodica.ch )

Web links

Kurt Buenzli: Mayr, Johann Heinrich. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
Johann Heinrich Mayr In: Thurgau State Archives

Individual evidence

^ Johann Heinrich Mayr: My migration through life. Historical-critical edition of the autobiographical writings of Johann Heinrich Mayr . Ed .: Kurt Buenzli, with the collaboration of André Salathé and Beatrice Sendner. Volume I (Commentary and Register). Verlag Huber, Frauenfeld 2010, ISBN 978-3-7193-1415-6 , pp. 39-70 .
↑ Hans Geisser: Stories tell stories. A journey through Arbon's past . Museumsgesellschaft Arbon, Arbon 2005, ISBN 978-3-03300580-8 , p. 87 .
↑ Hans Geisser: Stories tell stories. A journey through Arbon's past . Museumsgesellschaft Arbon, Arbon 2005, ISBN 978-3-03300580-8 , p. 87 .
^ Johann Heinrich Mayr: My migration through life. Historical-critical edition of the autobiographical writings of Johann Heinrich Mayr . Ed .: Kurt Buenzli with the collaboration of André Salathé and Beatrice Sendner. Volume I (Commentary and Register). Verlag Huber, Frauenfeld 2010, ISBN 978-3-7193-1415-6 , pp. 63-70 .
↑ Urs Hafner: World with a wide horizon. In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung. April 13, 2011, accessed August 17, 2015 .
↑ Hedy Züger: Experienced a lot and enjoyed writing. In: St. Galler Tagblatt (corresponds to the Thurgauer Zeitung here). January 29, 2011, accessed August 17, 2015 .

personal data
SURNAME	Mayr, Johann Heinrich
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Swiss dyeing manufacturer and publicist
DATE OF BIRTH	May 3, 1768
PLACE OF BIRTH	Arbon
DATE OF DEATH	October 29, 1838
Place of death	Arbon

[1] Johann Heinrich Mayr: My migration through life. Historical-critical edition of the autobiographical writings of Johann Heinrich Mayr . Ed .: Kurt Buenzli, with the collaboration of André Salathé and Beatrice Sendner. Volume I (Commentary and Register). Verlag Huber, Frauenfeld 2010, ISBN 978-3-7193-1415-6 , pp. 39-70 .

[2] Hans Geisser: Stories tell stories. A journey through Arbon's past . Museumsgesellschaft Arbon, Arbon 2005, ISBN 978-3-03300580-8 , p. 87 .

[3] Hans Geisser: Stories tell stories. A journey through Arbon's past . Museumsgesellschaft Arbon, Arbon 2005, ISBN 978-3-03300580-8 , p. 87 .

[4] Johann Heinrich Mayr: My migration through life. Historical-critical edition of the autobiographical writings of Johann Heinrich Mayr . Ed .: Kurt Buenzli with the collaboration of André Salathé and Beatrice Sendner. Volume I (Commentary and Register). Verlag Huber, Frauenfeld 2010, ISBN 978-3-7193-1415-6 , pp. 63-70 .

[5] Urs Hafner: World with a wide horizon. In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung. April 13, 2011, accessed August 17, 2015 .

[6] Hedy Züger: Experienced a lot and enjoyed writing. In: St. Galler Tagblatt (corresponds to the Thurgauer Zeitung here). January 29, 2011, accessed August 17, 2015 .