Johann Patroclus Möller

Johann Patroclus Möller (* 1698 in Soest ; † 1772 ) was a Westphalian organ builder .

Life

Johann Patroclus Möller was born in Soest in 1698. He was baptized on September 19, 1698 in the local church of St. Maria zur Höhe . His father, Mertin Möller, was a cabinet maker in Soest (Soest citizens 1696–1724) and made sure that his son was trained as a craftsman as well as an organist.

In 1720 he took up the position of organist and sexton in the small Marienkirche in Lippstadt . As was customary at the time, this was only possible by marrying the daughter of the deceased predecessor. Four children were born from this marriage, but three died before starting school. In 1732 Möller's wife also died. He took the daughter of the organist of the great Marienkirche as his second wife, so that he also worked there as an organist. This marriage also had four children, but again only one grew up. After eleven years, his second wife also died. Möller had three more children with the third wife, only one of whom lived to be fourth.

In 1772 he died of a fever at the age of 74.

Works

Organs by Johann Patroclus Möller can still be found in Büren (formerly Böddeken), Marienfeld, Marienmünster, Rüthen-Hoinkhausen and Welver (formerly St. Walburgis , Soest) and Borgentreich (formerly Dalheim Monastery , Lichtenau). In the Soest Hohnekirche there is a reproduction of a Möller organ. Möller organs that no longer existed were in Bielefeld, Geseke, Hamm, Herford, Iserlohn, Kirchborchen, Kleve, Münster, Paderborn, Soest and Werl.

year	place	church	image	Manuals	register	Remarks
1720-1725	Soest	Alt-St. Thomä				In 1720 Johann Patroclus Möller was commissioned to build a new organ for the Thomäkirche. At 21 he was too young, so his father signed this contract. 650 Reichstaler were negotiated for the new building. But Möller had to trade in the old organ for 50 thalers. In 1725 the new organ was finished.
1722	Ostönnen	St. Andrew		I / p	8th	→ Organ from St. Andreas (Ostönnen) . The Protestant parish of St. Andreas in Ostönnen was looking for an organ at the time, but could not afford a new one. For 200 thalers Möller was able to restore the organ taken in payment in Soest and rebuild it in Ostönnen between 1721 and 1722. This organ was inaugurated on October 11, 1722. Since the community consistently had little money available, the organ still exists today without major changes and is therefore the oldest still existing work of Möller.
1730	Soest	St. Mary to the height				In 1730 Möller added a Rückpositiv to the organ in St. Maria zur Höhe, Soest.
1733	Soest	St. Walburgis Abbey		I / P	12	1825–1827 as a gift from the Prussian king transferred to St. Albanus and Cyriakus, Welver ; Restored in 1968, moved to the west gallery in 1982 (photo); Prospectus and four registers preserved, original disposition not reconstructed.
1736-1738	Marienmünster	St. James the Elder Ä. and Christophorus		III / P	44	In 1736 Möller was commissioned to build an organ for the Marienmünster Abbey , which he completed in 1738. 42 registers are divided between main work, Rückpositiv, breastwork and pedal. In 1921 the organ was restored by the Anton Feith company , Paderborn. Most of the pipes were preserved, the spring chests of the Hauptwerk and Pedal were replaced by slider chests. The Rückpositiv was provided with a cone drawer. In 1965/66 the organ was restored again by the Franz Breil company, Dorsten, and the original layout was restored. In 2010–2012, the Strasbourg company Manufacture d'Orgues Muhleisen restored the movement and reconstructed two lost pedal stops.
1744	Büren	Böddeken Monastery		II / P	24	In 1744 Möller built a new organ for the Böddeken monastery . Today it is in the parish church of St. Nikolaus in Büren .
1745-1751	Marienfeld	Marienfeld Monastery		III / P	41	The Marienfelder Abt Ferdinandus Oester Hoff commissioned in 1745 Johan Patroclus Möller with the New organ for the Cistercian - Marienfeld Abbey . Using older components from the previous organs, it was completed in 1751 and inaugurated on August 26th of that year. Extensive renovations took place in 1883/84 and 1924. In 1961/62 and 1999 the organ was professionally restored.
1747	Hoinkhausen	St. Pancras		II / p	19th	In 1747 Möller rebuilt the organ in the St. Pankratius Church in Hoinkhausen . The existing organ was supplemented by a substation. After an extension in the 19th century with an independent pedal and a major renovation in 1956, the organ now has 33 registers.
1751	Dalheim	Dalheim Monastery		III / P	45	Around 1750 Johann Möller expanded the organ in the Augustinian Canons' Monastery in Dalheim . The monastery was abolished in 1803 and converted into a farm. The organ was moved to the parish church of St. Johannes in Borgentreich. A peculiarity of this organ is that it is based on the technique of spring shops. The penultimate restoration took place in 1951–1953. After another restoration, this organ was consecrated in 2011. The organ is the largest historical one in Westphalia and is one of the largest with preserved spring shops.
1755	Muenster	Paul's Cathedral				Probably the most important work by Johann Patroclus Möller was the rebuilding of the organ in St. Paul's Cathedral in Münster in 1755 on the gallery of the west choir. In 1862 the organ was moved to the side choir above the chapter house. The instrument was destroyed in the war.
1758	Brakel	St. Peter and Paul (Gehrden)		II / P	26?	Expansion of the organ by Andreas Schneider (1679; I / p / 12) with an upper positive and pedal work; Prospectus received
1763-1765	Herford	Herford Cathedral				In the years 1763–1765 Möller expanded the organ in Herford Minster with a Rückpositiv and 14 registers on spring shops. After the rood screen there was demolished in 1868, the organ disappeared without a trace. A plaque on the music gallery still testified to their existence. In 1874 the Herford cathedral received a new organ.
1766	Borchen- Kirchborchen	St. Michael				New building

literature

• Walter Werland: Marienfelder Chronik. On the history of the Cistercian abbey and the Marienfeld community (available from the Harsewinkel town hall).

Individual evidence

1. ^ Ulrich Schäfer, Thomas Stangier: Art and handicrafts between Reformation and secularization. In: Soest. History of the city. Volume 3. Soest 1995, pp. 373-420, here p. 405.
2. ↑ http://www.orgel-owl.de/mmuenst.htm
3. ↑ nw-news.de: A jewel of the Westphalian organ landscape , seen December 1st, 2012.
4. ↑ http://www.orgel-owl.de/hoinkh.htm