Martin Hechenberger

Martin Hechenberger (born February 12, 1836 in Stadtamhof , † October 18, 1919 in Passau ) was a German organ builder .

life and work

Martin Hechenberger was born the illegitimate son of NCO Franz Hechenberger and the fisherman's daughter Anna Heindl. He learned the trade of organ building from Adam Ehrlich (the elder) in Passau. He also worked for Johann Ehrlich in Landshut . After Adam Ehrlich's sudden death, he initially ran the company as managing director. He married the widowed Anna Ehrlich geb. Bachmaier. She brought a son, Adam Ehrlich, into the marriage. Martin Hechenberger adopted him and trained him in organ building. Adam Ehrlich (junior) worked for the adoptive father's company until his marriage in 1902. Then went into business for himself in Passau and later in Straubing. Martin Hechenberger sometimes had to step in for Adam Ehrlich (junior) financially and with technical help.

Due to the high quality of his work, Martin Hechenberger was able to expand the workshop significantly and built numerous new organs for churches in Lower Bavaria and Upper Austria for around 50 years . His largest and best-known work was the organ in Passau Cathedral, to which he and his son Max constantly made improvements, additions and extensions. With three manuals and 74 sounding registers , this instrument was the largest work in Bavarian organ building at that time. In addition, this organ had been some unusual, innovative technical equipment such as a pneumatic machine ( Barker lever ), a Crescendoapparat (elaborately built forerunner of Crescendo pedal ) and return coupling (a complex coupling device which made it possible to play the main work on all three manuals) . Martin Hechenberger received the title of royal court organ builder in 1892.

List of works (selection)

year	place	building	image	Manuals	register	Remarks
1861	Passau	St. Salvator
1867	Simbach			II / P	16
1868	Mainburg- Oberempfenbach	Parish Church of St. Andrew		I / P	6th
1869	Straßkirchen	St. Stephen		I / P	9
1872	Time warning	St. Bartholomew				not received
1878	Mainburg			I / P	10
1886	Oberdietfurt	St. John the Baptist		I / P	10	→ organ
1889	Passau	St. Stephen's Cathedral		III / P	74	not preserved → organ
1893	Hebramsdorf	St. Johann Baptist		I / P	9	preserved → organ
1900	Gladly	St George		I / P	8th	not received
1905	Prunn			I / P	6th
1905	Langwinkl	Mary Visitation		I / P	6th
1908	Burghausen	Holy Guardian Angel (English Miss)		II / P	10	receive

literature

• Georg Brenninger : Organs in Old Bavaria . GeraNova Bruckmann, 1982, ISBN 3-7654-1859-5 .
• Eberhard Kraus : Historic organs in the Upper Palatinate. Schnell & Steiner 1990, ISBN 3-7954-0387-1 , p. 78.
• Hermann Fischer , Theodor Wohnhaas : Lexicon of the south German organ builder. Heinrichshofen, Wilhelmshaven 1994, ISBN 3-7959-0598-2 , p. 143 f.

Web links

• Hechenberger, Martin in the Bavarian Musicians' Lexicon Online (BMLO)

Individual evidence

1. ^ Alfred and Matthias Reichling in: The Passau Cathedral Organ . Schnell and Steiner Regensburg 2005. ISBN 3-7954-1469-5 . P. 60 ff.