Theodor Mannborg
Karl Theodor Mannborg (born November 19, 1861 in Karlstad ; † July 26, 1930 in Leipzig ) was an organ builder and entrepreneur of Swedish origin, who is considered the founder of the German suction wind harmonium industry.
Life
education
After his confirmation , the young Theodor initially trained as a carpenter in a three-year apprenticeship . Thereby he acquired the prerequisites for his actual career aspiration, organ building. In 1879 he continued his training with an apprenticeship at the Swedish workshop for harmonium making J. P. Nyström in Karlstad. In the harmonium construction, he experienced the transition from pure manual work to machine production and from pressure wind to suction wind system . This gave him special training in improvisation, skill and inventiveness. After completing his apprenticeship and journeyman time in Karlstad, Mannborg went to the then famous master organ builder Kreuzbach in Borna , Saxony , in 1886, to receive training in pipe organ building . He then worked as an assistant to the organ builder Klais in Bonn .
independence
First years in Borna
Thanks to his extensive theoretical knowledge and practical experience, Mannborg was now in a position to manufacture the special tools and components necessary for building the harmonium himself. On April 29, 1889, he opened the Theodor Mannborg harmonium factory in Borna as a one-man business. On behalf of the Hug brothers in Leipzig, he was the first harmonium maker in Germany to equip harmoniums based on the American model with suction systems, which became increasingly popular because of their softer, more lovely sound. These so-called cottage organs have so far been imported exclusively from America. As the number of incoming orders increased, the young entrepreneur had to build up a helping hand. Thanks to precision, an attractive, modern design and the use of new technology such as pressure registers instead of pull registers, pneumatic sub-bass and free-swinging soundboards or the much acclaimed double expression , Mannborg was able to successfully set itself apart from the US competition. He also attached great importance to the choice of wood and woodworking.
Move to Leipzig
Over time, the demand for Mannborg harmoniums became so great that the expansion and relocation of the production site had to be considered. The choice fell on the large, centrally located trading metropolis and music city of Leipzig. In 1894 Mannborg and his factory initially settled on the property at Körnerplatz 3. He rationalized the entire production by purchasing new woodworking and special machines.
Ten years later the factory was enlarged and modernized again. They now moved into the property at Angerstrasse 32 in the Leipzig district of Lindenau . In addition to the suction wind harmoniums, pressure wind organs were also made for cinema and coffee house bands. From 1910 the company also began producing art and pedal harmoniums.
Foundation of the harmonium tongue factory in Pegau
In order to make himself and the European suction harmonium production independent of US suppliers, Mannborg founded Europe's first and only factory in 1911 in Pegau, Saxony , which was exclusively concerned with the manufacture of all accessories for harmonium production. To do this, all the machines had to be purchased overseas. In the end, Mannborg's German and European competition also benefited from this considerable financial, technical and logistical effort. The Pegau branch was headed by Axel Mannborg (1890–1939), a son of the company's founder.
The First World War
The First World War broke out shortly before the company's twenty-fifth anniversary celebrations . In the first few weeks it was necessary to cope with the loss of more than ninety well-trained skilled workers due to the war. The procurement of high-quality materials from all over the world became increasingly difficult. A shutdown of production was out of the question for Mannborg. In order to keep the remaining workers in wages and salaries, the company switched to the manufacture of furniture at times. Mannborg himself was at the workbench to instruct and train substitute workers. Despite the inflation , it was possible to modernize production and improve quality again after the end of the war.
World renown
By adapting the harmonium case to modern furniture design , creating many new voices , extensive registration options and characteristic sound colors that were almost identical to those of orchestral instruments, Mannborg succeeded in almost completely eliminating the once overpowering US competition and making his factory the leading and most powerful to develop the world's most efficient harmonium production facility. His company owned numerous patents and proprietary designs. In the field of the pedal harmonium, innovative work has also been carried out in acoustic and technical terms.
The culmination of Mannborg's life's work, however, was the development of the Schwell organ . Mannborg's instruments received top awards at all the exhibitions sent. He had succeeded in establishing the suction wind harmonium as a fully recognized instrument not only in the field of amateur music, but also in concerts .
Honors
Theodor Mannborg has received numerous honors for his achievements in the field of harmonium construction. Since the founding of the Association of German Harmonium Manufacturers on July 11, 1900, Mannborg was its chairman for over 24 years.
“Th. Mannborg's influence on the harmonium industry was of decisive importance during the heyday of this branch of industry right after the turn of the century. On the one hand because of his work as a successful entrepreneur who played a key role in shaping the market, and on the other hand because of his influence on overarching economic and political issues through his position as association chairman. "
The Spanish , Romanian and Saxon kings awarded him the title of purveyor to the court . In 1913 he was appointed a member of the Royal Swedish Music Academy in Stockholm . Mannborg was a bearer of high Swedish and German orders.
Further company history
The period from 1889 to 1930 was the company's heyday, it was continued by Mannborg's sons and grandchildren. In 1934 the production of small pianos , the so-called pianochord pianos, began . From 1938 baby grand pianos were also produced. During the Second World War , the company switched to the production of furniture again. From 1946 piano production could be resumed. On March 30, 1955, the German Democratic Republic placed the company under fiduciary management on the basis of the "security of assets" . A short time later it was expropriated and incorporated into the state owned VEB Leipziger Pianofortefabrik Böhlitz-Ehrenberg (former Hupfeld -Werke).
literature
- Felix Merk: Th. Mannborg 1889–1914. Ms. Richter, Leipzig 1914.
- Max Steinitzer: Th (eodor) Mannborg 1889–1929. Founder of the German suction wind harmonium industry. Ms. Richter, Leipzig 1929.
- Harmonium and piano factory Th. Mannborg (Ed.): Theodor Mannborg and his work. April 29, 1889-1939. Self-published , Leipzig 1939.
- Christian Ahrens, Gregor Klinke (eds.): The harmonium in Germany. Construction, economic importance and musical use of a 'historical' musical instrument. Erwin Bochinsky publishing house, Frankfurt am Main 1996.
- Hubert Henkel: Lexicon of German piano makers. Frankfurt am Main 2000.
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Mannborg, Theodore |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Swedish-German instrument maker |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 19, 1861 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Karlstad , Sweden |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 26, 1930 |
| Place of death | Leipzig |