Wilhelm Bader junior

Wilhelm Bader junior (born May 27, 1875 in Hardheim ; † March 26, 1964 ) was a German organ builder in Hardheim.

Life

Wilhelm Bader jun. was born on May 27, 1875 in Hardheim as the first child of the organ builder Wilhelm Bader sen. born. In 1909 he emigrated to Switzerland, where he had already established contacts while traveling. In Lucerne he joined the organ building business (Felix Michael) Beiler as a partner. In 1910 Heinrich Schmelzeis was added, who became known for several inventions. The company worked quite well for a while until it went bankrupt due to mismanagement on June 30, 1911 due to insolvency. Bader was able to come to an agreement with the creditors and save his shares by selling the workshop inventory belonging to him to Schmelzeis on February 15th and signing a new partnership agreement with him. In 1914 he returned to the Wilhelm Bader & Sons workshop in Hardheim.

In 1922 he took over the business on Bretzinger Straße in Hardheim, and in 1936 bought his brother Maximilian Bader's shares . Wilhelm Bader jun. In 1938 the company moved to his property in Hofackerstraße. Here he continued his business until 1960.

At the old age of 83, Wilhelm Bader jun. received an extraordinary honor. Together with his son-in-law Gerhard Kaminski (1913–1982), thanks to the mediation of the Mainz prelate August Schuchert , he was allowed to repair the organ at Campo Santo Teutonico in Rome in March 1958 and at an audience with Pope Pius XII. in St. Peter's Basilica. He married Amalia Wiederroth (1879–1937) from Michelbach (Württemberg) on ​​May 19, 1901 in Hardheim. The marriage had four children. Wilhelm Bader jun. died on March 26, 1964.

The organ building workshop Wilhelm Bader jun. was taken over in 1960 by master organ builder Hans Theodor Vleugels. In the years 1960 to 1966 the company was merged with the Max Bader organ building workshop and led by master organ builders Hans Theodor Vleugels and Paul Mund. In 1967 it became Orgelbau Vleugels GmbH.

literature

• The organ - queen of instruments. Around 150 years of organ building tradition in Hardheim , brochure accompanying the special exhibition in the Erfatal Museum