Biographical dates of violin makers from Mittenwald
The dates of the birth and death of violin makers from Mittenwald’s are recorded in parish registers.
Birth and baptism records exist from 1615 onwards, death registers since 1668 and wedding records from 1703.
However, the baptism entries between 16 August 1657 and 12 January 1659, as well as between 21 March 1773 and 6 July 1773 are missing.
In addition, information from the Mittenwald family registry that was kept from around 1830 onwards, has also been included.
In 1803 properties in Mittenwald were given house numbers for the first time that were later altered on two occasions.
The names of all the owners of each property are listed in the ‘Mittenwald Book of Houses’ (Richard Pesl, Das Mittenwalder Häuserbuch, Mittenwald 2004).
In 1880 some of the key dates in the lives of members of the Kloz family were included in Joseph Baader’s publication Chronik des Marktes Mittenwald.
Mathias Kloz and his sons were recorded as lute makers in official documents, including church registers, by the parish scribe up until around 1800.
In 1702 the doctor of theology Johann B. Kipfinger from Weilheim became the parish priest in Mittenwald. He introduced the latin word plectropeus from around 1719 onwards to describe the profession of a violin maker. This was retained by his successors until the beginning of the 19th century. The earliest entry using this term is in the case of Joannes Dänzl in 1719, following the birth of his daughter, Veronica. The term ‘Geigenmacher’ (violin maker) was later used in church registers. There are however no records of the word plectropeus ever being used in the lute and violin making centre of Füssen.
The abbreviation ‘Archiv W.Z.’, cited as a source, refers to photographs and recordings of instruments, labels and Mittenwald violin makers collected or made by Wolfgang Zunterer for his research on violin making in Mittenwald.
‘abgebildet [illustrated] in W. Hamma’ refers to the publication: Walter Hamma, Geigenbauer der deutschen Schule des 17. bis 19. Jahrhunderts, Tutzing 1986
The reference GBM Nr. 111, for example, stands for Geigenbaumuseum Mittenwald inventory number 111
William L. Monical, Shapes of the Baroque. The Historical Development of Bowed String Instruments, New York 1989
Revised: October 2018
family trees
- Family Hornsteiner vulgo Hofschmied – family Tree – PDF-File
- Family Hornsteiner vulgo Sarg-Gratz – family Tree – PDF-File
- Family Kloz – label tree – PDF-File
- Family Knilling – family Tree – PDF-File
violin makers
- Achner Johann 1778 – 1851 Lackierer
- Achner Michael 1730-1797
- Achner Philippus 1747 – 1827
- Bader Johann Evangelist 1876 – 1960
- Dänzl Johannes 1692 – 1728
- Fichtl Johann Ulrich 1730-1765
- Gäßler Andreas 1725 – 1753
- Gäßler Anton 1724 – 1762
- Gäßler Joannes Augustinus 1719 – 1767
- Hornsteiner Antoni 1737 – 1800 vulgo Hofschmied
- Hornsteiner Franz vulgo Sargnfranzl 1758 – 1833
- Hornsteiner Georg vulgo Sarg 1760 – 1823
- Hornsteiner Gregor 1767 – 1841 vulgo Hofschmied
- Hornsteiner Joseph 1752 – 1821 vulgo Musikant
- Hornsteiner Joseph 1775 – 1852 vulgo Hofschmied
- Hornsteiner Kaspar 1779 – 1857 Seefeld
- Hornsteiner Lorenz 1781 – 1847 vulgo Hofschmied
- Hornsteiner Martin 1747 – 1809 vulgo Sarg
- Hornsteiner Mathias 1749 – 1816 vulgo Sarg und Gratz
- Hornsteiner Mathias 1761 – 1808 vulgo Hofschmied
- Hornsteiner Mathias Musicant 1741 – 1815 vulgo Dax Duchser
- Hornsteiner Peter 1752 – 1830
- Hornsteiner Peter 1777 – 1833 vulgo Koaserpeter
- Hosp Georg 1741 – 1801
- Jais Anton (junior) 1773 – 1861
- Jais Anton 1748 – 1805
- Jais Franz Sales 1720 – 1804
- Jais Joannes 1752 – 1806
- Karner Bartholomäus 1739 – 1813
- Klotz Joseph Anton 1761 – 1842
- Kloz Ägidius 1733 – 1805
- Kloz Georg I. 1687 – 1737
- Kloz Georg II. Carl ca.1723 – 1797
- Kloz Joan. Carol. 1709 – 1769
- Kloz Joseph 1743 – 1829
- Kloz Mathias 1653-1743
- Kloz Michael 1749 – 1814
- Kloz Sebastian 1696-1775
- Kloz Sebastian II. 1762 – 1825
- Knilling Johannes 1732 – 1794
- Knilling Johannes 1795 – 1842
- Knilling Mathias 1798 – 1854
- Knilling Paul 1759 – 1818
- Knilling Philipp 1771 – 1838
- Knitl Joseph 1746 – 1797
- Kriner Martin 1850 – 1931
- Kriner Simon 1776 – 1821
- Lipp Ignatius 1717 – 1783
- Rieger Johannes 1735 – 1806
- Rieger Joseph 1776 – 1830
- Rösch Andreas 1739 – 1819
- Rösch Johannes Joseph 1763 – 1832
- Rösch Josephus 1734 – 1806
- Sailer Johann 1726 – 1797
- Seiz Bernhard 1726 – 1806
- Seiz Joseph 1743 – 1814
- Seiz Nicolaus 1748 – 1810
- Simon Franz 1772 – 1851 vulgo Stani
- Simon Franz Xaver 1758 – 1803
- Simon Ignaz 1789 – 1866
- Stangl Aloys 1759 – 1831
- Wackerl Johann 1802 – 1872, Lackierer
- Weineisen Mathias 1855 – 1922
- Witting Georg 1726 – 1814
- Witting Joseph 1750 – 1824
- Wörnle Franz 1758 – 1826
- Wurmer Michael 1731 – 1803
- Zwerger Anton 1761 – 1831 Mittenwald, Salzburg, Passau
- Zwerger Ignaz 1739 – 1772