Books › The arts and crafts book of the worshipful Guild of violin-makers of Markneukirchen, from the year 1677 to the year 1772, 1894 › scan 54
Scan 54
The arts and crafts book of the worshipful Guild of violin-makers of Markneukirchen, from the year 1677 to the year 1772, 1894
8 lines. Read by computer on 29 August 2026. Printed page 46. See the scan on archive.org.
1furnished the gut necessary for string-making, gut as worthless in those as yet unmusical parts of the country, as it was useful and valuable in the skilful hands of the workmen of Markneukirchen.
3In all probability, they only gradually penetrated from the west to the far-lying Ostsee territories, where a firmly established trade centre was discovered for the sale of the "Polish Violin," especially in Danzig, the trade metropolis of the still important state of Poland. But it is not likely that these "Polish Violins" were really invented in Poland, but only that they were sold there in great quantities.
5A certain Johann Tängel, born in Danzig, settled here (Markneukirchen) in 1700, and devoted himself to violin-making until his death, which occurred at the age of 90 in 1757, and he is said to have taught the violin-makers of this town the compounding of a new varnish of fine quality. Of this Tängel there is no mention in the register of the Guild, and yet it cannot be doubted that he introduced into Markneukirchen a new method of preparing varnish.
7Coming as he did, from the country that supplied Europe with amber, he probably understood the confection of amber varnish better than anybody else in Markneukirchen, as also that of the red-brown varnish, at this epoch so popular in Italy. Probably Tängel, not being a member of the Guild, established an important trade between his friends in Danzig and the principal members of the Markneukirchen Violin-makers' Guild, so that posterity has preserved a grateful
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.