József Angster
Encyclopedia
József Angster was a Hungarian
organ
making master and founder of the Angster dynasty, one of Central Europe's most sought after in the craft, an important figure in Hungarian applied arts history.
into a German
family who had travelled to Hungary from Austria
in the 1790s. He wrote his memoirs in German, they were translated in his old age into Hungarian, he later said that in speaking Hungarian he was a beginner, and in writing it he was an unschooled senior.
then travelled to Timosoara and worked in Germany. He studied organ manufacturing in Vienna
at the Titz factory and from 1863 to 1866 worked in Paris
under Aristide Cavaillé-Coll
where he also worked on the organs of Cologny castle, Notre Dame
and St Trinite. He returned home on foot although he was asked to stay and work abroad.
He was a deeply religious man and was made member of the order of St Gergely by the Pope
and was also president of the old boy's club in Pecs until his death.
and he founded a workshop in that city in 1869. In the following decades he received numerous commissions in Hungary and surrounding countries, including Italy
. His domestic works include:
, where he died, as well as one street in the city.
After his death, the organ factory's business was run by Emil and Oskar Angster after 1903 and from 1940 to 1949 by Jozsef Angster, who had been born in 1917. He and his nephew, Imre Angster established a second factory at Rakospalota
and introduced some technical innovations. The communist takeover resulted in the factory being closed as far as organ manufacturing was concerned. However, since 1992 a new workshop was set up in Pecs with backing by Jozsef Angster.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
making master and founder of the Angster dynasty, one of Central Europe's most sought after in the craft, an important figure in Hungarian applied arts history.
Origins
Angster was born at Kácsfalu, in present day CroatiaCroatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
into a German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
family who had travelled to Hungary from Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
in the 1790s. He wrote his memoirs in German, they were translated in his old age into Hungarian, he later said that in speaking Hungarian he was a beginner, and in writing it he was an unschooled senior.
Studies
He studied cabinet makingCabinet making
Cabinet making is the practice of using various woodworking skills to create cabinets, shelving and furniture.Cabinet making involves techniques such as creating appropriate joints, dados, bevels, chamfers and shelving systems, the use of finishing tools such as routers to create decorative...
then travelled to Timosoara and worked in Germany. He studied organ manufacturing in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
at the Titz factory and from 1863 to 1866 worked in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
under Aristide Cavaillé-Coll
Aristide Cavaillé-Coll
Aristide Cavaillé-Coll was a French organ builder. He is considered by many to be the greatest organ builder of the 19th century because he combined both science and art to make his instruments...
where he also worked on the organs of Cologny castle, Notre Dame
Notre Dame de Paris
Notre Dame de Paris , also known as Notre Dame Cathedral, is a Gothic, Roman Catholic cathedral on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, France. It is the cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Paris: that is, it is the church that contains the cathedra of...
and St Trinite. He returned home on foot although he was asked to stay and work abroad.
He was a deeply religious man and was made member of the order of St Gergely by the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
and was also president of the old boy's club in Pecs until his death.
Life and work
His first domestic commission was for the new Pecs synagogueSynagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
and he founded a workshop in that city in 1869. In the following decades he received numerous commissions in Hungary and surrounding countries, including Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. His domestic works include:
- KalocsaKalocsaKalocsa is a town in Bács-Kiskun county, Hungary. It lies 88 miles south of Budapest. It is situated in a marshy but highly productive district, near the left bank of the Danube River. Historically it had greater political and economic importance than at present.Kalocsa is the Episcopal see...
parish house. - Pécs, Inner city R.C. church.
- BudapestBudapestBudapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Therese Town R.C. church. - Pécs parish house, built in 1880, it was the 100th organ built by Angster.
- Budapest, Kalvin ter Reformed church
- DebrecenDebrecenDebrecen , is the second largest city in Hungary after Budapest. Debrecen is the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar county.- Name :...
, Kossuth str Reformed church - GyorGyor-Climate:-Main sights:The ancient core of the city is Káptalan Hill at the confluence of three rivers: the Danube, Rába and Rábca. Püspökvár, the residence of Győr’s bishops can be easily recognised by its incomplete tower. Győr’s oldest buildings are the 13th-century dwelling tower and the...
Parish house
Legacy
His legacy is the instruments he built. His name is attached to a Technical college in PécsPécs
Pécs is the fifth largest city of Hungary, located on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the south-west of the country, close to its border with Croatia. It is the administrative and economical centre of Baranya county...
, where he died, as well as one street in the city.
After his death, the organ factory's business was run by Emil and Oskar Angster after 1903 and from 1940 to 1949 by Jozsef Angster, who had been born in 1917. He and his nephew, Imre Angster established a second factory at Rakospalota
Rákospalota
Rákospalota is a neighbourhood in Budapest, Hungary. With Pest-újhely and Új-palota it comprises District XV.- History :...
and introduced some technical innovations. The communist takeover resulted in the factory being closed as far as organ manufacturing was concerned. However, since 1992 a new workshop was set up in Pecs with backing by Jozsef Angster.
Literature
- Jozsef Angster (the younger): Angster - a book about the Pecs workshop and family history, Pannonia books, 1993.
- Jozsef Angster obituaryObituaryAn obituary is a news article that reports the recent death of a person, typically along with an account of the person's life and information about the upcoming funeral. In large cities and larger newspapers, obituaries are written only for people considered significant...
, Musical journal/Zenei Szemle, 1918 no. 5