Gustav Adolph Wettengel

History

Gustav Adolph WETTENGEL (1800-1873) was born in Neukirchen in 1800 and died in Dresden, Germany, in 1873. He was a violin and bow maker. According to John Dilworth, he founded a string making business in Dresden. Willibald Leo Lütgendorff notes that he was originally a violin maker but focused exclusively on bow making early in his career and also owned a string factory.

Craft

• Craft: Gustav Adolph Wettengel was a violin and bow maker.
• Business Ventures: He founded a string making business in Dresden and, according to Willibald Leo Lütgendorff, also owned a string factory.

Influence

• Education and Scholarship: He possessed a good education that enabled him to publish comprehensive treatises for violin makers, which, according to Willibald Leo Lütgendorff, were considered the best of their kind for a long time and still hold value today.
• Publications: His most important publications include Vollständiges, theoretisch-practisches auf Grundsätze der Akustik, Tonkunst und Mathematik (Voigt, 1828) and Lehrbuch der Geigen-und Bogenmacherkunst (Voigt, 1869), as noted by John Dilworth.

Legacy

• Family Continuity: His work was continued by his son, Georg Victor Emanuel (1830-1898), and his grandsons, Emil (1864-1915) and Georg (born 1855, died after 1912). Both grandsons were prolific makers of plucked instruments and served as tutors at the Markneukirchen School of Violin Making.

Further Information

• Treatise (1828): He wrote an excellent practical treatise on violin making, entitled 'Vollstandiges, theoretisch-practisches auf Grundsatze der Akustik, Tonkunst und Mathematik und auf die Erfah rungen der geschicktesten italienischen und deutschen Meister begrundetes Lehrbuch der Anfertigung und Reparatur aller noch jetzt gebrauchlichen Gattungen von italienischen und deutschen Geigen', published in Ilmenau in 1828.
• Treatise (1869): Another significant publication was Lehrbuch der Geigen-und Bogenmacherkunst, published by Voigt in 1869.

Summary

Gustav Adolph WETTENGEL (1800-1873) was a notable German violin and bow maker, born in Neukirchen and active in Dresden. He is particularly recognized for his comprehensive theoretical and practical treatises on violin making, including Vollständiges, theoretisch-practisches auf Grundsätze der Akustik, Tonkunst und Mathematik (1828) and Lehrbuch der Geigen-und Bogenmacherkunst (1869). He also established a string making business in Dresden, and his legacy continued through his son and grandsons, who were also instrument makers and educators.