Matthias (I) Klotz

History

Matthias (I) Klotz (1653-1743) was born in Mittenwald, Germany, the son of Urban Klotz, a tailor. He is recognized as the first maker of this extensive and highly important family of violin makers and is considered by Willibald Leo Lütgendorff as "Der eigentliche Gründer der Geigenindustrie Mittenwalds" (the actual founder of Mittenwald's violin industry). From 1672 to 1678, he was recorded as a journeyman worker in the workshop of the Bavarian-born lute maker Pietro Railich in Padua, as noted by John Dilworth. By 1686, he was established as a 'lauternmacher' in Gries, a part of Mittenwald, later moving to Oberen Markt and then to Herrengasse within the town. Sources contain conflicting information regarding his early training; while Lütgendorff suggests he may have learned in Füssen or Vils and perhaps even worked with Stainer himself, and George Hart reports he was a pupil of Stainer, Cecie Stainer states he is said to have learned his trade from Stainer himself and traveled in Italy, visiting Florence and Cremona. Lütgendorff also mentions a romanticized account of his apprenticeship with Nic. Amati in Cremona as a ten-year-old boy, returning after twenty years to a flourishing Mittenwald due to Venetian merchants moving their market there. He was married twice and owned a house in the Judengasse. A statue of Matthias was erected in front of the church of St Peter and Paul in 1890, and a small 20th-century tablet and fresco commemorate him in the town.

Craft

• Workmanship: According to Willibald Leo Lütgendorff, the execution of his works is "sehr lobenswerth" (very praiseworthy), and the tone is "recht gut" (quite good). However, Lütgendorff also notes that his wood is "nicht immer schön und dem Wurmfrass ausgesetzt" (not always beautiful and susceptible to worm damage). George Hart similarly states that his work is good but the varnish poor, and much of the wood he used was cut at the wrong season, leading to it being worm-eaten. Cecie Stainer describes the tone of his instruments as "not bad," but the yellow-brown varnish is "of poor quality" and the sound-holes "rather small."
• Style: John Dilworth notes that his earliest known violin is "quite Italianate," but later instruments show the Stainer influence in what became a more characteristic and typically German style, featuring "fairly high arching, deep and narrow edge fluting, and very curved soundholes." Cecie Stainer confirms that he "closely followed the Stainer pattern."
• Instruments: His earliest authenticated work is a viola dated 1712, though his instruments are relatively rare. A violin from 1714 is preserved in the Mittenwald Violin Making School, and two other examples are dated 1725 and 1727. A bass viol from 1715 is also known. The Paris Conservatoire Collection holds a viola d'amore with seven strings and fifteen sympathetic strings, dated Mittenwald, 1732.
• Labels: Examples of his labels include "Mathias Kloz Lauternmacher / in Mittenwaldt Anno 1714" and "Mathias Kloz Lauternmacher / in Mittenvvaldt Anno 1725." Lütgendorff mentions a claim that he sometimes used Stainer's labels to sell his instruments more easily.

Influence

• Mentorship: Matthias (I) Klotz was a journeyman in the workshop of the lute maker Pietro Railich in Padua from 1672 to 1678. He is also reported to have been a pupil of Stainer, and his work shows a strong Stainer influence.
• Teaching: He taught several individuals who were engaged in his workshop at various times, including Andreas and Johannes Jais, Martin Dieffenbrunner (Tieffenbrunner), Johannes Daenzl (Tentzel), Nikolaus Woernle, Michael Schaendl, and Martin Baader.

Legacy

• Family Continuity: Three of his sons became violin makers: Georg (I), Sebastian (I), and Johan Carl, according to John Dilworth. Cecie Stainer lists his sons as George, Sebastian, and Joseph. These sons secured Mittenwald's long association with the German violin craft.
• Reputation: Both Willibald Leo Lütgendorff and George Hart state that it is an error to consider Matthias (I) Klotz the best master of the family, as his son Sebastian was his superior.
• Market Impact: He found suitable conditions in Mittenwald for his art, with abundant good wood and sales opportunities to both the south and north. He attracted students and assistants, achieving recognition and prosperity. The extensive trade he helped establish later transitioned to the Neuner family, with Johann and Mathias Neuner beginning to monopolize the Mittenwald violin trade around 1730.

Further Information

• Workshop Organization: Cecie Stainer notes that Matthias (I) Klotz took advantage of the famed pine woods around Mittenwald, employing numerous workmen to make cheap violins. Typically, each workman made only one specific part of the instrument, with other workmen assembling the parts.
• Workshop Output: Given his well-populated workshop, John Dilworth suggests that the majority of Klotz's work went unlabelled, and at least some effort was put into other forms of instruments beyond violins.
• Collections: An alto of beautiful wood and fine workmanship, once part of the Snoeck Collection (No. 576), is now in Berlin.

Summary

Matthias (I) Klotz (1653-1743) was a pivotal German violin maker, born in Mittenwald, and is credited as the founder of the Mittenwald violin industry. He trained as a journeyman with lute maker Pietro Railich in Padua and is widely reported to have been a pupil of Stainer, whose influence is evident in his later work. Klotz established his workshop in Mittenwald by 1686, where he taught numerous apprentices and employed many workmen, laying the foundation for the town's renowned violin-making tradition. While his instruments are praised for their tone and workmanship, sources note issues with wood quality and varnish. His three sons continued his legacy, though his son Sebastian is often considered his superior. A statue and fresco in Mittenwald commemorate his significant contributions to the craft.