Macrander website

The title page of the publication:

Martin Balz

Die Orgelmacher Macrander in Frankfurt am Main

Sonderdruck aus DULCE MELOS ORGANORUM

FESTSCHRIFT ALFRED REICHLING ZUM 70. GEBURTSTAG IM AUFTRAG DER GESELLSCHAFT DER ORGELFREUNDE HERAUSGEGEBEN VON ROLAND BEHRENS UND CHRISTOPH GROHMANN

At the beginning of the 18th century in Frankfurt am Main existed different organ builder workshops with working areas far beyond the cityborders. Of all those organ builders the Macrander firm was the most important workshop. Building church organs as Macrander, was also done by dome organist Hans Jörg Steigleder, Lorenz Weller and the organist Peter Nicolaus Boller. In addition, there were also the workshops of Balthasar Schröder, Joh. Henrich Hochwald Reichardt, Joh. Hektor Heuss and Joh. Lorenz Weller. These had only local significance. These orgelmakers built mainly small tools for home use and a single time an organ for a small church.

Master organ builder Johann Friedrich Macrander (*1661-†1741) - son of Johannes Macrander and grandson of Arnold Langemann - and his son Philipp Wilhelm Macrander (*1705-†1764) are frequently mentioned in the literature, which resulted in a significant building-/productionlist. In the early days there were - as with many other organ builders - the less meaning years of learning and wandering. In addition to Master organ builder, he was also steward at the court of the countly family Schonburg (also: Schomburg).

Dr. Martin Balz (Mühltal. Musikwissenschaftler, Orgelsachverständiger Hessen/Nassau, Schriftleiter ORGANI ARS) investigated and published a 30 page scientific work of the church organ builders Macrander in Frankfurt am Main.
A part of a family chronicle of Johann Friedrich Macrander is included in the publication of Martin Balz. Johann Friedrich Macrander began writing the family chronicle in 1707 and was continued by son Philipp Wilhelm Macrander. A family chronicle that goes back to the year 1599 which was in possession of descendants of the Macrander organ builders. It contains many, previously not available Langemann-Macrander genealogy and family history. One important revelation was that Arnold Langemann (Macrander) and his second wife, Regina Nübel, moved in 1610 to her birthplace Peckelsheim near Paderborn, North Rhine-Westphalia, and where Arnold died in 1620.

(See also: 'Coats of arms of the Macrander family', coats of arms no. 3)

Built in 1709 for St. Mauritius Church, Wiesbaden, by the Macrander firm of Frankfurt am Main; it was relocated to the Limabch-Huenstetten church in 1804 and is still in use during worship and for special concerts.

Johann Friedrich Macrander and son Philipp Wilhelm M. made and installed pipe organs throughout the Middle Rhine region from their firm in Frankfurt am Main. This organ was originally placed in 1710, in a church at Rödelheim, northwest of Frankfurt. In 1872 it was relocated to the Evangelish chapel at Heidenrod-Springen, northwest of Darmstadt. It is still played in worship services and in public concerts.

Baroke style organ in the Benedictine Cloister Engelthal chapel at Altenstadt. Built between 1715 and 1720 by the Macrander firm, Frankfurt am Main.The organ continues to be a centerpiece of concerts and public events.

Publication of dr. Martin Balz and a part of the family chronicle by Johann Friedrich Macrander.