The importance of the Klotz family in Mittenwald violin making
Matthias Klotz (1653–1743) was the founder of the most important violin making family in Mittenwald and, at the same time, was the causal initiator of instrument making in the area.
He trained a number of violin makers in his workshop, which had been established in about 1685. He trained not only his sons Georg I (1687–1737), Sebastian I (1696–1775) and Johann Carol (1709–1769), but also trained the following violin makers: most likely his younger brother Johann (b. 1664 and who is noted in 1709 as being a Mittenwald lute maker), his stepson Michael Schaendl (1698–1749) as well as the Mittenwald men Martin Bader (fl. 1730–1736, Johannes Daenzl (Tentzel, 1692–1728), Martin Dieffenbrunner (Tieffenbrunner, 1687–after 1720), Andreas Jais (1685–1753) and Nikolaus Woernle (Woerle, 1695–after 1720). All of these men passed on their trade to the next generations.
Of all the sons and students of Matthias Klotz, Sebastian I Klotz (1696–1775) was the one who developed a characteristic Klotz model which lies somewhere between the ideals exhibited in Amati and Stainer instruments. Both the model itself as well as the high level of quality he exhibited in his work had a lasting influence on Mittenwald violin making of the 18th and early 19th centuries.
Cherubs playing lutes and violins
Section of the ceiling fresco in the nave
of the Mittenwald Catholic church ,St. Peter and Paul, 1740,
by Matthaeus Guenther (1705–1788).
This is the oldest known picture portraying both a Mittenwald lute and a Mittenwald violin, it was painted by Matthaeus Guenther, who was one of the most well-respected southern German rococo painters.
It is thought to have been a tribute to the life work of Matthias Klotz, who in 1740 was an immensely well-respected octogenarian.
Family tree
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 Georg II. Karl Klotz 1723-1797 |
 Ægidius Klotz 1733-1805 |
 Joseph I. Thomas Klotz 1743- after 1811 |
The Klotz family was also the most proliferous of the violin making families in Mittenwald; there were more than 25 instrument makers in the eight generations extending into the beginning of the 20th century (the further development of the Klotz family tree is still being researched).
Labels
The oldest instrument made by Matthias Klotz with a printed label that is relatively certain to be original is dated 1712, which puts it within his very late working period. Matthias Klotz used printed labels until about 1727.
Remarkably, Klotz´s sons only used handwritten labels in the years leading up to 1750, which is when they began to use the printed labels characteristic for Mittenwald (hand printed, usually with a decorative border). There are also handwritten labels in existence from the period around 1800 which are attributed to some of the Klotz family violin makers; this is an anomaly that remains a puzzle to the historical researchers.
Mittenwald votive tablet
Oil painting on wood, Mittenwald, 18th century,
Katholische Pfarrkirchenstiftung St. Peter und Paul Mittenwald
This votive picture depicts the village as it was in the early 18th century,
before the construction of today´s Catholic church St. Peter and Paul (built 1737–1749).
At the top right one can see the Obermarkt, at the top left the Untermarkt and the St. Nikolaus church,
directly below this is the Judengasse (the Jew´s alley, now bearing the name Ballenhausgasse).
Spelling of the family name
The family name Klotz exists on violin labels and in archives in a number of different forms; this is true both in the family records as well as for printed documents made by third parties.
Around 1700 one finds the variations Khlotz, Khloz and Cloz being used; as the 18th century rolls on, the form Kloz is more general. It wasn´t until the beginning of the early 19th century that Klotz, the spelling used today, came into usage.
In order to make it easier to read, we have chosen to standardize both the first and last name spellings but, in order to remain historically correct, have provided illustrations either of violin labels or their facsimiles to document the original spellings.
The memorial statue of Matthias Klotz that stands in front of the Catholic church St. Peter and Paul
Ferdinand von Miller (1842-1929)
Cast bronze statue, Munich 1890
Later developments
As we have mentioned, throughout the 18th century the workshop, the working methods and the models of the Klotz family were a central inspiration for the entire field of violin making in Mittenwald. This changed with the increasing industrialism of the 19th century.
In the fanciful histories of the time, the figure of Matthias Klotz came to take on mythical dimensions and was used by the musical instrument retail firms of Mittenwald as a central advertising focus in their competition for customers with the Saxonian and Bohemian instrument making centers for customers.
Incorporating their work with the monographs of Walter Senn (1958) and Adolf Layer (1959), today´s historians, both of local history and specifically with respect to music and its instruments are working hard to recognize and research the connections and influences of the Klotz family on Mittenwald violin making.
The vast importance and unusual popularity of the figure of Matthias Klotz can be recognized through the fact that the Mittenwald violin maker was used as the hero of a number of trivial novels (for example, from Ludwig Ganghofer or Otto Schaching) – a tribute that has otherwise been reserved for a few great masters like Stradivari, Guarneri or Stainer.
Memorial tablet to Matthias Klotz on the facade of a Mittenwald house
Fresco from the first half of the 20th century
Photograph by Hans Reuter, ca. 1960
Geigenbaumuseum Mittenwald
At the end of the 19th century Matthias Klotz´s fame was used both in the
Mittenwald instrument retailer´s advertising as well as for the beginnings of general tourist advertising.
The romantic mythology surrounding Klotz was based on the quite sketchy information then available,
this information has unfortunately not stood up to the examination of today´s historical researchers.