Zur Dresdner Armbrustmacherfamilie Hänisch und ihren „Zunftgenossen“

The craft of the crossbow makers is shrouded in mystery. Today copyists fail in the attempt to achieve the quality of the old originals. The members of the Dresden Hänisch family were famous representatives of this profession. Since the 16th century they served as crossbow makers for the Electors and Kings of Saxony. For example Johann Gottfried Hänisch the Elder (1696 - 1778) was employed by Augustus the Strong. His signature was „IGH“. In the 64th Hermann Historica auction a crossbow (lot no. 2465) was sold, which is very meaningful in terms of the family tradition of Haenisch. This weapon with its „IGH“ signature apparently was made in the first quarter of the 18th century (fig. 1, 2). It shows features that appear also on Hänisch-crossbows of later production. These are the gilded bridle and the green pompons (their colors refered to the Wettin arms) and the grotesque masks around the channels for the pricker on the top and at the bottom of the tiller. A special feature of the above mentioned crossbow is that its decorative design refers to at least 100 years earlier forms. So this Baroque crossbow documents a family tradition in an unique way. Johann Friedrich Hänisch the Younger (1780 - 1836) was a grandson of the well-known Johann Gottfried Hänisch. He learned the profession of a gunsmith in his native town and served for the Saxon rulers. He was responsible for the care of the weapons of the Royal Arms Gallery, among them the crossbows. He died on 15th December 1836 in Dresden. The inventory of his estate gives an impression of the tools which were necessary for his craft. For comparison also the workshop inventory of the Leipzig crossbow maker Johann Heinrich Oelckers (1767 or 1768 - 1827) is cited in the article and one of his crossbows is depicted on fig. 3. After the inventory he could craft new crossbows completely. He was able to forge steelbows, to make tillers, locks, strings, bolts and so on. His successor, also from Leipzig, was Ferdinand Tell (1798 – 1863). In his letters he mentioned the adjusting procedure of crossbows. The same is to see on fig. 4, where the crossbow maker Oechslin from Schaffhausen is shooting an old crossbow in 1874. Ferdinand Tells rival was Johann Friedrich Rothe (1802 – 1833) from Leipzig. Beside strings and others Rothe offered bows of refined steel. Tell and Rothe were learnt wood turners and mechanics. They also traded with old crossbows. The craft of crossbow makers was free and in the German speaking countries apparently crossbow maker guilds didn't exist after the late Middle Ages. In the article some examples are given for craftsmen of other professions like smithes and textil-workers, who served as crossbowmakers in the 18th century. One example is the gunmaker Georg Friedrich Wolff in Freiberg/Saxony, who made a crossbow („Schnepper“) in late Baroque style (fig. 5).

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