Lot Essay
The Hager Dynasty and its association with the Brunswick Court.
August, the Duke of Braunschweig (1579-1666) was in his time a noted connoiseur of the construction of watches and other time measuring instruments. Over a period of fifty years he purchased through his agent Philip Hainhofer no less than sixty watches and other instruments, however, only two items appear to have survived, one being by Hans Buschmann and another by Kasper Langenbucher, and these can today be seen in the Duke Anton Ulrich Museum in Braunschweig.
The Duke's son Rudolf August (1627-1704) continued in his father's tradition and in 1668 brought the brothers Johann Wolfgang and Michael Tobius Hager from Armstadt to the residence at Wofenbuttel.
Their father, Wolfgang Hager, worked as watch and instrument maker to Count Schwarzenberg at Armstadt. Over a period of one hundred years three generations of the Hager family served the Dukes as watch and scientific instrument makers.
Few instruments from this dynasty appear to have survived the passage of time and ravages of war. Thirty-six instruments are known, apart from nine in private collections, twenty-seven others are recorded in European museum collections.
The variety of instruments constructed for the Ducal family by the Hagers is interesting. Michael Tobius is known to have made astronomical instruments, pocket sundials in silver, pedometers and pocket calculators. Johann Wolfgang is recorded as having made sundials, pocket watches, nocturnals and a star watch with calendar, pedometers and pocket perpetual calendars. Diederich Peter Hager is on record as having made at least two astronomical watches and at least one carriage timepiece.
Johann Friedrich Carl, the grandson of Johann Michael, constructed a mantel timepiece mounted in Furstenburg porcelain which was in the collection of Duke Anton Ulrich, but this sadly vanished at the end of World War II. The Hager family and dynasty as known, is listed below.
1. Melchior, um 1602-1658, Frankfurt a.M.
2. Wolfgang, 1603-1674, Arnstadt
3. Michael Tobias, 1639-1694, Arnstadt, Wolfen bttel (2)
4. Johann Melchior, 1642-1713, Frankfurt a.M. (1)
5. Johann Wolfgang, 1643-1705, Wolfenbttel (2)
6. Johann Jakob, 1672-1722, Frankfurt a.M. (4)
7. Diederich Peter, 1674-1754, Wolfenbttel (5)
8. Johann Heinrich, 1678-?, Frankfurt a.M., Lissabon
9. Johann Christian, 1678-1712 nachweisbar, Arnstadt (2)
10. Johann Michael, 1684-1765, Braunschweig (5)
11. Julius Frantz, 1687-1750, Wolfenbttel ? (7)
12. Johann Isaak, 1710-?, Wolfenbttel (7)
13. Johann, 1714-1790, Frankfurt a.M. (6)
14. Alexander Georg, 1722-1777, Wolfenbttel (7)
15. Friedrich Carl, 1734-1784 (11)
August, the Duke of Braunschweig (1579-1666) was in his time a noted connoiseur of the construction of watches and other time measuring instruments. Over a period of fifty years he purchased through his agent Philip Hainhofer no less than sixty watches and other instruments, however, only two items appear to have survived, one being by Hans Buschmann and another by Kasper Langenbucher, and these can today be seen in the Duke Anton Ulrich Museum in Braunschweig.
The Duke's son Rudolf August (1627-1704) continued in his father's tradition and in 1668 brought the brothers Johann Wolfgang and Michael Tobius Hager from Armstadt to the residence at Wofenbuttel.
Their father, Wolfgang Hager, worked as watch and instrument maker to Count Schwarzenberg at Armstadt. Over a period of one hundred years three generations of the Hager family served the Dukes as watch and scientific instrument makers.
Few instruments from this dynasty appear to have survived the passage of time and ravages of war. Thirty-six instruments are known, apart from nine in private collections, twenty-seven others are recorded in European museum collections.
The variety of instruments constructed for the Ducal family by the Hagers is interesting. Michael Tobius is known to have made astronomical instruments, pocket sundials in silver, pedometers and pocket calculators. Johann Wolfgang is recorded as having made sundials, pocket watches, nocturnals and a star watch with calendar, pedometers and pocket perpetual calendars. Diederich Peter Hager is on record as having made at least two astronomical watches and at least one carriage timepiece.
Johann Friedrich Carl, the grandson of Johann Michael, constructed a mantel timepiece mounted in Furstenburg porcelain which was in the collection of Duke Anton Ulrich, but this sadly vanished at the end of World War II. The Hager family and dynasty as known, is listed below.
1. Melchior, um 1602-1658, Frankfurt a.M.
2. Wolfgang, 1603-1674, Arnstadt
3. Michael Tobias, 1639-1694, Arnstadt, Wolfen bttel (2)
4. Johann Melchior, 1642-1713, Frankfurt a.M. (1)
5. Johann Wolfgang, 1643-1705, Wolfenbttel (2)
6. Johann Jakob, 1672-1722, Frankfurt a.M. (4)
7. Diederich Peter, 1674-1754, Wolfenbttel (5)
8. Johann Heinrich, 1678-?, Frankfurt a.M., Lissabon
9. Johann Christian, 1678-1712 nachweisbar, Arnstadt (2)
10. Johann Michael, 1684-1765, Braunschweig (5)
11. Julius Frantz, 1687-1750, Wolfenbttel ? (7)
12. Johann Isaak, 1710-?, Wolfenbttel (7)
13. Johann, 1714-1790, Frankfurt a.M. (6)
14. Alexander Georg, 1722-1777, Wolfenbttel (7)
15. Friedrich Carl, 1734-1784 (11)