Die sächsischen Armbrustmacher Hans Georg und Hans Heinrich Abentheuer

Abstract

Often the servants came in need by payment defaults of the Saxon Electors. So on July 3, 1670 the electoral crossbowmaker shootingmaster Johann Georg Abentheuer demanded a total sum of 250 Taler as a final payment of the 750 talers salary debt for his service from 1648 – 1655. In 1668 and in 1669 a part of the mentioned sum was paid him, partly supplied as wood. According to this letter Abentheuers wife died in early July 1670 and he was lying on the sickbed as he wrote this letter to the Elector Johann Georg II. The first name of the shootingmaster “Johann Georg” probably was inspired by the name of a Saxon Elector and suggests a Saxon birthplace of the crossbowmaker. A signed and an unsigned invoice from the 1660s, which are attributable to Johann Georg Abentheuer, are showing the work of an Electoral crossbowmaker/shootingmaster at that time in Dresden. The shootingmaster managed the most magnificent crossbow collection in Saxony and was responsible for repairs. So he made new strings, bindings, rear sights, bolts and so on in preparation of bird shootings, target shootings and hunting events. A large crossbow from Saxony, signed “HGA” (most likely Hans Georg Abentheuer) and dated “1663” is part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Fig. 1 shows a group of three shooting masters at a bird shooting on 24 June 1660 in Dresden – among them most likely Johann Georg Abentheuer, who was in charge at that time. Fig. 2 presents a small target crossbow with the mentioned HGA - signature (Rüstkammer Dresden, inv.-no. U 78), made in the mid or in the second half of the 17th century for the cavalry officer Curt Reinicke Freiherr von Callenberg (fig. 3), who lived from 1607 to 1672. Fig. 4 shows two small unsigned target crossbows
(Livrustkammaren Stockholm, inv.-no. 5335, 5336) coming from the gun cabinet of Christina, Queen of Sweden, who lived from 1626 to 1689 (fig. 5). Both are dated 1646 and were made in a style very close to the HGA - signed crossbow on fig. 2 and all these weapons are showing an engraved target shooting scene at their cheek pieces, possibly including the crossbow owner as a shooter. Most likely the crossbows for Queen Christina were made by Johann Georg Abentheuer in Dresden. Even more dramatic was the financial situation of his son, the princely crossbowmaker/shootingmaster Johann Heinrich Abentheuer in Halle/Saale. His employers were the rulers of Saxe-Weissenfels. Starting from 18 August 1680 the new Duke Johann Adolf I. moved from Halle to Weissenfels. His personal physician was Georg Händel, the wealthy father of the famous composer Georg Friedrich Händel. In contrast Johann Heinrich Abentheuer, the crossbowmaker/shootingmaster of the Duke, complained of severe poverty. Hans Heinrich Abentheuer was the son of the above-mentioned Johann Georg Abentheuer. He already served Duke August, the father of his current employer. Hans Heinrich Abentheuer wrote that he was poor and did not know how to support his wife and children. On August 17, 1680, he demanded 59 taler final payment by the Prince and retained princely crossbows. He referred to the juris retentionis, the right to retain a service or an object until a debt was cleared. Ten days later he implored the Prince again and in addition to the 59 talers he invoiced 9 talers for the maintenance of the retained crossbows. He considered to leave Halle to enter into military service or to find employment elsewhere in his profession. In this case he would sell the crossbows to have enough money for the journey. On September 18, 1680 Hans Heinrich Abentheuer wrote again to the Prince and referred to a promise of Duke August from 1677. At that time Abentheuer was recommended to Nuremberg and wanted to resign. But the chancellor of the Duke asked him to stay in Halle and for the future he promised him proper payment. The municipal council of Halle confirmed the need of the shootingmaster Abentheuer and wrote to the Duke (September 20, 1680), that following the princely decision of 24 August 1680 the shootingmaster Hans Heinrich Abentheuer was arrested immediately, but later by intercession of a reputable citizen he was dismissed. Presumably
Hans Heinrich Abentheuer also served the civic crossbowmen of Halle, who had their shooting range in the ring of the town wall at the town gate “Galgtor” in the east.