Guide to Bach Tour - Muhlhausen

Contents

Description & History

About 30 km north of Eisenach, in the picturesque Unstrut River valley, lies Mühlhausen (42,000 inhabitants), which experienced its greatest glory as a 'free imperial city' in the Middle Ages. Its historical core, criss-crossed by cobbled alleyways, reflects 800 years of architectural styles. There's a good collection ofhalf-timbered houses with gorgeous carved and painted doors.

At Easter 1707, J.S. Bach sat at the organ of the Divi Blasii Church in Mühlhausen and impressed the elders of the town so much with a sample of his playing, that he was offered the vacant position of organist on the spot. He did not hesitate for very long and took over the position of the deceased Johann Georg Ahle in the summer. Johann Georg Ahle had become famous above all as a song composer.

In the following year he suggested a new organ arrangement to the council, which agreed to this and was realized by the organ builder Friedrich Wender from Mühlhausen. This organ, which in the meantime has been replaced, was reconstructed in 1959 true to the original Bach designs by the Potsdam organ building company Schuke. The doctor and Bach researcher Albert Schweitzer was also involved and sent letters of advice from Lambarene. Today the organ sounds as it did at the time of Bach in the centre of the impressive architecture of this three nave Gothic Hall Church.

The Church of the Virgin Mary, with its 87 metre high tower and the colossal nave, is still the most overwhelming building of the town and is closely connected to the work of Bach in Mühlhausen. It was here in 1708 that his Ratswechsel Cantata "God is my King" was festively performed. The town even printed the text afterwards. It is the only opus of Bach that was published during his lIfetime. Incidentally, he came here again some time later as organ specialist and to recommend his son Gottfried Bernhard for the position as organist. and who carried it out from 1735 to 1737. The Church of the Virgin Mary played another great role in the history of the town. On the 16th March 1525, the citizens removed the old council from office, and it was here that the reformator Thomas Muntzer preached. A permanent exhibition in the Corn Market Church is dedicated to the events of the Peasants' War.

The handwritten organ arrangement by Bach for the Blasius Church and his letter of resignation from 1708 are kept in the Reich City Archive in the Town Hall. He wrote in this that despite all his efforts, it was not posible to create enough church music which were up to his standards. He left Mühlhausen after only one year in order to try his luck at the Court of Weimar. It is speculated on by some biographers whether Bach left because he did not want to be drawn into the open quarrel between pietists and orthodox Lutherans which was carried out from the pulpit at that time. After all he was befriended with the Lutheran priest of the Church of the Virgin Mary, Georg Christian Eilmar. Or whether it was only creative unrest which drove him away, and most certainly the better conditions which awaited him in Weimar. Bach's successor as organist was his cousin Johann Friedrich.

Apart from the two main churches Divi Blasil and of the Virgin Mary the town has ten other places of worship and sacral buildings. These and the towers along the 2700 metre long town wall form the silhouette of the town which can be seen from afar and reward the visitor on his way there with a unique view. Mühlhausen, "ornamented with towers", has kept the medieval structure, too. It is one of the most attractive towns in Thuringia next to the unique countryside of the Hainich National Park.

Events in Life History of J.S. Bach

Date/Year	Event
Arnstadt (1703-1707)
Apr 24, 1707	Easter Sunday: audition for the organist position at Blasiuskirche, Mühlhausen
June 14-22, 1707	Negotiations with the Mühlhausen Town Council; accepts appointment
Mühlhausen (1707-1708)
July 1, 1707	Begins as organist at Blasiuskirche, Mühlhausen (until June 1708)
Leipzig (1731-1740)
June 1735	Organ examination in Marienkirche, Mühlhausen
June 16, 1735	Appointment of son Gottfried Bernhard as organist at Marienkirche

Performance Dates of J.S. Bach’s Vocal Works

Date	Event	BWV	Title	Remarks
1707-1708	Penitential Service	131	Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir
1707-1708 ?	Funeral	106	Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit
1707-1708 ?	Easter Sunday	4	Christ lag in Todesbanden	1^st Performance
1707-1708 ?	Wedding	196	Der Herr denkt an uns
Feb 4, 1708	Town Council Inauguration	71	Gott ist mein König

Features of Interest

Information & Links

Blasiuskirche = Divi Blasii Church = The Parish church of St. Blasius (13^th-14^th centuries)
Bach Church
Town Wall (12^th-14^th centuries)
Town Hall (13^th-18^th centuries)
Marienkirche = Church of St. Mary (12^th-15^th centuries)
Jakobikirche = St. James Church

Mühlhausen-Information
Ratsstrasse 20
D-99974 Mühlhausen
Tel.: +49-3601-452335 / Fax: +49-3601-452316
E-Mail: info@muehlhausen.de
Website: Mühlhausen (Official Website) [German]

TA Mühlhausen [German]
Mühlhausen [German]
Cityreview: Thüringen > Mühlhausen/Thüringen [German]
Mühlhausen/Thüringen (Meinestadt) [German]
Mühlhausen Museen [Geman]

Mühlhausen 1707-1708 (Koster)
The J.S. Bach Tourist 9: Mühlhausen (Koster)
On the Traces of J.S. Bach: Mühlhausen (Germany Tourism)
J.S. Bach Biographie: Arnstadt-Weimar 1703-1708 (Schlu) [German]
J.S. Bach Education & Career: Mühlhausen 1707-1708 (T.A. Smith)
J.S. Bach Biography: Mühlhausen (Carolina Classical)

Prepared by Aryeh Oron (October 2003 - February 2005)

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Last update: ýFebruary 12, 2005 ý21:33:16