Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg (1797–1871) | Piano Manufacturer
Music was a vibrant part of life in the 19th century. In the family, there was song, dance and yodeling; zither and piano were common instruments. The charcoal makers with whom Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg (1797–1871) worked as a boy also nourished their own bit of musical culture.
Where and how Steinweg got in touch with piano making is unknown. Constantly working with wood from a young age, the path to building instruments was not too far: During his time in the military, Heinrich Engelhard already built small string instruments. There are also indications that he repaired organs, though there are no sources to prove it. The German-American instrument maker and author Alfred Dolge (1848–1922) reports, that Steinweg gave his wife a small square piano with carved cupids as a wedding present. It has not been preserved.
square piano
The square piano is a piano with a hammer action, in the shape of a “table”: the strings run parallel to the keyboard; the case is rectangular. The oldest preserved square piano stems from the Johann Socher workshop and was manufactured in 1742.
The square piano was very popular in the 19th century. Not too large in size, the instrument fit well into the bourgeois parlor and was less costly than a grand piano. A mobile small version of this model is the travel piano, which could be easily stowed with the luggage. As a “lady instrument”, it sometimes contained small compartments for storing jewelry or sewing materials. The pitch range and therefore also the performed repertoire were of course limited. However, for practicing, or for the country estate, it was well sufficient.
In the second half of the 19th century, the square piano was more and more replaced by the pianino, today’s “upright”.
Caption 1
Jacobson Orphanage, former home and workshop of the Steinweg family
1888
photograph, Photographic Studio F. A. Brauckmann
supplement to the letter of honor for William Steinway dated October 1888, Collection Städtisches Museum Seesen (donated by Henry Z. Steinway, 1996)
Caption 2
Death certificate for Heinrich Zacharias Steinweg, father of Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg
1812
Stadtarchiv Goslar, Stock C, No. 9242
“In the year eighteen hundred and twelve, at nine o’clock in the evening of June 5th, the preacher and civil servant of the Altenau parish in the Clausthal canton of the Harz region, and the local baker and citizen Johann Julius Steinweg, 39 years of age and born in Wolfshagen, Canton Goslar in the Ocker region, appeared before me and stated, that the brother of the latter Heinrich Zacharias Steinweg, a charcoal maker born and resident in Wolfshagen, Canton Goslar in the Ocker region, 51 years of age, who worked nearby, an hour from the mountain town of Altenau, at the so called Ochsenberg mountain as a charcoal maker in his hut, where he had fled with his children from the thunderstorm, has been struck by lightning at ca. 12 o’clock midday on June 5th of this year, and passed away shortly after.
On receiving this news, I went to said place 21 hours later on June 6th at midday and found the body struck by lightning, whose hair had been turned into white ash half an inch from the skin. Furthermore I found a black spot of half an inch and a finger’s width filled with blood water on the right side next to the cervical vertebrae. The back was marbled in black and blue down to the loins. Despite the earlier efforts of mountain surgeon and police director Dänert, the deceased had not been revived. He was buried here in the Altenau community. He had been married to Christine Friedrike neé Fricken, born in Harlingerode. His father was the master charcoal burner Christoph Steinweg in Wolfshagen, the mother Rosine Elisabeth neé Jünken.
Heinrich Julius Pfahl, 28 years of age, and the local cantor Heinrich Wilhelm Brauns, aged 30 years were both present as witnesses. The former, also born in Wolfshagen, was present at the hut when the thunderstorm hit. Since both have confirmed the death of master charcoal burner Zacharias Steinweg from Wolfshagen, the present deed is recorded and has been signed by me and the witnesses present.
Johann Gotthard Brüggemann
the preacher.
Johann Julius Steinweg
Heinrich Julius Pfahl
cannot write.
Heinrich Wilhelm Brauns”
Caption 3
Entry for Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg (1797–1871) in the master book of the Seesen carpenters' guild
06.04.1825
Niedersächsisches Landesarchiv Wolfenbüttel, 111 N No. 25
“Occurred, Seesen on April 6th, 1825
Piece master Heinrich Steinweg from Wolfshagen showed his test sample today, after having received the permission to settle in Wolfshagen via notification, affirming to the heads to have manufactured the piece himself under supervision. The sample piece was tested and approved, whereupon Steinweg was accepted as co-master, the test piece was a writing desk made of mahogany wood, although it was only assigned up to thumb height. Master Weber had been present. Bege”