Johann Georg Mozart
Encyclopedia
Johann Georg Mozart was a bookbinder
who lived in Augsburg
, Germany, in the 17th and 18th centuries. He was the father of Leopold Mozart
and the grandfather of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
.
Johann Georg's own ancestors were "artisans and masons", but he pursued a different career, becoming a master bookbinder. He evidently advanced his career when he married the widow (named Anna Maria Banegger) of his former master, and thus obtained his old master's guild
license. His first wife bore him no children and died in 1718. His second wife was Anna Maria Sulzer (1696–1766), with whom he had eight children over the years 1719–1735; of these, three boys and two girls survived to adulthood. Leopold, born 14 November 1719, was the oldest.
The family were Catholics and after 1722 lived in a house owned by the Jesuit
s. They sent their two oldest sons to Jesuit schools.
Neither Johann Georg nor his wife Anna Maria had any direct influence on the life of their celebrated grandson. Johann Georg died 20 years before Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born; and Leopold became estranged from his mother following his move in young adulthood to Salzburg
(1737); hence there was no contact between grandmother and grandson during the period their lives overlapped.
Another son of Johann Georg, Franz Aloys Mozart (1727–1791), remained in Augsburg and followed his father's career as a bookbinder (he also occasionally published religious tracts). He was the father of Maria Anna Thekla Mozart
, Wolfgang's first cousin and friend.
Bookbinding
Bookbinding is the process of physically assembling a book from a number of folded or unfolded sheets of paper or other material. It usually involves attaching covers to the resulting text-block.-Origins of the book:...
who lived in Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
, Germany, in the 17th and 18th centuries. He was the father of Leopold Mozart
Leopold Mozart
Johann Georg Leopold Mozart was a German composer, conductor, teacher, and violinist. Mozart is best known today as the father and teacher of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and for his violin textbook Versuch einer gründlichen Violinschule.-Childhood and student years:He was born in Augsburg, son of...
and the grandfather of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
.
Johann Georg's own ancestors were "artisans and masons", but he pursued a different career, becoming a master bookbinder. He evidently advanced his career when he married the widow (named Anna Maria Banegger) of his former master, and thus obtained his old master's guild
Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
license. His first wife bore him no children and died in 1718. His second wife was Anna Maria Sulzer (1696–1766), with whom he had eight children over the years 1719–1735; of these, three boys and two girls survived to adulthood. Leopold, born 14 November 1719, was the oldest.
The family were Catholics and after 1722 lived in a house owned by the Jesuit
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
s. They sent their two oldest sons to Jesuit schools.
Neither Johann Georg nor his wife Anna Maria had any direct influence on the life of their celebrated grandson. Johann Georg died 20 years before Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born; and Leopold became estranged from his mother following his move in young adulthood to Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
(1737); hence there was no contact between grandmother and grandson during the period their lives overlapped.
Another son of Johann Georg, Franz Aloys Mozart (1727–1791), remained in Augsburg and followed his father's career as a bookbinder (he also occasionally published religious tracts). He was the father of Maria Anna Thekla Mozart
Maria Anna Thekla Mozart
Maria Anna Thekla Mozart , called Marianne, known as Bäsle , was the cousin of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart....
, Wolfgang's first cousin and friend.