Organ is facing oxygen depletion.
Historic Organ in Plößberg Church to Undergo Restoration
In the picturesque town of Plößberg in Germany, efforts are underway to restore the historic organ in St. George's Church. The organ building association has shown its support for this initiative, aiming to preserve a piece of history that dates back nearly a century.
Built during World War I, the church itself is a remarkable testament to the scarcity of money, materials, and labor at the time. With 400 seats for churchgoers, St. George's Church is a large and imposing structure, and its organ adds a musical depth that enhances the spiritual experience for all who attend services.
The organ, acquired in 1927, ten years after the church was built, was the work of organ builder Josef Maerz. Since then, it has been tinkered with repeatedly, with a flute register added belatedly in 1968. However, over the years, the organ has fallen into disrepair, with about five tones falling out every year due to broken leather membranes in the wind chests.
For organist Florian Loew, the preservation and improvement of the historic organ have been a passion for eleven years. Loew, who has been playing the organ since he was seven years old, has been working with the Diocese of Regensburg to find an individual solution for the Plößberg organ.
The organist estimates the cost of restoring the organ to be between 250,000 and 300,000 euros. To meet this challenge, the organ building association founded by Loew has set a goal of collecting a total of 100,000 euros. As of now, they have almost reached half of that.
The tender for the organ restoration has been running since July, and an organ builder should be commissioned with the restoration by the end of October. The organist hopes to improve the organ by expanding the color spectrum, for example with trumpets and oboes, and more bass registers.
Despite the challenges, Loew is adamant that the organ should not be torn down and replaced with a new one due to cost and respect for the many measures on the 90-year-old instrument. The electronic part of the organ, which was added later, still stands on the gallery like a monument.
The historic organ in the Catholic Parish Church of St. Georg in Plößberg is a treasure that deserves to be preserved for future generations. With the support of the organ building association and the dedication of organist Florian Loew, this goal seems within reach.
