Friedrich Ladegast, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Friedrich Ladegast

German pipe organ builder

Date of Birth: 30-Aug-1818

Place of Birth: Zettlitz, Saxony, Germany

Date of Death: 30-Jun-1905

Profession: organ builder, musical instrument maker

Nationality: Germany

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Friedrich Ladegast (August 30, 1818 – June 30, 1905) was a famous German organ builder. Ladegast was born in Hochhermsdorf (now Hermsdorf), Saxony, to a carpenter and cabinet-maker.
He worked first for his brother Christlieb, an organ builder at Geringswalde, and built his first two organs at the age of twenty.
He then traveled as a journeyman to various workshops, including those of Johann Gottlob Mende in Leipzig, Urban Kreutzbach in Borna, Adolf Zuberbier in Dessau, Martin Wetzel in Strasbourg, and Aristide Cavaillé-Coll in Paris.
His work with Cavaillé-Coll was especially influential on his own designs; the two developed a friendship, and Ladegast introduced many technical innovations learned from Cavaillé-Coll's workshop to Germany, such as swell pedals and Barker levers. He set up his own workshop at Weißenfels in 1846, with his first commission being for a small organ in Geusa.
He went on to build over 200 organs, with notable works including the reconstruction of the organ of the Merseburg Cathedral (IV/81, 1855), and building the organ of the Nikolaikirche in Leipzig (IV/84,1859–62).
His largest instrument was for Schwerin Cathedral (IV/84, 1870–71).
His son, Oskar Ladegast, took over his firm in 1898.