Maarschalkerweerd & Zoon

The story of the organ builders company Maarschalkerweerd & Zoon from Utrecht encompasses one-hundred year of organ building in the Netherlands, for mainly Roman Catholic but also some Protestant customers, and has its roots in the well known company Bätz. Father Pieter Maarschalkerweerd (1812-1888) learns the organ builder profession from Jonathan Bätz and gets promoted to supervisor, and decides to start up his own company. His son Michael Maarschalkerweerd (1838-1915) grows the business and brings it to prosperity between 1880 and 1910. After his death, Cornelis Hermanus van Brussel (1860-1935, associated partner since 1913),  Johannes Josephus Elbertse (starts up his own organ company in 1917) and a few others continue the business for a couple of years at a much smaller scale, after which the activities come to an end in 1940.

Pieter Maarschalkerweerd

In 1840 Pieter Maarschalkerweerd establishes together with Christiaan Stulting an organ building company named ‘Stulting & Maarschalkerweerd’. The company builds relatively small organs in classical style in the Dutch tradition, as handed down by Bätz. Unfortunately there is not much left of their work in its original condition.  Some instruments have been equipped with an additional manual by Michael Maarschalkerweerd. A good example is the organ at the St. Barnabas church at Haastrecht from 1848. In the same year Christiaan Stulting decides to resign and the company is dissolved. Immediately afterwards, Pieter Maarschalkerweerd decides to continue by himself. From this period are worth mentioning the still existing organs at the St. Bavo church in Harmelen (1859) and the parish church Heilige Maria Geboorte in Rumpt (1863).

Michaël Maarschalkerweerd

It is possible that Michael Maarschalkerweerd already worked at the last mentioned organ above. After finishing his studies as hydraulic engineer in 1860, he joins to work in the organ company although no precise date is known. Nevertheless the companies’ name is changed to ’Maarschalkerweerd & Zoon’ in 1865. The first important organ from Michael is the one at the St. Dominicus church in Utrecht and dates from 1872. Currently it is placed in a transformed state and in a new case in the St. Laurentius church in Bilthoven. Other organs are to follow in Schiedam (St. Jan de Doper 1874) and Leiden (Hartebrugkerk 1877) are at the one hand still rather traditional in their design (great organ, choir organ, free pedal organ and keyboard console attached to the middle front), but at the other hand harmonic flutes and a French inspired intonation are applied.

In the following years French influences are becoming more and more apparent.  Examples are:  Oudewater H. Franciscus van Assisi 1887, Sneek St. Martinus 1891, Amsterdam Concertgebouw 1891 and Delft St. Jozef (currently named Heilige Maria van Jesse) 1893. These instruments have a free console with combinations pistons, French intonated foundation stops, reeds and new stops such as Vox célèste and harmonic flutes.

In later years the German influence are making their way in the work of Michael Maarschalkerweerd. He starts using pneumatic action according to the Weigle system.  A good example large organ in the Onze Lieve Vrouw church in Zwolle built in 1896 and restored in 2005, which is also equipped with a stop crescendo. Following organs are from the same period: the Augustijner church in Dordrecht 1899, St. Lambertus church in Rotterdam-Kralingen 1900, St. Catharina cathedral in Utrecht 1903,  St. Jozef church (later cathedral) in Groningen 1906, Paters Augustijnen church in Eindhoven 1906 and the St. Nicolaas basilica in IJsselstein 1908.

Cornelis Hermanus van Brussel

In 1913 Michael Maarschalkerweerd promotes Cornelis van Brussel to his associated partner. Under the supervision of the latter, a limited number of new organs is built during the twenties and some extensions are made, but further activities are limited to tuning and maintenance. When van Brussel dies in 1935, L. Collard continues the activities until 1940, after which the Second World War makes an end to hundred years of organ building history Maarschalkerweerd.