But the crowning glory of the water-driven works of wonder is the
Mechanical Theatre, which to this imposing size and accurately detailed
construction could hardly be suspected in this hidden part of the park.
Built only between 1748 and 1752 under Archbishop Andreas Jakob
Graf Dietrichstein (1747-1753), the Mechanical Theatre is the most
recent element in the mechanical water treasures at Hellbrunn. It was
constructed to replace a water-driven forge with many fi gures, which
came to a stop in 1741. The miner Lorenz Rosenegger von Dürrnberg
offered to redesign the grotto on 12 July 1748. Only renewal of the
forge was originally considered, but the fi rst plan grew to become the
large automatic theatre that was completed on 28 October 1752 and is
preserved to this day.
A tower-like palace is depicted in which court life of the 18th century is
shown by means of water-driven marionettes. This palace is surrounded
by a by a three-storey building in a semicircle, partly giving a view into
its interior. Industrious activity rules in and around this building: a total
of 141 mobile and 52 immobile little fi gures demonstrate all manner of
professions and trades of the period. One will never tire of observing
other little dolls in their typical activities. Whether it is the building
work-party, the daily workers who bring building materials to the
foreman, who drinks, or the butchers slaughtering an ox, or the barber
who shaves a man beneath his guild sign.
Busy activity takes place on the street: a dancing bear performs,
guards march past the Residence, a farmer pushes an old woman in a
wheelbarrow over the road. Figures from the Commedia dell’arte are
also to be seen, and if one so wishes, one can discern the social status of
the fi gures involved. The most noble move less and more slowly that the
workers. One can repeatedly discover new details and fi nd amusement at
the droll scene.
Great horologic care and skill in water technology enliven with
apparent ease this amusing genre scene. That the entire technology with
waterwheels, copper wiring and cogwheels is hidden behind the theatre
is betrayed only by the deafening noise when the works are set in motion.
Certainly to subdue the noise, Rosenegger was also commissioned to
construct an “organ works” after the pattern of the “Salzburg Steer”
on the Hohensalzburg Fortress, which was to be exclusively driven by
water.
ABOUT
THE Mechanical Theatre
In June 1753 the organ, which at that time had 35 pipes, was fi rst tuned
by the court music director Johann Ernst Eberlin and the organ builder
Rochus Egedacher.
Originally one could choose between three pieces of music, all of which
were from Eberlin’s pen, today the three rows of pins on the mighty
wooden roller can play the following pieces: a choral by J. E. Eberlin, the
“Reich mir die Hand, mein Leben” duet by W. A. Mozart and the “Ohne
Rast, angepackt” tradesman’s song by D. F. Auber.
Homo ludens IX, Automatic Games
International articles by the Institute of Games Research and Games pedagogy at the
Salzburg Mozarteum University, published by Bernd Katzbichler, MunichSalzburg,
9th annual edition 1999.
Article: A Pleasure for the Archbishop. The trick fountains machinery at the Summer
Palace at Hellbrunn, Katharina Müller-Uri.