Eupen (B) | Peace Church

When consecrated in 1855, the protestant church in Eupen possessed a brand new organ delivered by F.W. Sonreck from Koln. Following a repair in 1897 it became obvious that neither its size nor its quality were sufficient for the temple, so by 1901 its replacement was rather imminent.

 

In 1907 the firm E.F. Walcker - then managed by Paul and Eberhard Walcker – was requested to build a new instrument with pneumatic action. The organ bears the number 1371 and prior to its installation in Eupen it was briefly used in the “Stuttgarter Musikfest”. In the early 1960’s it suffered an aberrant “baroquisation” and the string ranks were chopped down to squeaking mutations. During the next decade its degradation continued and the console was discarded and thrown to the dump.

 

It was declared historical landmark in 1996 as first pneumatic organ declared protected monument.

 

The 2004 restoration aimed to go back to the original design as close as practicable. It was carried out as a cooperation project between the Schumacher Company and the workshop of Jan Drozdowicz from Poznan (Poland) who was responsible for the new console replica shaped after the Walcker organ in Poznan-Jezycze (1900) integrating other Walcker salvage console parts from Poland. Missing ranks such as the Äoline, the Voix céleste and the Dolce were replicated using original scales.

 

This is another example of the application of strict preservation-reconstruction canons to the restoration of a pneumatic instrument. Our care procedures included on-site chest restoration to prevent violent environmental changes on such parts that are extremely sensitive to hygrometric alterations. Since neither the chests nor the case were removed, the gigantic parallel reservoir had to be restored on-site as well. The new blower is lodged in the tower but draws its breath from the nave through a new wind line.