Next year, we will be celebrating the centenary of one of the Watch Museum’s most important exhibits. The astronomical art clock by Hermann Goertz will be 100 years old. Goertz completed work on his “great clock” on 17 October 1925. To mark the occasion, the German Watch Museum Glashütte is planning several activities, such as events and contributions, in 2025. Preparations have been underway for some time. Documents, photos and works by Goertz have been researched from the museum’s own and other museum collections. Private collectors have also been asked for loans. At the same time, however, the museum is always interested in new insights into the life and work of Hermann Goertz. We would therefore also like to address you, dear readers. Does anyone still have historical material such as photos, documents or original artefacts relating to Hermann Goertz? Or does anyone know interesting stories or events from his life? Any information is of interest to us.
Born in West Prussia, Goertz came to Glashütte in 1918 and enrolled as a student at the German Watchmaking School at the age of 56. He later worked as a teaching assistant at the same place and was given his own workplace to complete his astronomical clock. His last private residence was in the immediate vicinity of the watchmaking school at Emil-Lange-Straße 1. At the beginning of 1937, Goertz suffered a stroke and lived in a nursing home in Aue until his death in 1944. According to tradition, parts of his estate may have been sold after his departure from Glashütte. For example, an advertisement in the Müglitztal-Nachrichten of 4 June 1938 states: “A genuine rosewood gentleman’s room (black) for sale, Emil-Lange-Str. 1”. It can therefore be assumed that this offer could have been his furniture. It would be all the more interesting if this furniture or parts of it still existed.
For any information you may have, please contact us by telephone, e-mail or in person at the Watch Museum.
Telephone: 035 053 / 46 12 102
E-mail: info@uhrenmuseum-glashuette.com
