Details

Usually, the music on the cylinders of Flötenuhren consisted of arrangements of existing melodies. Folk songs and dances were especially popular; these simple and cheerful melodies come out well on the cylinder in terms of length. This clock contains a cylinder with 8 melodies. The organ has 34 keys and there are two stops.

The heyday of Flötenuhren was roughly between the late 18th and mid-19th centuries. The term 'Flötenuhr' is specific to this type of mainly wooden organ clock from the Black Forest. To create more space for the heavy descending weights that operate the mechanism, the cabinets of Flötenuhren are often very tall. This clock, too, is a whopping three metres. With a greater distance for the weight to descend, the clock has a longer running time. Often, over time, the upper parts of Flötenuhren with the mechanism and movement began to be hung on the wall without the lower case. Sometimes this was because the clock had to fit into a room where the ceiling was too low to accommodate its full height, and sometimes it was because the lower part with the cabinet had been damaged by woodworm. Indeed, even without a lower case, the clock can still perfectly well fulfil its functions of telling the time and playing music. As a result, surviving Flötenuhren are very often without their original cases. It is therefore quite special that in this case the clock was preserved complete with a mahogany case in the Biedermeier style.