In Focus: A 1695 viola by Christian Reichelt

Christian Reichelt was baptised on 7 January 1631, in Graslitz, Bohemia, and died in Markneukirchen before 31 May 1697. He was the son of a master smelter in Graslitz – evidence that violin making in the region originated in the context of the mining industry, which was booming at the time. Reichelt must have learnt his craft in Graslitz from the region’s first violin maker, Melchior Lorentz. In 1669 Reichelt became one of the founders of a violin makers’ guild. Under his leadership, the guild quickly moved to Markneukirchen, where it received confirmation from Duke Moritz von Sachsen in 1677. Reichelt served as master of the guild several times, and quickly gained prestige, becoming a member of the town council and soon owning a house on the market square…