Georg Händel (1622-1697)
- a 17th century biography -
Georg Händel belongs to one of those father personalities whose influence did not completely
escape his son, even if now and then the direct and strict obedience to instructions cannot be
proved. And as we are talking about George Frideric Handel's personality it is also necessary to
remind ourselves of his father. It is not totally ruled out that his profession could have had a
certain echo in his son's way of life and health awareness. But this is, however, entering into the
realms of speculation.
Benjamin Block's (1631-1670) depiction of Georg Händel surviving as an engraving by Johann
Jacob Sandrart (1655-1698) is probably to be held as realistic in its expression. Here we see a
countenance moulded by life and experience, with an expression of self-awareness and wisdom, but
also betraying resignation. Probably the artist himself had grateful feelings about the doctor as
we can see from the picture's title (had the serious expression on the face of the subject perhaps
been softened by the artist?).
"
Händel, the surgeon, was a man of huge size – serious, strict, energetic, dedicated to his job,
also charitable and ready to help"
1
. This is how Romain Rolland summarises his impression of the personality of the composer's
father.
The painting must have been completed before 1690 which is when the painter died and if we
take the picture title ("
Georg Händel / private gentleman of the bed chamber and personal surgeon to the Dukes of Saxony
and Magdeburg") at its word, it was painted between 1660 and 1680. The portrait shows a man
probably between the ages of 50 and 58. At this time the popular Halle citizen was at the peak of
his success. In some important points we are reasonably well informed about his biography because
of surviving chronicles, documents and a funeral address. And I would summarise the most important
details of his life as follows:
Georg Händel was born in Halle on 24 September 1622. He was the youngest son of Valentin
Händel, a Halle citizen and councillor, a coppersmith from Breslau and his wife Anna, neé
Beichling. "
They …. his parents brought him up carefully / taught him to fear God and ensured that he kept
all the Christian virtues / and as he got older sent him to the local grammar school…."
2
However the hopeful grammar school student had to leave the school as early as 15 because "his
dear father had died in the plague / and it would be very hard for his mother, as a widow / to let
him study"
3
This happened in 1636, a particularly bad year for the town on the Saale, suffering from the
effects of the 30 Years' war. Georg was sent as an apprentice to the surgeon Andreas Beger who was
"
famous at the time" and he successfully finished his training with him.
His time as a journeyman led him first to Leipzig where he spent several praiseworthy months
serving as a doctor under General Dietrich von Taube
4
in a "
Saxon regiment. After leaving the army with an honourable discharge, he decided to visit other
places and have a look around the world"
5
. And so, after a stop over in Hamburg he arrived in Lübeck where he practiced his job with
Andreas König a "
well experienced surgeon"
6
and then later became a ship's doctor and so came to Portugal where he got to know the cities
of Lisbon and Setúbal (named as S. Hubes in the funeral oration
7
). Following this adventure he returned to Lübeck and restarted his service with Andreas
König. A short time later he went back to the battle-field, this time under Captain Bartenstein who
commanded the Dragoon-Private company of the Swedish General Banér. He probably returned to Halle
in the year 1642. It is probable that he served for a short time under Görlitz before his marriage
to Anna the widow of the barber Christoph Ettinger form Neumarkt. She was 10 years older than him.
8
They married on the 20 February 1643.
On his marriage the 20-year-old Georg Händel took over the dead barber's practice. He
acquired a house in Neumarkt, a small administrative area which at that time lay outside the Halle
town wall, thereby becoming "
citizen and barber in Neumarkt in Halle"
9
at the same time. Only two years later he was employed as official surgeon for the area of
Giebichenstein comprising about 50 villages. This showed a considerable amount of trust in the
young man. This could not have occurred without a lot of preliminary work on his part. His medical
knowledge must have been well known and undisputed for he was called to attend a double arm break
of the administrator of Duke August, who appointed him personal physician.
Six years later there was the opportunity to acquire a house, and thus the citizenship of
Halle, in the then poshest residential area of Halle only about 100m away from the ducal residence.
He bought the largest estate in the area-judged from the tax that had to be paid on it
10
- from the widow of the master of the bedchamber Georg Bley11 - for 1310 Gulden. Shortly
thereafter he started an argument with the Halle magistrate over the preservation of the wine
licence of this house known as "Zum Gelben Hirschen" ("The Golden Stag"). For the time being he won
the argument. However he never ran the business himself; he leased it to the Halle citizen Augustus
Lehmann. (And as to how this particular kettle of fish affected the life of our George Frideric
Handel, it should be noted that it was only until 1684 and so before his birth. When we imagine him
as a "bar man" we must remember that the lad never experienced it). It is very impressive, and
reminds us a little of the later activities of the son, with how much energy the well established
gentleman of the bed chamber went about, not only his multifarious professional duties, but also
the other jobs on the side, to supplement the family income in order to support six children. For
instance he had a farm of considerable size that he had had to run since his time in Neumarkt. And
so the life of this busy and respected man took a regular and peaceful course for a decade. In the
meantime the six children had left the parental home. The death of the Duke August in 1680 brought
many decisive changes for Halle and for Georg Händel. The old archbishopric of Magdeburg fell to
the Elector of Brandenberg in the terms of the Münster and Osnabrück Peace Treaty. This meant,
above all, that the ducal court moved. Georg Händel lost all of his court positions and even his
wine licence was under threat. Straight away he wanted to send a petition to Potsdam, but the Halle
magistrate was also at work. He demanded with the handing over of a petition that the matter should
be tested by the Elector's government. They finally decided that both parties had to reach a
settlement. The town had to pay 350 Thalers and he must "not only totally relinquish both his old
and new rights to serve wine, but also, no future owner of the premises would be able to assume
this right..."12
It is understandable that such quarrels meant that the relationship between the
magistrates and Händel were strained. Later he was accused of having approached the Elector of
Brandenburg or his government even during Duke August's lifetime and of sending detailed reports
about the progress of his master's illness to Berlin.13 (This is only mentioned here because even
in this example we can draw a parallel with his son: it is known that George Frideric Handel sent
reports from London about Queen Anne's state of health to keep the Hanover Court up to speed.)
Georg Händel put himself out with a bit more luck, to get back his lost official positions. On 10
December 1680 he received the title "Gentleman of the bed chamber to the Elector of Brandeburg".
Even though he received no income from his position he strengthened his position in the city, the
Elector was reminded of his presence. Eventually, in 1682, he granted him a life pension of 100
Talers for his work as the official surgeon of Giebichenstein, and as a practicing surgeon with
duties in connection with the bad plague epidemic which had struck Halle at the time and was still
on the increase. It was made clear that Händel should "not only visit the infected patients with
his journeymen and offer them a helping hand during the epidemic in Halle, but also stand by them
through thick and thin".14
The plague brought business life in Halle to a complete standstill. There was a general
exodus from the city. The Drachstedtische Chronical reports that "many other high and low ranking
citizens have gone elsewhere to save themselves and also the soldiers have been billeted in the
open fields."15 The Halle council took up residence outside the town walls.16 As other fellow
sufferers, Georg Händel also lost friends and relations, and finally on 2 October 1682 "his loving
wife".17
At the beginning of 1683 the epidemic began to subside. More than half of the inhabitants of
Halle had died. Public life was slow to recover. The state government did not return until April.
Georg Händel, now 61 had to start all over again if he did not want to resign. On 23 April 1683 he
married the 32 year old Dorothea Taust. She was the daughter of the Giebichenstein priest who had
worked here since 1654. J. G. Franke describes her later in a funeral oration, that: "The Lord had
provided her with a bright mind and good head above all others of her sex. She made great efforts
to have a sound knowledge of Christianity and of the Holy Bible"18 After further descriptions of
her advantages we discover that she married so as not to leave the widowed father alone, even
though she had refused other admirers. Apparently she fell head over heels in love with Georg
Händel. And as "marriages not founded on transitory interests but more on similarity of mind and
true virtue can do no other than function well; so the deceased lived with her husband until the
day of his death… in harmony and at peace with Christ"19
The wizened old man experienced new domestic bliss that helped him to succeed in his
professional duties which now brought him individual recognition. Duke Johann Adolf I of
Saxon-Weissenfels, son of Duke August reappointed him as private surgeon and gentleman of the bed
chamber on 3 February 168820. Now he had to regularly attend the Weißenfels court for
consultations. This was a relatively short distance and as the visits were probably combined with
pleasantries particularly on the cultural kind – we must remember for example, that the well
thought of Halle opera had moved here in 1680 – these visits were surely no hardship for him. The
Elector of Brandenburg Friedrich III who was in Halle to pay homage at the time, bestowed on him
the title "gentleman of the bedchamber to the Elector of Brandenburg and the official surgeon of
Giebichenstein".21 In 1692 he caused a large sensation because of his medical skills. Together with
Dr Wesener, later physician to the city of Halle, who described the procedure in great detail to
the Brandenburg court, he healed a 16-year-old farmer's son who had swallowed a knife.22
Georg Händel himself was not immune from sickness and since 1689 he suffered from periodic
strong attacks of fever. "
And although there were no shortage of healing remedies on hand, or which he had to hand
himself, he would also consult and use famous and well informed medicos, in particular the local
city physician D. Johann Katschen. But the medicines did not have their desired effect and he
noticed that he was losing a great deal of energy. He resigned himself to God's will and realised
that his end was near."23
Totally debilitated he succumbed to his illness on 14 February 1697 and four days later "
with the whole school" of Schwibbogen 60 he was laid to rest in the City's cemetery.24
"
In his whole life he was friendly, zealous, modest, proved to be calm and well meaning towards
the poor and suffering, helped many through thick and thin by his skill and profession, even
without payment.25 May God bless his widow, children and relations"26
Was Georg Händel a music hater as so many anecdotes suggest? The first biographer of George
Frideric Handel, John Mainwaring, reports that it is known that "
From his very childhood HANDEL had discovered such a strong propensity to Music, that his
father, who always intended him for the study of the Civil Law, had reason to be alarmed.
Perceiving that this inclination still increased, he took every method to oppose it. He strictly
forbad him to meddle with any musical instrument; nothing of that kind was sufferd to remain in the
house, nor was he ever permitted to go to any other, where such kind of furniture was in
use."27.
Later, there is a report of a trip to the Weißenfels Court: "
It happened one morning, that while he was playing on the organ after the service was over, the
Duke was in the church. Something there was in the manner of playing, which drew his attention so
stronly, that his Highness, as soon as he returned, asked his valet de chambre who it was that he
had heard at the organ, when the service was over, The valet replied, that it was his brother. The
Duke demanded to see him."28 And on another occasion the biographer ascertains, referring once
again to the Weißenfeld visit, that Handel had "
made the most of his moderate stay at the court of Weißenfels, where he found many instruments,
and more admirers."29
Put into the context of the time, these quotations can only mean that the young lad had
enjoyed intensive instruction at an early age (and on differing instruments). Otherwise he would
never have gained the admiration of Duke Adolf who was a lover of music and also musically
educated. He could not, of course, have seen the organ player in the gallery as is evident from an
inspection of the Weißenfels Court Chapel. The assumption is that his father was worried about his
son, both as a father with his own ideas about his son's future career and possibly also as a
doctor (worrying about his health). Speaking for the father and against his supposed aversion to
music, the truth is that in the end he put his son safely into the hands of the best Halle musician
and music teacher of the time, Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow. In addition it is well known that "
Mr Georg Händel, Gentleman of the bedchamber to the Duke" had a close friendship with Mr "
Christian Ritter, musician …. and …….Mr David Pohle"30 Director of Music to the Court, that
could not even remotely be conceived as an aversion to music.
NOTES
1. Romain Rolland: Händel / Dt. v. L. Langnese-Hug. – Berlin : Rütten & Loening, 1954. pp. 7-8
2. Johann Christian Olearius: Die Gnädige Zulage Zu dem Lebens=Ziel der Frommen Welche Als der Leichnam Tit. Herrn George Händels … Den 18. Februarii 1697 in Seine Ruhe=Kammer gebracht werden solte Denen hinterbliebenen Hochbetrübten zum Trost in dem Trauer=Hause Vorstellete… - quotation Handel Handbook Volume 4:´Dokumente zu Leben und Schaffen / … published by HHA. - Leipzig: Deutscher Verlag Für Musik, 1985. – p. 13
3. Olearius loc. cit. p. 13
4. See Julius Otto Opel: Mitteilungen zur Geschichte der Familie des
Tonkünstlers Händel nebst einigen sich auf den letzteren beziehenden Briefen. - In: Neue
Mitteilungen aus dem Gebiet historisch-antiquarischer Forschungen / … published by … J. O.
Opel … -Volume XVII,1. – Halle: In commission by Eduard Anton, 1885. p. 13
8. The "Pascheweische Regiment", mentioned in the funeral oration cannot be proved.
9. Händel-Handbuch loc. cit. p. 15
10. cf. Opel: Miteilungen …, loc. cit. p. 4
11. Purchase contract of 30/06/1666
12. Quotation Piechocki, Werner: Die Familie Händel in der Stadt Halle : II. Der Wundarzt Georg Händel (1622-1697). - In: Händel-Jahrbuch (1990), p. 208.
14. cf. Opel, Julius Otto: Zur zweihundertjährigen Geburtstagsfeier Georg Friedrich Händels : II. Der Kammerdiener Georg Händel und sein Sohn Georg Friedrich. - In: Zeitschrift für allgemeine Geschichte. - Stuttgart (1885), p. 75.
15. Drachstädtische Chronik. – Quotation by Piechocki … loc. cit. p. 208
16. A more detailed description of the situation in Halle is also quoted by Werner Piechocki. It also informs of the foundation of a Plague Society, to which Georg Händel belonged. – See in Piechocki …, loc. cit. pp. 201-221, especially pp. 208-211
18. Francke, Johann Georg: Die Wohltaten, welche Gott, durch einen seligen Tod, an seinen Gläubigen thut... Frau Dorotheen Taustin, Des Weiland Wol=Edlen und Wolfürnehmen Herrn, Herrn George Händels... Hinterlassenen Frau Witwe... Gehaltenen Leichen=Sermon... - Halle : Druckts Hohann Brunert, Universitäts- und Raths-Buchdrucker, 1730. - Quotation Händel-Handbuch. - Volume 4, p. 185
19. Franke loc. cit. p. 186
20. Weißenfelser Archiv 10134. - Loc. 12001. - Informed by the
Sonderhausen senior primary school teacher Dr. Spitta on 29/08/1869. - In: AMZ 4(1869), S. 286.
21 Händel-Handbuch loc. cit. p. 10.
22. This report can be found in Dreyhaupt, loc. cit. p. 646 f. as well as appendix Table III, 2 and 3 – cf. Händel-Handbuch loc- cit. p. 11.
24. Todten-Register der Marktkirche v. J. 1677 bis 1716. - The vaults went into private ownership in 1814. Händel-Handbuch cf. loc. cit. p. 16
27. Mainwaring, John: Memoirs of the life of the late George Frederic Handel : to which is added, a catalogue of his works, and observations upon them / . - London : Dodsley, 1760. - pp. 4-5
30. cf. Hünicken, Rolf: Ahnentafel und Ahnenverwandtschaftstafel Georg Friedrich Händels. -In: Hünicken/Serauky: Abstammung und Jugendwelt. - Halle 1936. - p. 19.
