***We continue the publication of a series of articles by Ludwig Böhm from “Commemorative essay for the 200th anniversary of the birth of Theobald Böhm, Munich, 1994.”

Read previous articles published in The Babel Flute, the predecessor of the Flute Almanac:

Theobald Böhm earned the greatest reputation by the invention of the Böhm flute named after him (1832 conical ring-keyed flute, 1847 cylindrical metal flute). It is less well-known that he was also active as an inventor in several other fields. This might be the reason, why his friend Karl von Schafhäutl gave the title “Theobald Böhm. A strange Life of an Artist” to his biography in 1881.

Theobald Böhm received his basic training as a mechanic in his father’s jeweller’s workshop and he worked there until it was closed in 1817. From 1834 to 1874, he was a member of the Polytechnical Society in Munich, in the journal of which, “Kunst- und Gewerbeblatt”, most of his inventions were published. His most important inventions besides the Böhm flute are:

Machine to put Pins in the Barrel of Musical Boxes

His first trip abroad brought him to Geneva in Switzerland, where he worked from August to December 1816 as a mechanic in a factory, which produced musical boxes, which had recently come into fashion. They function after the principle of barrel-organs, in which the barrel turns slowly about its axis and in which the pins driven in the barrel lift the tone-feathers and then let them go again. As these barrels in the musical boxes are sometimes very small, the pins can be driven in sometimes only under a magnifying-glass.

After a short time, Theobald Böhm invented a small machine, by the help of which the driving in of the pins was four times faster than by hand.

***1816 Super Large Antique Key Wind swiss cylinder music box ,8 Airs ,Song,6 Bell***

Improvement of the Piano with Karl von Schafhäutl, 1834

Prof. Karl von Schafhäutl (1803–1890) came in 1827 from Ingolstadt to Munich, where he later became a university professor for geology, mining and smelting sciences and curator of the geological collections of the state.

He made the acquaintanceship of Theobald Böhm in 1828 and from 1844 on, both men lived in neighbouring flats in the same house, today Altheimereck 15.

As early as 1818 in Ingolstadt, Schafhäutl had occupied himself with piano construction and together with Theobald Böhm in 1833, he developed an improved piano with a round sounding-board on the bottom side. On 30th January 1834, both men applied for a privilege (patent) for their improvements and they authorized the piano-makers Friedrich Danchel und Friedrich Greiner in Munich to construct an instrument after their plans. But the patent was not granted, because Danchel & Greiner not only intentionally constructed a defective instrument, but also made a second similar piano, which they claimed as their own invention and for which they applied a patent in their name.

On 13th June 1834, Böhm and Schafhäutl applied for a second patent for a second piano model and they authorized Alois Biber with its construction. The patent litigation was adjudicated by the Munich Municipal Council on 26th September 1834 in favour of Böhm and Schafhäutl.

***Bavarian scientist Karl Emil von Schafhäutl (1803-1890)***

As Danchel & Greiner at the same time had also applied for a patent in London, there arose a patent litigation with Robert Wolf, who had acquired the ideas of Böhm und Schafhäutl. Both men travelled to London to the litigation and also there, they won their case. But because of the high cost for the litigation and the additional cost for their improvements, they lost their interest in piano construction and they also renounced their patent for their second improved model.

Presumably in 1835, Theobald Böhm invented the cross-stringing of the piano, which was realized in the workshop of Gerock & Wolf in London and was taken up world-wide. He is also said to have participated decisively in the development of the piano strings of Pöhlmann (Hipkins, A. J.: The History of the Piano-forte. In: Jounal of the Society of Arts, London 9th March 1883, p. 397–408).

Model for Transmission of Power by Rollers and Wires, 1834

During his stay in London in 1834, Theobald Böhm presented to the Society of Arts his model for transmission of power without belts and shafts and on 8th June 1836, he received the silver medal for his “Method of communicating rotatory Motion”. The method was successful not only in England, but also in two factories in Mülhausen in France (Heilmann, Josua: Böhm’s Method of communicating Movements by iron Wires. In: Kunst- und Gewerbeblatt, Munich August/September 1837, column 579–585).

Improvement of the malleable Iron during the Puddling Process with Karl von Schafhäutl, 1835–1839

The main interest of Theobald Böhm in England, however, was focussed on the English steel production, which was at this time the most advanced in the world. The steel was produced by the puddling process, invented by Henry Cort in 1784, during which the steel is made by stirring up in the blast furnace. But the malleable iron produced by the puddling process was not pure iron and therefore could not be used for the production of cast iron.

Theobald Böhm travelled to Sheffield (near Manchester) to the iron works of Bartholomew Hounsfield and he invited Schafhäutl also to come to Sheffield. After joint experiments, Schafhäutl succeded in developing a process, during which the bad elements in the iron were taken out by chemical elements, which were added to the iron during the puddling process.

To every 100 lbs. of pig-iron were added 1 ½ lbs. of powdered kitchen salt (30%), manganese (14%) and clay (5%). On 8th August 1835, Schafhäutl, Böhm and Hounsfield signed an agreement to use this process and Schafhäutl obtained a patent for its use in England.

In Bavaria, the puddling process had been in use since 1832/1833. After Böhm’s return, he and Schafhäutl received a Bavarian patent for the purification of the iron during the puddling process on 15th September 1835 and Böhm was granted the order by King Ludwig I, to introduce the process in the Bavarian state iron works. He started successful experiments from 9th to 12th September 1835 in Fichtelberg (near Bayreuth) and later introduced the process in Bodenwöhr and Weiherhammer (near Regensburg) and in Bergen (near Traunstein).

In December 1835, he made agreements with private owners of steel factories, the brothers Krämer in St. Ingbert, Carl Stumm in Neunkirchen and G. Kiefer in Dillingen. The patent was sold in 1835 to the General Mining and Salt Administration. On 1st January 1839, King Ludwig I awarded Theobald Böhm the knight’s cross first class of the order of Saint Michael for the successful introduction of the process of the purification of steel in the Bavarian iron factories.

On 4th August 1843, Hollis Solly, the successor of Bartholomew Hounsfield in Sheffield, was forced to declare himself bankrupt, which meant a financial loss for Böhm and Schafhäutl.

It is not sure, whether the weakness of Theobald Böhm’s eyes in later years was due to the observation of the iron smelting process in the blast furnaces. Some of his descendants have had glaucoma, an eye disease, which was not known at that time.

Use of the Blast Furnace Gases for firing the Iron Smelting Furnaces with Wilhelm Faber du four, 1839–1843

In Wasseralfingen (near Aalen, Württemberg), Theobald Böhm observed the process of using the blast furnace gases for firing the iron furnaces, which was developed by Wilhelm Faber du four, and he very quickly recognized the importance of this invention. In fact, the smelting furnace, heated by gases realized a fundamental principle of the furnace, developed by Siemens and Martin in 1861 to 1864, in which a much higher temperature was reached and in which coal and wood became unnecessary as firing material.

On 16th November 1839, Theobald Böhm applied for a patent in the name of Faber du four, who was not entitled to it, because he was from Württemberg.

The patent was not granted for a long time, because Baron von Schenk, the director of the general mining and salt administration, was strictly opposed to it. Only after Theobald Böhm had presented the matter to King Ludwig I during a concert, the patent was granted on 12th May 1840 and he got the order to build a sample furnace in Sonthoven (Allgäu). The furnace worked perfectly and the king was very satisfied.

***Ludwig I of Bavaria. Portrait by Joseph Stieler, 1825***

After the bad experiences, which Theobald Böhm had had with the General Administration, he preferred not to continue working with them and he had in mind to buy a private iron factory together with Knight von Maffei or to accept the offer to become director of the iron works in Obereichstätt (near Eichstätt).

But as King Ludwig I was also convinced of the importance of Faber’s process, on 21st May 1841, he gave the order to Theobald Böhm, who didn’t like to refuse the wishes of the king, and to the mining inspector Knorr, whose cooperation was demanded by Böhm, to introduce the process in the Bavarian state iron works. He appointed both men special commissioners. The new process was introduced at first in Bergen with great success. But since a real improvement of the Bavarian steel industry was only possible by a complete modernization, Böhm and Knorr visited, at their own request, all Bavarian steel factories in Bodenwöhr, Weiherhammer, Königshütte, Fichtelberg, Leidersdorf, Bergen and Sonthoven in June/July 1841.

The proposals for improvements in general and for each factory were presented to the king together with a statement of the General Administration, which categorically refused all proposals. Therefore, the modernization was ordered only for Bergen. On 15th November 1841, Böhm and Knorr began work and already by June 1842, excellent steel was produced in the gas puddling furnace without other firing mate-rials. The director of the iron factory in Bergen, Bergmann, had supported them energetically at the beginning.

On 1st October 1842, King Ludwig I visited the factory and he was highly satisfied with the results. But as he appointed Theobald Böhm his leader, Bergmann felt himself overlooked, his zeal faded more and more and under the pressure of the General Administration, he finally became an opponent of Böhm. When Böhm visited the factory on 17th January 1843 again, the furnace was in a very bad condition and he suspected that Bergmann deliberately prevented the smooth running of the operation.

After a blower wheel broke down on 15th February 1843, Theobald Böhm voiced his suspicion that it was damaged intentionally, but no proof was found in an investigation. The General Administration deemed the gas furnace a failure and Böhm’s and Knorr’s activity as special commissioners was suspended by a royal decree on 18th June 1843.

So Theobald Böhm failed in his attempt to introduce the gas furnace faced with the opposition of the General Administration and presumably he didn’t receive the remuneration of 10 000 florins promised on its successful introduction.

Telescope for Determination of a Fire at Night, 1841

In November 1840, Theobald Böhm wrote an article entitled “In case of fires at night. To determine the position, distance and the name by a telescope”, which was published in January 1841 under the title “Device for determining the position, distance and name of places and objects seen by a telescope” in the Kunst- und Gewerbeblatt. The idea was realized later by the Munich optician Carl von Steinheil.

Locomotive Chimney, in which the emission of burning coal particles is avoided, 1841

On 12th March 1841, Theobald Böhm applied for a patent for a locomotive chimney, in which the emission of burning coal particles was to be avoided. The patent was granted for three years on 3rd April 1841. But as he was not completely satisfied with the results, on 25th April 1841, he asked for an alteration or annulment of the patent. On 5th June 1841, the ministry decreed that the later alteration of a patent granted previously was not possible, but that the patent could be annulled.

Oboe with Böhm system, about 1864

Around 1864, a non-marked oboe with Böhm system in two parts was made in the workshop of Böhm & Mendler. In 1909, it passed from the collection of Wilhelm Heckel, Biebrich, into the collection of Wilhelm Heyer, Köln, which was sold to the Museum of Musical Instruments of the University of Leipzig in 1926 (Inv. no. 1331). A copy, which was made in 1900 by Wilhelm Heckel, was sold to the Württembergisches Landesmuseum, Stuttgart, in 1990.

No other wind instruments with Böhm system from the workshop of Theobald Böhm are known. In 1851, he showed a presumably “keyless model with holes” at the Industrial Exhibition in London and in 1855, he sent a “keyless oboe tube of plum-wood with holes” and a bassoon model “with a straight tube of brass with the necessary tone-holes and a wooden cap” together with a description to the World Exhibition in Paris. In 1862, he was occupied with studies to eliminate the defects of the clarinet.

Literature by Theobald Böhm

Sealed Description of a newly invented Piano. Munich 1834
In: Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, Munich, MInn 13873
On a new Device to communicate continual rotatory Motion
In: Kunst- und Gewerbeblatt, Munich May 1834, column 20–23
Sealed Desription of an Invention made by Karl Schafhäutl and Theobald Böhm for Improvement of the Iron
In: Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, Munich, MInn 14364
On the Fabrication of malleable Iron Tubes in Birmingham in England
In: Kunst- und Gewerbeblatt, Munich August/September 1849, column 549–551
Historical Description of the nomination and the results of my activity as royal special Commissioner to improve the Statal Iron Works in Bavaria. Munich 1843
In: Stadtarchiv München, estate of Theobald Böhm IV/4
Device to determine the position, distance and name of places and objects seen by a Telescope. Munich 1841
In: Kunst- und Gewerbeblatt, Munich January 1841, column 39–41
Sealed Description and drawing of a special constructed Chimney of Locomotives invented by the royal court musician Theobald Böhm to prevent the emission of burning coal particles (especially when firing with wood). Munich 1841
In: Bayerisches Hauptstaatsarchiv, Munich, MInn 14425
The Construction of the Oboe and the Bassoon. Munich 1855
In: Bibliothèque Royale Albert 1er, Bruxelles, Fond François Fétis

Ludwig Böhm

ludwig.boehm@t-online.de | www.theobald-boehm-archiv-und-wettbewerb.de | www.theobald-boehm-shop.de

Address: Asamstrasse 6, 82166 Gräfelfing, Germany, tel. 0049-89-875367

Ludwig Böhm was born in Munich, where he studied English, French and Spanish at the University and was a teacher from 1981 to 1983. Inspired by a great exhibition in the Munich Municipal Museum in 1981 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the death of his great-great-grandfather Theobald Böhm (flautist, composer, flute-maker, inventor of the Böhm flute, Munich 1794–1881), he dedicated his life from that time on to keeping the memory of Theobald alive. As a result of more than 30 years of research, he published in 2012 all 88 compositions and arrangements of Theobald together with Dr. Raymond Meylan and in 2013 20 books and 4 translations from and about him.

He travelled to flute festivals in Japan, Australia, USA, Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Italy, Croatia, Luxembourg, Slovenia, China, Great Britain, Iceland, Thailand, Portugal, Chile, Poland and Armenia and presented a slide lecture about Theobald. He is the President of the Theobald Böhm Archive, founded in 1980, of the Theobald Böhm Society, founded in 1990 and of the Theobald Böhm Foundation, founded in 2014. In 2006, 2011 and 2016, he organized in Munich the 1st, 2nd and 3rd International Theobald Böhm Competition for Flute and Alto Flute.

List of professional open G# players

Current list of 480 professional open G sharp players can be seen in the homepage www.theobald-boehm-archiv-und-wettbewerb.de under “Open G sharp Key”. If you are a professional open G sharp player, who have not yet contacted Ludwig Böhm, please do so at ludwig.boehm@t-online.de to be added to the list.

Boehm flute Flute innovator flute maker Ludwig Böhm Theobald Boehm Theobald Böhm