David Roentgen

Life and work

After the eldest son of Abraham Roentgen had finished his schooling in the establishment of Niesky / Upper Lusatia, he graduated from in 1757 - later his younger brothers - a carpentry apprenticeship with his father and joined by his years of wandering as a journeyman back in his father's carpentry one.

He has developed into one of the best cabinet makers of his time, who set new standards in Europe in this craft and his father clearly excelled as well in an artistic sense, but his real genius in the organization and marketing, which for the first time in 1769 showed, as the then still relatively small company was on the verge of bankruptcy.

The recession of the 60s of the 18th century did not stop in front of the needle. Production for stock, long-time storage of expensive, exotic precious woods for drying and stockpiling more expensive materials such as ivory, mother of pearl or gilt bronze fittings brought Abraham Roentgen in financial difficulties. The imaginative David Roentgen was able to persuade his skeptical father to empty the furniture warehouse by organizing a lottery and so shake off the worst financial worries.

1772, still during the lifetime of his father, he assumed management of the company was transferred, which he expanded into a company of world renown.

David Roentgen in 1774 traveled for the first time to Paris: He recognized the style break from Rococo to Neoclassicism and transferred the rich inlaid decorations of the interior furnishings to the new types of furniture seen in Paris. Especially his pieces with refined scale secret compartments and sophisticated gadgetry became famous at the time were called " mechanical furniture ". Here he worked closely with the clockmaker and inventor Peter Kinzing.

There followed a period of great economic expansion. Advanced operational organization with group work, rationalization, the use of indigenous fruit woods instead of the more expensive exotic as well as many other cost reduction measures improved the economic situation from year to year. Since his shop was exempt from compulsory guild who prescribed the maximum number of a journeyman and two apprentices, he was able to increase its workforce by the end of the 80s to around 80 employees. Well-known among employees Johann Michael Rummer. It was created a stately manufactory was in the work but without any of machines. Nevertheless, several hundred furniture were manufactured for export annually.

David was supplying almost all the princes and kings of Europe, the nobility and wealthy citizens with its artistically designed furniture. From King of Prussia, he was appointed "Secret of Commerce ". After he had bought in 1780 the master law in Paris, and thus was allowed to supply the French court, he received from the interested crafted Louis XVI. the title " Ebeniste Mecanicien du Roi et de la Reine " (Royal cabinetmaker for mechanical furniture). But most of its X-ray furniture he sold to the court of Catherine the Great of Russia.

As a result of the French Revolution, the demand on the part of the noble houses subsided greatly. Then David Roentgen closed his factory. He died on a diplomatic journey in the service of the Moravian Church.

Others

Furniture from the X-ray workshop were in their time so well known and appreciated that even Goethe mentioned in a story:

" Anyone who has seen an artificial desk of X, where a train many springs and resorts are set in motion, desk and writing materials, and bid compartments develop at once or in rapid succession, which will be able to get an idea of how that palace unfolded, in which me my sweet companion hineinzog now. "