David Tannenberg was born March 21, 1728 in Berthelsdorf, Germany. He was the son of Johann and Judith (Nitschmann) Tanneberger. His family belonged on both sides to the Unitas Fratrum, his parents emigrating to Berthelsdorf in 1726 from Zauchtenthal in Moravia.
Education
Tannenberg attended schools in the Moravian communities of Ronneburg, Marienborn and eventually Herrnhaag.
Career
As one of John Nitschmann's colonists, Tanneberger landed at New York from the Moravian missionary snow, Irene, on May 12, 1749, and proceeded to Bethlehem, Pa. He was a skilful joiner, had a notably good tenor voice, and played the violin.
In 1757 John Gottlob Klemm of Dresden, Saxony, who had learned organ building in Germany, took him as helper to repair the Bethlehem church organ. This, the first American-built organ, had been constructed by Gustavus Hesselius in 1746 and installed by Klemm at Bethlehem, where it was overhauled in 1751 by Robert Harttafel, whose later life was spent at Lancaster, Pennsylvania. These men were the first American organ builders; Tanneberger became the most expert and renowned of them all and contributed substantially to the musical culture of his time. He and Klemm set up a shop at Nazareth but relocated it at Bethlehem in 1760.
Records exist of Tanneberger's trips to various points in quest of suitable timber for their work. Two of their instruments have been identified, one built (1758) for the chapel of the Manor House (Nazareth Hall), the other (1759) for the Bethlehem church. In 1761 Tanneberger transported Hesselius' old organ to Lititz in Lancaster County and installed it there. Klemm died May 5, 1762, and in 1765 Tanneberger removed to Lititz and bought the "Pilgerhaus" for a home and workshop.
Organs of his manufacture were in high repute and were shipped all over eastern Pennsylvania from his Lititz shop and even to such distant points as Albany, N. Y. (1767), Salem, N. C. (1798), Baltimore (1798), and Madison, Va. (1801). He also built pianos, which he sold for twenty-two pounds ten shillings.
His last organ was built in 1804 for Christ Lutheran Church at York. While installing it, Tanneberger suffered a paralytic stroke, fell from a bench or scaffold, and died a few days later.
Achievements
Connections
He was married on July 15 to Anna Rosina Kerner (or Kern) of Ebersdorf, Upper Lusatia, who had come to America in the same company. His wife, who had born him three daughters and two sons, died in 1792; and in 1800 he married Anna Maria (Fischer) Hall Lange of Heidelberg, Pennsylvania, who had been twice a widow.