Gesellschaft der Orgelfreunde

The Gesellschaft der Orgelfreunde e. V. (GdO) is an international association devoted to the pipe organ and its culture. According to its statutes it works for the care, dissemination and deepening of efforts around the organ and for participation in cultural organ life. It was founded in 1951 in Ochsenhausen in Upper Swabia, following an organ conference that had originally been planned from 1938 but could not take place because of the Second World War. The founding motion by Karl Bormann was passed unanimously on 4 August 1951. Today the GdO describes itself as an international association for everyone connected with the organ: friends of organ music and generally organ-interested people, organists, organ builders, organ experts, architects, acousticians, art historians, monument conservators, historians, pastors and self-taught organ builders. Membership is given as roughly 4,000 on the association's own pages and about 5,000 worldwide in the German Wikipedia article. The GdO is not a commercial manufacturer but a membership association and publisher. It deals with the various branches of organ culture — organ building, organ music, organ playing, organ history research and organ monument preservation — through numerous publications (periodicals, books and sheet music, facsimile editions) and through conferences of different kinds. It explicitly does not represent any particular organ-building direction and gives room to a diversity of views. Members receive the quarterly journal Ars Organi, the annual bulletin Orgelspiegel and the volumes of the series Acta Organologica; further books and sheet music are published in a broad and continually growing programme. Once a year, in the first week of August, the GdO holds a large International Organ Conference that presents a particular European organ landscape through concerts, organ demonstrations and lectures, with many specialist discussions; up to 600 members and non-members take part. The association also maintains working groups, notably the Arbeitskreis Hausorgel (home organ) and the Arbeitskreis Harmonium, founded in 1998. Its governing bodies are the Präsidium and the Hauptausschuss, made up of organists, organologists, organ builders, musicologists, representatives of organ monument preservation and the churches, and laypeople. Since 1 May 2023 Christoph Bogon has been president. The GdO is a registered association (e.V.) based in Germany with an international membership and no commercial parent company.

The Gesellschaft der Orgelfreunde (GdO) grew out of an organ conference that had been planned from 1938 as the 'Oberschwäbische Orgeltagung' but could not be held because of the Second World War. The conference finally took place from 30 July to 4 August 1951 in Ochsenhausen in Upper Swabia, with 420 participants divided into an 'Orgel' working group led by Walter Supper, including about a dozen participants from abroad, and a 'Singen und Musizieren' working group led by Adolf Kendel. On 4 August 1951 Karl Bormann moved to found a society of organ friends; the motion was passed unanimously, and the GdO was born. The early years of the association were shaped by the Orgelbewegung (organ reform movement) and its turn towards the mechanical slider chest. The conferences, symposia, study trips and publications that followed both reflected and stimulated further developments in organ building. In 1964 in Mainz Helmut Winter argued against the assumption of low wind pressures in North German organ building; in 1968 in Hanover Gerhard Schmid argued against the prohibition of 'Kulpung' (shaping) of pipe feet; in 1974 in Oldenburg Wolfgang Adelung campaigned for the organs of the 19th century and their worthiness as monuments. The 1993 conference in Berlin took up the theme of pneumatic action. In 1998 the Arbeitskreis Harmonium was founded, which contributed to a revaluation of the harmonium. Over more than six decades many people have held office in the presidium, in committees and as editors. The annual organ conferences have led to numerous organ landscapes in various European countries. The journal Ars Organi has appeared since 1952 and the series Acta Organologica since 1968; both are important musicological publications with international standing. The Arbeitskreis Hausorgel, dedicated to the home organ, traces its origins to a 1964 call by founding member Karl Bormann in Ars Organi; after a chequered history it was revived in 1987 and today has about 370 members. The Arbeitskreis Harmonium has about 170 members. The presidency has passed through a series of distinguished figures: Walter Supper (1952–1972), Wolfgang Adelung (1973–1983), Alfred Reichling (1983–1998), Wolfgang Baumgratz (1998–2013), Matthias Schneider (2013–2023) and, since 1 May 2023, Christoph Bogon. Vice-presidents have included Hans Böhringer, Alfred Reichling, Reinhard Jaehn, Karl Hermann Koch, Wolfgang Baumgratz, Christoph Grohmann, Matthias Schneider, Willi Frank, Bert Wisgerhof, and since 2018 Matthias Wirth and since 2023 Christiane Strucken-Paland. Secretaries have included Rudolf Quoika, Alfred Reichling, Hermann Josef Busch, Christoph Grohmann, Wolfram Hackel, Jiří Kocourek, Michael Gerhard Kaufmann, Markus T. Funck, Franz Körndle and, since 2023, Daniel Vanden Broecke. Treasurers have included Wolfgang Adelung, Günter Seggermann, Karl Hermann Koch, Roland Behrens (1988–2023) and, since 2023, Christian Michel. Today the GdO has roughly 4,000 members according to its own pages (about 5,000 worldwide according to the German Wikipedia article), drawn from all age groups and including organists, organ builders, organ experts, music teachers, musicians, theologians and general friends of the organ. Its publications address questions of organ building, organ music, organ-building history and monument preservation. The Hauptausschuss is formed by organists, organologists, organ builders, musicologists, representatives of organ monument preservation and the churches, and laypeople, while the Präsidium leads the association. The next International Organ Conference is announced for 2027 in Berlin.

• 2026

  Ars Organi issue 3/2026 appears; editor Dominik Susteck announces he will step down at the end of the year; the Tag der Orgel takes place on 12–13 September.

• 2023

  Christoph Bogon becomes president on 1 May; Daniel Vanden Broecke becomes secretary and Christian Michel treasurer.

• 1998

  The Arbeitskreis Harmonium is founded, leading to a revaluation of the instrument.

• 1993

  The Berlin conference takes pneumatic action as its theme.

• 1987

  The Arbeitskreis Hausorgel is revived.

• 1974

  Wolfgang Adelung campaigns in Oldenburg for 19th-century organs and their monument status.

• 1968

  Gerhard Schmid argues in Hanover against the prohibition of pipe-foot 'Kulpung'; the series Acta Organologica begins publication.

• 1964

  Helmut Winter argues in Mainz against low wind pressures in North German organ building; Karl Bormann calls in Ars Organi for a home-organ group.

• 1952

  The journal Ars Organi begins publication; Walter Supper serves as first president (1952–1972).

• 1951

  The organ conference is held in Ochsenhausen from 30 July to 4 August with 420 participants; on 4 August Karl Bormann's motion to found the Gesellschaft der Orgelfreunde is passed unanimously.

• 1938

  An 'Oberschwäbische Orgeltagung' is planned but cannot be held because of the Second World War.

• The next International Organ Conference is announced for Berlin.

Non-commercial international membership association and scholarly publisher for organ culture; explicitly non-denominational in organ-building style and open to a diversity of views.

• Ars Organi

  Quarterly journal (four times a year) with richly illustrated essays, reports, notices and an extensive review section covering books, sheet music and recordings. ISSN 0004-2919. Published since 1952.

• Orgelspiegel

  Annual bulletin (Mitteilungsblatt) with information on new organs and other current matters; supplement to Ars Organi, no ISSN, ZDB-ID 123395-6.

• Acta Organologica

  Book series with organological contributions and numerous illustrations. ISSN 0567-7874. Published since 1968.

• Die Hausorgel

  Journal of the Arbeitskreis Hausorgel, published from 1991 (initially as Mitteilungen aus dem Arbeitskreis Hausorgel); no ISSN, ZDB-ID 2090954-8.

• Books, sheet music and facsimile editions

  The GdO publishes a broad and continually growing range of further books and sheet music.

• Tag der Orgel
• Internationale Orgeltagung

1. 1GdO - Gesellschaft der Orgelfreunde (official website homepage)gdo.de
2. 2Geschichte - Gesellschaft der Orgelfreundegdo.de
3. 3Über uns - Gesellschaft der Orgelfreundegdo.de
4. 4Präsidium - Gesellschaft der Orgelfreundegdo.de
5. 5Gesellschaft der Orgelfreunde - Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6Gesellschaft der Orgelfreunde - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org