Den Haag, Lutherse Kerk Bätz Organ

The history of the organ in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in The Hague begins with an organ built by Johannes Wolfgang Schonat in 1648. This instrument was expanded by Appolonius Bosch in 1668. On July 23, 1723, Rudolf Garrels began moving the organ from the north to the south side of the church. He also enlarged the instrument and modified the organ case designed by Daniël Marot. This work was finished on September 4, 1724. The organ now had two manuals and attached pedal, with a total of 14 stops. In 1751 Johann Heinrich Hartmann Bätz was commissioned to build a new organ with two manuals and attached pedal and 23 stops using parts of the existing instrument. The Garrels case was retained. The Bätz organ was completed on September 18, 1753.

In 1759, Bätz dismantled this organ and stored it due to the demolition of the church building and the construction of the current church. In 1760 it was decided to have a much larger organ built in the new church, with three manuals and a stand-alone pedal. For the new organ, Bätz again used Garrels' case as a starting point, and many older parts and some earlier pipework were also included. The work was completed on September 2, 1762. The pipes of the Hoofdwerk and Rugwerk mainly date from 1753, the pipes of the Pedaal and Bovenwerk from 1762. Bätz used three stops of the Rugwerk from Schonat's former organ, namely Holpijp 8', Octaaf 2,' and three ranks of the Mixtuur. The fourth rank of the Mixtuur is probably by Garrels. This pipework is still in the present Rugwerk today.

From 1762 until 1824 the instrument remained essentially unchanged. In 1824, Jonathan Bätz, grandson of Johann Heinrich Hartmann, restored and modified the organ. He added two new bellows, replaced the metal Bourdon 16' with a wooden one, made a new main manual with a new coupler and a new pedal keyboard, made a new tremulant for the Bovenwerk, and tuned the organ to equal temperament. In 1837, the organ was again restored and modified by Jonathan Bätz, with a number of changes in the disposition. The Hoofdwerk Mixtuur was expanded with pipes from the Scherp, and the Scherp was replaced by a Fagot 16'. The Dulciaan 8' was changed to a Trompet 4'. The Pedal received a Roerquint 6' in place of the Mixtuur, and the Cornet 2' was replaced by a Trompet 4'. On the Bovenwerk, a Salicionaal 4', a Roerfluit 4' and a Roerfluit 2' replaced the Horn 4', the Flageolet 1' and the Nachthoorn 2'. Finally, on the Rugwerk the Flageolet 1' was moved up to a 1 1/3' and the Sexquialter was dropped. In 1891, the front pipes were renewed by Johann Frederik Witte, who continued Bätz's business. In the process, the doubled ranks of the Prestanten were also removed.

The organ was expanded by A. Bik in 1921 with a Zwelwerk on a pneumatic cone chest behind the Hoofdwerk. This division can be played from the third manual and the pedal, and is installed in a separate case behind the organ. Bik placed a new Sexquialter on the Rugwerk in the place that became vacant in 1837. The Salicionaal 4' of the Bovenwerk from 1837 was replaced by a Nasard 3', and the Bovenwerk was enlarged by two stops with an Octaaf 4' and a Scherp, placed on a bench above the wind chest. The instrument otherwise remained unchanged. The updated organ was inaugurated on November 18, 1921. In 1970, De Koff overhauled and renewed the mechanism of the organ.

Beginning in 1988, a restoration started in phases performed by Flentrop Orgelbouw in Zaandam. In 1988, both wind chests of the pedal were repaired, along with pipes of the Bourdon 16. In 1995, those of the Rugwerk were repaired and a new Sexquialter II st. was built by Flentrop according to Bätz's scaling.

A major restoration of all remaining unrepaired parts of the organ was carried out in the period June 2006 - September 2007. This restoration included the wind chests of Hoofdwerk, Bovenwerk and Zwelwerk, the wind supply, playing and stop action, keyboards, pipes, and organ case. The basis for this restoration was the organ's composition in 1762/1837, with preservation of the Zwelwerk from 1921. During the restoration, the three stops (Octaaf 4', Nasard 3' and Scherp) placed on the Bovenwerk in 1948 were removed. A Nasard 2 2/3' was made according to Bätz's scaling. The Octaaf 4' was placed on the Zwelwerk. Also, the Zwelwerk was expanded with a Basson-Hobo 8' that was constructed around the time the Zwelwerk was first built. The pneumatic action of the Zwelwerk was replaced by an electric action. The main tremulant was changed from a pneumatic variety to a classic tremulant, and the windpressure of the entire instrument was reduced to 87mm to be more similar to other Bätz organs.

Further reading:

• Dutch Organ Database, no.1000801 (orgbase.nl).
• Muziek (https://luthersdenhaag.nl/).