Philipp Matthäus Hahn – the Passion of Optimising

A large number of 18th century clergy built models of the cosmos. One of the greatest representatives among these “mechanic-priests” was the Swabian Philipp Matthäus Hahn.

As from 1769 Hahn created around fifty clocks with astronomic indications. However, he was chiefly active as a pastor and writer. All of his work is characterised by a deeply pietistic devoutness and the constant quest for the better.

Pastor Philipp Matthäus Hahn was an absolute theoretician, not familiar with the craft and the practical experiences of the clockmakers. He even emphasized that he personally never laid a hand on his clocks whilst they were being made. In some cases, his designs, when constructed by his staff of craftsmen, are not adapted to the material. Also, the quality of construction is usually rather simple.

On the other hand, Philipp Matthäus Hahn was open-minded in the field of mechanics and amenable to new solutions. His productive ideas can be found in anything that could be conceived on the basis of geometry or mathematics. In particular, he created completely new types of indicator designs. His kinematic computations exhibited extraordinary precision as well.