Bruckner Archive acquires the Bruckner medal given to Franz Moissl in 1933

Bruckner Medal presented to Franz Moissl by the Bruckner Society of America The Bruckner Archive has purchased some materials belonging to Franz Moissl (1869-1946) including the Kilenyi Medal of Honor that was presented to him by the Bruckner Society of America in 1933. In the March, 1934 issue of "Chord and Discord," the following credit was entered: PROF. FRANZ MOISSL, of Klosterneuburg (near Vienna); organist; editor o£ the Bruckner Blaetter and Musica Divina; Bruckner conductor of widespread European reputation; a founder of the Internationale Bruckner Gesellschaft. Other Bruckner-related memorabilia was acquired as well including a scrapbook of Bruckner festival activity in Austria during the late 1920s into the 1930s. Images from the acquisition are shown below. The following biography of Franz Moissl comes from the Bruckner-Online website: Moißl, Franz (Theodor) * 5.1.1869 Neuhammer / Bohemia (Nové Hamry / CZ), † 1.11.1946 Klosterneuburg, Lower Austria / A. Teacher, organist, conductor. Son of a senior teacher. Moißl came from a musical family in which he received his first music lessons. After completing the teacher training institute in Leitmeritz (Litomerice / CZ), he passed the state examination for singing and organ in Prague . 1894-1910 he was a music teacher at the teacher training center in Reichenberg (Liberec / CZ). There he directed the men's choir, wrote for the Reichenberger Zeitung and organized concerts and exhibitions. Awarded the professor title, Moißl and his family moved to Graz. In 1912 the respected music teacher accepted the call to Klosterneuburg. Together with the provost Josef Kluger, he became a "caller and preacher" (Klosterneuburger Nachrichten 9.11.1946, p. 2) for Bruckner. How much he was devoted to the composer is shown by his words when asked why he loved Bruckner: “In bitter hours of life, Bruckner's comforting music has always brought me the fulfillment of what I hoped for: re-strengthening of the will, recovery of the mind, That is why I am in love with Master for life. I feel relieved of a justification for the purely artistic effect of his music by referring to the confession placed here.”( Musica Divina 12 [1924] H. 3, p. 105). Moißl conducted the Klosterneuburger Philharmonie which was founded in 1920 and was dedicated to Bruckner presentations. Between 1921 and 1924 three early works by Bruckner were premiered in Klosterneuburg (1921 the overture in G minor, 1923 three movements from the symphony in F minor ["Study Symphony "] and 1924 the symphony in D minor ["Die Nullte"]). Moißl published numerous articles on Bruckner and was editor-in-chief of the "Musica Divina." In 1927 he was one of the founders of the International Bruckner Society in Leipzig and as its editor for many years he was entrusted with the publication of the Bruckner sheets. He conducted well-known orchestras in Germany and abroad and contributed significantly to the spread of Bruckner's work.

	Objects from the Moissl acquisition