K historii varhan konkatedrály Nanebevzetí Panny Marie v Opavě
From the history of the organ at the Con-Cathedral of the Assumption of Virgin Mary in Opava

Summary/Abstract: The town of Opava as an administrative and power center of Opava Silesia used to be a city of many churches. The most important was the parish church, today the con-cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, since the Middle Ages administered by the Deutschritterorden. The earliest evidence of the existence of the organ is a report from 1506. More detailed, but still incomplete data appear in connection with a major reconstruction of an apparently older instrument, which was performed 1620 by the organbuilder Stanislav Bartodějský. His contract has been preserved, but neither the disposition nor the origin of the organ is mentioned. We only know that it was a three-manual instrument at that time, with at least 10 registers in the Great, at least 10 registers in the Rückpositiv, and at least 9 registers in the Pedal. The next chapter of organ history of this church is connected with the names of the Opava organ-maker family of the Ryšáks (Rischak). Its founder was Jakub Ryšák. In the last third of the 17th century he transferred a large organ on the western organ loft. We have more information about that instrument from 1708 when it was rebuilt by Jakub's son Ignác Ryšák. Before its repair, the organ had 11 stops in the Great, 7 stops in the Ruck-positive and 8 stops in the Pedal. The tonal compass of manuals began with the tone F. After rebuilding, there were a total of 25 registers with the manual compass from C. The tin Principal 16' remained in the pedal. Further repairs were made after Ignac´s death by his widow Christina and her second husband Wenzel Thiel. This information brings new knowledge not only about organbuilding activities and opinions in the area of Opava Silesia at that time; that also show us the everyday life and worries of organ-makers, including the rare case of one baroque organbuilder-woman.

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