Max Theodor Götz (1779 - 1853)

Der Todten-Tantz
Götz, Todten-Tantz
Götz: Cook
Götz, Cook

In 1834 engraver and painter Georg Max (Maximilian) Theodor Götz from Weimar copied the entire dance of death in Erfurt.

The resultat was 56 watercolours that today are kept in a book titled: »Der Todten-Tantz nach Beck, Nöller u. anderen Malern / Auf Allerhöchsten Befehl copirt«. This means that the entire series of 56 paintings has been recorded — along with the accompanying verses.

Ca. 10 years later Kruspe copied 46 of the paintings as line-drawings, but without the dialogues. Later the text and short information about the paintings were published by Ludwig Schellenberg in a booklet with the title: "Denksprüche und Beschreibung der Gemäldegallerie des sogenannten Todtentanzes im […] Erfurt".

In 1872 the orphanage burned down along with the 56 paintings, and thus Götz is the only person to have copied the entire dance, and the only person to have copied both text and images.

Götz: Mountain man
Götz, Mountain man
Götz: Student
Götz, Student

Götz's watercolours often differ from Kruspe's drawings. It is difficult to determine which one is the more correct of the two, but in general Kruspe has more details. In some cases, it is clear that these details were an integral part of the painting, which Götz erroneously has omitted.

Götz mountain man walks around with empty hands, but Bellermann and Pohle writes that he is using a dowsing rod to locate iron ore, and that Death grabs the rod to lead it towards the open pit. This means that Kruspe's Mountain man is correct.

Götz lets Death arrive empty-handed to the student, but Bellermann and Pohle agree that Death reads from a book with the Latin quote: "Disce Mori". So once again Kruspe's drawing is more correct.

Götz also copied the text. In general, the text agrees better with the one that J. D. Pohle published in 1823, than with the one Schröer published in 1902.

This scene was added by Götz.
Götz, Drunkard

Here are some of the differences between Schröer's and Götz's texts. In some of the cases Pohle has the same difference.

Gå fremad
 

Read: Götz' version of the text

External Link

Further Information

Watercolours by Max Götz

The sequence is from Scröer's text.

Death
Götz 1736: Death
Actress
Götz 1736: Actress
Dancer
Götz 1736: Dancer
Singer
Götz 1736: Singer
Gypsy woman
Götz 1736: Gypsy woman
Cook
Götz 1736: Cook
Astronomer
Götz 1736: Astronomer
Typefounder
Götz 1736: Typefounder
Quack
Götz 1736: Quack
Judge
Götz 1736: Judge
Book printer
Götz 1736: Book printer
Cooper
Götz 1736: Cooper
Miller
Götz 1736: Miller
Potter
Götz 1736: Potter
Wax trader
Götz 1736: Wax trader
Wedding inviter
Götz 1736: Wedding inviter
Children
Götz 1736: Children
Digger
Götz 1736: Digger
Mountain man
Götz 1736: Mountain man
Mayor
Götz 1736: Mayor
Musician
Götz 1736: Musician
Queen
Götz 1736: Queen
The empress
Götz 1736: The empress
Emperor
Götz 1736: Emperor
Pope
Götz 1736: Pope
Field watch
Götz 1736: Field watch
Civil servant
Götz 1736: Civil servant
Old man
Götz 1736: Old man
Painter
Götz 1736: Painter
Lawyer
Götz 1736: Lawyer
Merchant
Götz 1736: Merchant
Banker
Götz 1736: Banker
Colonel
Götz 1736: Colonel
Soldier
Götz 1736: Soldier
General
Götz 1736: General
Innkeeper
Götz 1736: Innkeeper
Apothecary
Götz 1736: Apothecary
Physician
Götz 1736: Physician
Count and countess
Götz 1736: Count and countess
Young woman
Götz 1736: Young woman
Young man
Götz 1736: Young man
Priest
Götz 1736: Priest
Canon
Götz 1736: Canon
Cardinal
Götz 1736: Cardinal
Hunter
Götz 1736: Hunter
Student
Götz 1736: Student
Principal
Götz 1736: Principal
Elector
Götz 1736: Elector
King
Götz 1736: King
Adam and Eve
Götz 1736: Adam and Eve
Christ
Götz 1736: Christ
Old woman
Götz 1736: Old woman
Orphanage
Götz 1736: Orphanage
Orphanage
Götz 1736: Orphanage
Orphanage
Götz 1736: Orphanage
Drunkard
Götz 1736: Drunkard