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On the death entry for my great-great grandfather, it says that he was a master weaver, which I knew, but also an "ehemalige Trompeter," a former trumpeter?

I find this intriguing, because the fact that this appears in his death notice suggests that it's significant or important. Does anyone know about community bands, or official trumpeters, anything like that? Any ideas on where I could research this?

Anton Langer was born in 1804 in the town of Oberglogau, in Silesia. He died in 1870. Here's a transcription of the death entry:

"Langer den 4. Juni Stadt den 2ten / zweiten/ Juni starb der Webermeister und ehemalige Trompeter Anton Langer und hinterließ die Ehefrau Anna, geb. Kura und zwei majene Kinder: Anna verehelichte Strauch und Maximilian"

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    Maybe a former military musician (former military ranks are sometimes named next to occupations) or church musician. Both theories certainly impossible to research.
    – lejonet
    Aug 1, 2015 at 22:38
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    I haven't found any records that suggest that he was in the military, but that's a good idea. I'm hoping I might tap into someone's knowledge of history.
    – ewormuth
    Aug 1, 2015 at 23:52
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    I agree with lejonet that a military conection is the most likely. (NB mandatory military service). However, if there was a civilian music connection, it might be referenced in addressbooks (but none applicable at adressbuecher.genealogy.net ) or in earlier church register entries. In the late 1800s & early 1900s, many towns had bands associated with various societies and service groups.
    – bgwiehle
    Aug 2, 2015 at 12:27
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    I actually found something in a book called "The Roots of Texas Music," talking about the rise of civic bands in Germany in the 19th century (pretty much you're saying, @bgwiehle). They played for parades, concerts, and dances. I'd like to find something about his military service and will look for that information.
    – ewormuth
    Aug 2, 2015 at 14:23
  • John Quincy Adams' Letters on Silesia includes a note: "There is another custom … in the oldest towns of Silesia. A trumpeter blows his trumpet for a minute or two ... immediately after the clock has struck every hour." So this record might refer to a civic time-keeping role.
    – AndyW
    Apr 24, 2017 at 9:37

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Most probably he was trumpeter at the local hunting society (jagdverein) or the local militia (schuetzenverein). Sometimes these societies still exist and you might find something in their records.

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    Welcome to Genealogy & Family History StackExchange. As noted in the question, the original poster's family was from Silesia -- very few pre-1945 institutions and organizations there survived the transfer to Polish governance.
    – bgwiehle
    Sep 1, 2015 at 18:53

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