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Joseph Fetscher (*1686-✝︎1744)
active in Graz before 1709-1744


Biography Details
*1686-11-18 in Augsburg
Remark: The Graz church registers list Tobias Fetscher from Augsburg as the father of Franz Josef Fetscher. However, the Augsburg birth registers only contain an entry for the birth of a son of Tobias Fetscher named Josef Tobias. Therefore, the stated birth date is not definitively established.
* ? later 1st wife Maria Susanna Pflänzl in Hartberg
oo1691 Maria Susanna married Anton Bernhard Rethi
✝︎1698 Anton Bernhard Rethi
before 1709 citizen of Graz
oo 1709-07-21 widow Maria Susanna Rethis née Pflänzl
*1710 Jacquired a monopoly throughout Styria and enriched himself by taking over the lease of the tax on playing cards, which had been introduced in 1694. He found a market not only in Styria, Carinthia, and Carniola (now Slovenia), but also exported to Hungary.
✝︎1713-10-10 wife Maria Susanna
oo 1714-02-04 Maria Clara Fornällin
*1714-✝︎1715 Maria Anna
1715 The apprentice Ignaz Ströbel is acquitted as a journeyman.
*1715-12-10 Joseph Franz
Remark: It is unclear whether he or his elder brother Franz Georg is his father's successor.
*1717 Anton Karl
*1719 Anna Therresia
*1720-✝︎1721 Maria Anna
*1722 Matthias Caspar
1722 Joseph Fetscher was "among others" called upon to supply paper to the magistrate
*1723-03-29 Franz Georg
Remark: It is unclear whether he or his younger brother Josef Franz is his father's successor.
*1725-✝︎1725 Johann Nepomuk Christoph
*1726-✝︎1726 Maria Anna Clara
*1727-✝︎1735 Ferdinand Johannes Nepomuk
*1731 Franz Xaver Cajetan
1732 The apprentice Andreas Haußzweig is acquitted as a journeyman.
Remark: In 1745, Andreas Hauszweig married Elisabeth Albrecht, the widow of a playing card painter in Laibach, and presumably took over his workshop.
1736-1776 He and later his son were the owners of the house at Griesgasse No. 11/ Nikolaikai No. 18 named "Roter Igel" (Red Hedgehog)
1743 Simon Eckart was taken on as an apprentice. After the death of his master in 1744, he continued his apprenticeship in Vienna with Franz Fetscher
✝︎1744-07-11 is son Franz takes over the workshop

Remark:
The children's subsequent fates are largely unknown; only Franz continued working as a playing card maker. Matthias became an officer at the toll station at the Murtor gate, while Anton may have become a pharmacist. Further details about his widow are currently unknown; she has presumably remarried.

Literature:
Fritz Popelka, Geschichte der Stadt Graz, Verlag Styria 1959
Sigmar Radau, Die Familie Fetscher, In: Talon 5, 1996
Klaus Reisinger, Von Lyon nach Wien
Klaus Reisinger, Trappola



Sample Cards

Dollhouse cards (German suit signs)
(British Museum, 1896,0129.1.61)


Dollhouse

additional image

Lyon pattern
(German National Museum, Nuremberg)


Lyon pattern

additional image

Trappola
(British Museum 1896,0501.337)


Trappola

additional images

Trappola
(Private collection, apparently from the same printing block as above)


Trappola

additional image

Trappola
(Kunstgewerbemuseum Berlin)


Trappola

Trappola
(Deutsches Spielkartenmuseum Leinfelden, B 333)


Trappola

additional image

wrapper for playing cards
(Cary Collection AUSwrapper8)


wrapper

additional image

wrapper for playing cards
(Cary Collection AUSwrapper1 - missing)



unknown type of playing cards
(Steiermärkisches Landesarchiv)


unknown