Moritz Erdmann Puffholdt was Stadtmusikdirektor in Dresden and the first conductor of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra. His grave is located in Dresden's Trinitatisf Cemetery. The Förderverein Dresdner Philharmonie e.V. took over the sponsorship of the grave in December 2020 and had the heavily dilapidated grave restored.
Moritz Erdmann Puffholdt
The restored grave of the founding father of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra
Moritz Erdmann Puffholdt - the founding father of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra
Moritz Erdmann Puffholdt was born on November 3, 1827 in Bad Lausigk, southeast of Leipzig. His first record in Dresden as music director of the 3rd Infantry Brigade dates back to 1857. From 1864/1865 he worked as Stadtmusikdirektor in Dresden and conducted the first concert of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra on November 29, 1870. He is therefore considered one of the founding fathers of the orchestra, which grew out of the Stadtmusikkorps and of which Moritz Erdmann Puffholdt was the director in 1870/71. At the end of the 1880s, he again held the post of music director in Dresden before his death in Dresden on January 20, 1890.
The gravesite of the Puffholdt family is one of the few authentic places that commemorates the history of the Dresden Philharmonic before 1945. The Dresden Philharmonic is the orchestra founded by the citizens of Dresden. By preserving the gravesite, the Förderverein Dresdner Philharmonie e.V. has made a contribution to permanently anchoring the founding of the municipal orchestra in the city's memory.
The renovation (2020-2021)
In December 2020, the Förderverein Dresdner Philharmonie e.V. took over the grave sponsorship for the grave site of the Puffholdt family and comprehensively renovated it in three partial steps. The gravesite was presented to the public on September 12, 2021, on the occasion of the Open Monument Day. Since then, it has also been included in the list of cultural monuments of the city of Dresden. The joint commitment of our association thus also preserves a cultural-historical monument in one of Dresden's cemeteries, which reflects the history and civic life culture of Dresden in the 19th century.
The rapid and extensive restoration of the gravesite could be carried out within a year thanks to numerous donations, including crowdfunding. The Dresden Philharmonic Society would like to thank all donors.