Biography

Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky. (1710-1775)

German merchant and banker, born in Konitz, Westpreußen (today: Chojnice, Poland).

Married firstly, in 1745, to Anna Louisa Blume (1725-1755).

He resumed operations at Wegely's failed porcelain manufacture in Berlin in 1761 (the original manufacture had closed in 1757). According to GT1, "[t]he factory prospered, but [Gotskowsky] was ruined by other ventures and died poor."

Life with James Boswell:

Boswell went to the garden of Gotskowsky, with the female members of the Kircheisen family, on August 30, 1764. They spent the day drinking coffee, walking, visiting the china factory and supping (with Gotskowsky?). Boswell described him as "a gallant German, stupid, comely, cordial"

Boswell developed something of a crush on Gotzkowsky's wife, and on August 30 also wrote:

She was a danseuse, and he married her for love. She is a stout, good-looking Frow, but struck me as if shed had been the greatest beauty. I raved, "Heavens! what a charming woman," &c., &c., and told the husband, "You are the most fortunate man in the world." He was pleased, and made us dance a minuet together. She sung well, and I was in raptures. So fiery is my imagination that if an object furnishes only a spark, I am very soon all in flame. As we went home I said, "If I had been born simply to adore that woman, it would have been enough."

Boswell went to Gotzkowsky's garden on a few other occasions that autumn.

External links:

• Johann Ernst Gotzkowsky - article on Wikipedia
• Gotzkowsky - Long article in German on Verein für die Geschichte Berlins

Literature:

Several books dealing with Gotzkowsky's porcelain manufacture, and it's successor KPM, are available from Abebooks - try searching for Gotzkowsky. In 1768 was published his autobiography Geschichte eines patriotischen Kaufmanns which is also sometimes available from Abebooks .

This article was last updated at February 01 2008 12:09:02 CET

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