Mayrhofer, Johann Ulrich

Johann Ulrich Mayrhofer was born as the 13th child of the sacristan and schoolmaster Joseph Mayrhofer (* 1759 in Zusamaltheim, Bavaria) and his second wife Rosina, née Veit (* 1771) in Pfaffenhofen a. d. Zusam (today belongs to the municipality 86647 Buttenwiesen, Bavaria).
Mayrhofer was ordained a priest in July 1835 and was appointed parish vicar in Biburg for half a year, then chaplain in Oberndorf for half a year.

From 1837-1840 he was city chaplain in St. Georg in Augsburg.

In 1838 Mayrhofer fell seriously ill but recovered after a few months.
From 1840-1849 he was a pastor in St. Michael in Augsburg-Pfersee. There he was able to work in addition to his spiritual activity also socially and musically strongly engaged.

1849 to 1857 he was pastor in St. Martin in Waldstetten in the district Günzburg.

Bishop Peter Richarz wanted to make him the cathedral conductor in Augsburg himself. Mayrhofer was an excellent music composer who even today finds all recognition with the Cäcilian music style.

"His" church of Waldstetten had to be closed in autumn 1849 due to the danger of collapse.
The dilapidated church was demolished in 1851 in order to be completely rebuilt. Pastor Mayrhofer took care of the financing of the interior decoration himself and together with the artists determined the design of the new church. The largest donor was the widow Franziska Kimmich v. h.

In 1852 Mayrhofer designed the plan for the new organ himself and entrusted the execution of the work to Joseph Bohl from Augsburg who had already built the organ in St. Michael in Pfersee in 1841.
Johann Ulrich Mayrhofer died in Waldstetten and was also buried there. An epitaph on the church commemorates him.

In addition to his religious activities, he was also an excellent church musician and composer. Only a few works have survived that were handwritten by Mayrhofer himself. However, his compositions were known far beyond his home region. This is proved by handwritten copies of his works for choir and orchestra or organ accompaniment which are preserved in the Episcopal archives of Regensburg and in the parish archives of Polling and Aichach.

Source: http://www.schwabenmedia.de/Kuenstler/Mayrhofer-ulrich.htm