Otto Boettger (1842-1907)

Otto Böttger (1 September 1842-1 August 1907) was a significant optical and scientific instrumentmaker in Adelaide. While he ran his business for only 20 years, it gained such a high reputation that it became the major supplier of scientific and engineering instruments to the South Australian colonial government and the Boettger name continued as the business name into the 1970s.

Otto Böttger
Born	1842 Elberfeld, Rhine Province, Prussia (Elberfeld, Düsseldorf, Rheinprovinz, Preussen)
Died	1 August 1907 Cologne, Rhine Province, Prussia, Germany
Nationality	Prussian British
Other names	Otto Boettger
Occupation	Optical and scientific instrumentmaker
Spouse(s)	1. Johanne Maria Luisa Anna Vielhaack (married bef. 1877)

Biography

Created by Benjamin Hollister and made available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0.

Böttger was born on the first of Septemeber, 1842, in Elbefeld, near the city of Dusseldorf, in the Rhine Province of Prussia, the son of Wilhelm and Julia (née Schmidt) Böttger.

Timeline

Date	Event	Source	Notes

Residences in the City

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Work in the City

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Published Obituary

From the Advertiser, Wednesday 4 September 1907:

Personal The death occurred at Cologne recently of Mr. Otto Boettger, the well-known Adelaide , optician and instrument-maker. The deceased, who was 65 years of age, was born in Elberfeldt, Germany, and came out to Australia in 1877. He had previously conducted a large business in St. Petersburg, but the venture not proving successful he determined to emigrate to Adelaide. His first engagement was with Mr. Dobbie cleaning old keys and repairing machinery. Starting in business for himself, his great knowledge of surveying and engineering instruments led the Government to place all their work in this department in his hands, and the results proved eminently satisfactory. About 10 years ago the business in Flinders-street was transferred to Mr. G. C. Kohler, who was an apprentice of Mr. Boettger's at one time, and had been with him nearly 30 years. Mr. and Mrs. Boettger then returned to Germany to spend the remainder of their lives in retirement. The deceased left no family.

From the Observer, Saturday 7 September 1907:

Mr. Otto Boettger Mr. Otto Boettger,-the well-known optician and scientific instrument .maker, of Flinders street, died, recently at Cologne. Born at Elberfeldt, Rhine, Germany, in 1842, he entered the technical school of that city at the age of 10, and when 14 was apprenticed to an instrument maker, with whom he remained for four years. He then went to Berlin, and in 1863 joined the artillery branch of the Prussian Army from which he was transferred to the engineers corps. Three years later he secured a position as foreman in an establishment at St. Petersburg, and retained the post for five years. When the Franco-Prussian war broke out in 1870 he was called upon to light in the Prussian Army. At the close of the war he returned to Russia, whence, in 1872, he proceeded to Berlin and Hamburg. From the latter city he came to South Australia, and arrived at Port Adelaide on June 25, 1877. After he had spent some time in the employment of Mr. Dobbie, he began business on his own-account, and advanced rapidly. Owing to his thorough and practical acquaintance with surveying and engineering instruments the Government gave him all its fine scientific instrument work, and Mr. Boettger also executed many orders for intricate scientific mechanism for savants in the other States and New Zealand. At one time he was the recognised instrument maker to the Queensland Meteorological Department. About 10 years ago Mr. Boettger sold the business in Flinders street, which has since been carried on under the old denomination, and returned with his wife to the Fatherland to spend his declining years.