The Brothers Moberg


Harry and Valter Moberg were twin brothers that specialized in the construction and restoration of old organs in churches across Scandinavia.

Background

The twin brothers were born in Sandviken, Sweden on March 5, 1915. Their parents, Engelbert and Alida Moberg, had musical interests and played a variety of instruments. Their older sibling Elsa, an educated pianist, was married to violinist John Vesterlund, who began organ building in the 1930s and allowed the Moberg brothers to learn from him. In 1933, Vesterlund's company began restoration work on an organ in Løvstabruk, built by Johan Niclas Cahman in 1728. The experience influenced the brothers' interest in historical organs. They met the organ historians Bertil Wester and later Einar Erici who were particularly interested in the mapping of old organs in Sweden.
The Moberg brothers started their own organ building company in 1941, becoming pioneers in restoring organs with historic value in Sweden. There were about 4000 organs in Sweden by 1950 having grown from 30 when record keeping began in the 1600s, 200 of which were classified as historically valuable by the Swedish National Heritage Board. With their co-worker Ville Pettersson, they have restored about 90 historical organs across Scandinavia together. Among their most famous works is the restoration of the organ at Åtvid's old church built by Jonas Wistenius in 1751, which was reconstructed to 70 percent. Albert Schweitzer has played on the restored organ and expressed his opinion positively about the reconstruction. The organ in Seglora church in Skansen, Stockholm was restored in 1963. The organ was built by Jonas Ekengren in 1777. The organ in Tjällmo church, built by Isac Risberg 1710, was restored in 1968.
The brothers recorded the sound of several historic organs and filmed several of their restorations. They also published articles in Church Musicians Magazine and Organ forums.
The work of the Moberg brothers was carried out on the basis of their conservation idea: "The purpose of preserving old church organs is to produce a complete line of organs from past time, where each preserved organ work must be a silent representative of its era and show as much as possible its master's personal and artistic characteristic, such as they were at the time of construction."
They documented all of their restorations and other major works with photographs and explanatory text about the performed works.
Their archives are currently available at the in Stockholm.

Works

Gallery

Sweden

LocationYearConstructed by
Alvesta Church1964Pehr Schiörlin
Angarn Church1970Pehr Strand
Asks Church1950Olof Hammarberg
Avesta Church1989A Magnussons Orgelbryggeri
Balingsta Church1974Åkerman & Lund
Björskog Church1988Eskil Lundén
Bladåker Church1952Johan Lambert Larsson
Botilsäter Church1974A P Lokrantz
Brunnby Church1980Setterquist & Son 1912
Bäckebo 1952Johannes Magnusson 1848
Bälinge Church, Uppland1955Eisenmenger & Herman 1632.
Facade by Mårten Redtmer who decorated the Vasa
Böhmiska positivitet, Music and Theater Museum, Stockholm1964Anton Streit
Börje Church1958Daniel Wallenström
Djursdala Church1965Anders Jonsson 1841
Removal of crescendo cabinet
Edebo Church 1951 och 1983Built after recommendation by Berg in Alunda.
Removed 1926, reinstated 1951 in its original state by the Moberg brothers.
Old Church of Enviken1950Gustaf Wilhelm Becker
Eskilsäters Church1949Johan Everhardt Jr
Flisby Church1974Sven Nordström 1856
Folkströms Chapel 1953Johan Agerwall
Folkärna Church1984Johannes Magnusson 1931
Facade from 1853
Forssa Church 1984Setterquist & Son 1879
Gammalkils Church1975Pehr Schiörlin 1806
Garpenbergs Church1969Setterquist & Son 1904
Grythyttans Church1987Setterquist & Son 1904.
Facade from1780
Trinity Church Gävle1955Setterquist & Son 1889, John Vesterlund 1939
Vasa School, Gävle1983Pehr Larsson Åkerman 1876
Immanuel Church, Gävle1962E H Eriksson 1906
Soldiers Church, Gävle1984E H Eriksson
Harakers Church1967Pehr Lund
Hjälmseryds Old Church1953Johannes Magnusson 1850~
Häradshammars Church1954Jonas Fredric Schiörlin 1821
Jättendals Church1963Lars Niclas Nordquist 1839
Trinity Church, Karlskrona1961-1962Pehr Zacharias Strand
Kristinehamns Church1982Setterquist & Son
Kuddby Church1954-1955Sven & Erik Nordström
Kvarsebo Church1949, 1974Johan Lund
Lannaskede Old Church1952Lars Solberg
Linköping Cathedral1975-1976Setterquist & Son
Långseruds Church1982Eskil Lundén
Njutångers Church1940~Th J Trayser XXXX harmonium
Normlösa Church1954Sven Nordström
Norra Solberga Church1972Nils Ahlstrand
Nyeds Church1955-1956Elias Witting
Nysätra Church, Uppland1973Per Gullbergsson & Jonas Wengström
Oslättfors Chapel1961Brothers Moberg
Rasbokil Church1971Pehr Zacharias Strand
Rönö Church1975Gustaf Andersson & Son
Sandviken Baptist Church1977-1978Olof Hedlund
Sandvik Church1976Åkerman & Lund
Seglora Church, Skansen, Stockholm1962-1963Jonas Ekengren
Skirö Church1961Johannes Magnusson
Skällvik Church1964Jonas Wistenius
Snavlunda Church1980Åkerman & Lund
Svartnäs Church1956Jonas Wängström
Svinnegarns Church1957Carl Wåhlström 1769
Svärdsjö Church1964Åkerman & Lund Facade from 1738
Sätra brunn Church1953Daniel Wallenström
Söderbärke Church1956Niclas Furtwängler & Hammer
Söderbärke Church1956Niclas Söderström
Teda Church1949Pehr Niclas Forssberg
Tjällmo Church1968 - 1969Isac Risberg
Trönö Old Church1968P Z Strand 1800
Trönö New Church1971Åkerman & Lund
Tåby Church1954Sven Nordström
Ulrika Church1970Johan Niclas Cahman
Utö Church1972Olof Hedlund
Vallerstads Church1950Nils Ahlstrand
Valö Church1971Gustaf Andersson
Venjans Church1990Setterquist & Son
Virestad organ in Smålands museum, Växjö1953Hans Heinrich Cahman
Voxna Church1988Setterquist & Son
Voxtorps Church, Jönköping1959Johan Nikolaus Söderling
Vårdinge Church1979Setterquist & Son
Värmskogs Church1959-1960E A Setterquist
Värmskogs Parish House1961Nyströms harmonium
Västra Eneby Church1975Sven Nordström
Yxnerums Church1959C M Ringström
Åtvids Old Church1957Jonas Wistenius
Österfärnebo Church1973E H Eriksson
Östervik Chapel, Kristinehamn1973Th J Trayser
Östra Ryds Church, Östergötland1966Lars Strömblad
Östra Skrukeby Church1963Pehr Schiörlin
Östra Ämterviks Church1971Andreas Jönsson

Norway

Finland

Constructions

LocationYearNotes
Faringe Church1943
Gävle, Bomhus1957
Swedish Order of Freemasons, Gävle1957
Oslättsfors Chapel1944
Saint Anna1944Built together with John Vesterlund under the same company name AB Kyrkorglar
Uppsala Public School Seminarium1947Initiated by Oskar Sundström in 1946 and completed by the Brothers Moberg in 1947

Films

LocationYearNotes
Seglora Church, Skansen, Stockholm1963
Tjällmo1969

Sound Recordings

LocationYearNotes
Tjällmo1968, 1969, 1970, 1971
Brunnby
Hedlund Organ in Sandviken Inauguration1979
Åtvid Old Church1957
Skällvik1969
JonseredUnknown
Sandviken Church Radio RecordingsUnknown
Häradshammar Folkström ChapelUnknown
JonsbergUnknown
Haraker1961
AlvestaUnknown
Karlskrona Trinity ChurchUnknown