300 years ago, Johann Gottfried Prasse was born. He is well known to those interested in history as an inventive clockmaker. He created the clockwork on the tower of the monastery church, which still reliably shows the time today. But hardly anyone is aware that he was an inventor and tinkerer who designed and built machines such as mangles and spinning wheels with sophisticated mechanisms that simplified and further developed spinning and weaving in this country. This knowledge had been forgotten and was rediscovered through intensive research as part of our exhibition. During his lifetime, Prasse was known and appreciated in Zittau and beyond.

On February 13, 1725, Johann Gottfried was born in the Zittau town village of Seifhennersdorf. At the age of 26, he was appointed as an assistant to his father, the town clockmaker in Zittau, and lived with his family in house number 11 on Frauenstrasse.

Over the next nine years, Prasse worked in all areas of a Zittau town clockmaker and thus became well acquainted with his father's extensive field of activity. In 1760, he took over his father's position, which he held until his death in 1799. In his 39 years as town clockmaker, Prasse developed a wide range of work, which was probably based primarily on a long-standing and trusting relationship between the town council and the town clockmaker.

His diverse clock variants, technical innovations and the clockmaking tools and aids he created are impressive. In addition, he developed a large number of machines and mechanical constructions for other trades, businesses and general social needs. His skills and creativity obviously went far beyond those of an ordinary master craftsman or town clockmaker.

Thanks to the surviving works and numerous descriptions by his friend Johann Gottlieb Geisler, a good overview of the wide range of his work can be provided.