Carl Leibl

Born in Fußgönheim (Palatinate), Leibl comes from a family of Bavarian officials and innkeepers and first learned the cooper's trade before he could dedicate himself to music.

In the same year he also took over the direction of the Städtischer Singverein, which in 1827 merged with the Musikalische Gesellschaft to form the new Cölner Concert-Gesellschaft, whose choir still exists today as the Gürzenich-Choir.

As a result of laws passed after the Napoleonic occupation in 1794, the guilds were dissolved and spiritual foundations, monasteries and 42 Cologne churches were closed down in the course of secularization.

Leibl's time includes the rise, climax and end of the classical-romantic church music at Cologne Cathedral in the 19th century.

In 1863, the reform of the Cecilian Movement ensured that choral music accompanied by orchestra was banned in Cologne as well.