Joseph Friedrich Freiherr von Racknitz

Swiss-German painter and university teacher

Joseph Friedrich Freiherr von Racknitz(1744–1818) was part of the Racknitz family fromSteiermark, Germany,a family that originated in 1180 atCastle Perneck.Residing inDresden,he worked as the equivalent of acourt marshal,and published an often-cited pamphlet about thechess-playing machineThe Turk,Ueber den Schachspieler des Herrn von Kempelen, nebst einer Abbildung und Beschreibung seiner Sprachmachine,which attempted to reveal the secret behind the purportedautomatonusing new illustrations as well as personal observations.

Racknitz also had a sizableinsectcollection. The collection, which contained over 5000 pieces, is still held at theSachsen State Museum.

References

• Tom Standage,The Turk: The Life and Times of the Famous Eighteenth-Century Chess-Playing Machine.Walker and Company,New York City,2002.ISBN0-8027-1391-2
• Gerald M. Levitt,The Turk, Chess Automaton.McFarland and Company Inc. Publishers,Jefferson, North Carolina,2000.