Instruments Made in Germany

Enlarge image Musikwinkel (musical corner) in Saxony (© picture-alliance/ dpa) The centers of German musical instrument making lie hidden in two German border regions. As early as Mozart’s time, all orchestral instruments were being manufactured in the “Musikwinkel” (musical corner) of the Vogtland region, in Saxony, near the Czech border. Not far from Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the famous ski resort in the border region to Austria, lies the small town of Mittenwald, which is known for its string instruments.

The Musikwinkel, now also – borrowing on Silicon Valley – sometimes called Musicon Valley, incorporates the towns of Markneukirchen, Klingenthal, Erlbach, Schöneck, and the smaller communities situated between those localities.

Enlarge image Instrument master builder Björn Stoll manufactures premium double basses and cellos. (© picture-alliance/ ZB) In 1677, following the Thirty Years War, religiously persecuted Protestant violinmakers fled the Bohemian town of Graslitz (Kraslice) across the border to Saxony and settled in Markneukirchen. Gradually, more instrument makers migrated to Vogtland – string and bow makers, guitar and zither builders. The construction of musical instruments did not require city centers; rather, makers practiced the craft in their own workshops. The forests in the region supplied the raw material to build wooden instruments; other necessary materials were imported from abroad, particularly from Russia.

The instruments from Vogtland quickly became known beyond the borders of Saxony, and instrument-making developed into the region’s most important economic sector. In Markneukirchen alone, the number of master builders climbed from 160 in 1821 to 234 in 1828. Employment and production figures reached mass-production levels in the 19th century, sometimes at the expense of the quality of instruments. Expanding trade was assumed by professional distributors, whose profit margins were so large that there were more than a dozen goldmark millionaires among them. Around the turn of the 20th century, instruments from the musical corner had a global market share of 80 percent; during the Depression, the region still accounted for 50 percent of the market. After World War II, the region became part of the GDR, and the instruments were mostly mass-produced in factories. The number of production plants fell from 700 to 100. Since reunification, the number of smaller and medium-sized companies has, however, begun to rise again. This has the advantage that small operations can better respond to customers’ special requests.

Enlarge image A traditional violinmaker’s workshop at the violin making museum in Mittenwald (© picture-alliance/ dpa) Direct trade relations with the United States (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) have existed since 1795 through a native of Markneukirchen who immigrated to America. Business relations continuously expanded over the ensuing years. Another émigré from Markneukirchen in 1833 became the founder of C.F. Martin & Company, a guitar company still in existence today in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. Trade with the US was of such great importance that a US consulate was established in Markneukirchen in 1893 and remained in existence until 1916.

Instrument makers living in the musical corner are happy to let visitors see how they practice their craft in their workshops. In Markneukirchen alone, over 100 workshops today employ 1,300 people. The locale is known for its string and wind instruments. The world’s oldest accordion factory is located in Klingenthal, and world-renowned guitars come from Erlbach. The secret behind the instruments’ perfect tone, which is achieved through the use of certain woods and lacquers, are often closely guarded as family treasures and passed on from father to son. For some years now, the University of Applied Sciences of Zwickau has been offering the opportunity to study musical instrument making in Markneukirchen.

Enlarge image Violinmaker Anton Sprenger works on a violin in his workshop in Mittenwald. (© picture-alliance/ dpa) Only 260 miles south of Vogtland, along an old trade route between Augsburg and upper Italy, lies the city of Mittenwald. Violin-making in Mittenwald is inextricably linked with the Klotz family name. In the 17th century, during the life of the famous Italian violinmakers Stradivari and Amati, the young Mattias Klotz (1653-1743) moved to Italy to learn the tradecraft of violin-making. On his return, he introduced it in Mittenwald, and until today all subsequent violinmakers follow his tradition. The residence of Mattias Klotz now houses a violin museum, where visitors trace the over 300-year tradition of violin-making in Mittenwald.

String instruments from Mittenwald soon became known well beyond Bavaria. To maintain the high-quality standard practiced there, Maximilian II of Bavaria in 1858 founded a violin making school, which is still widely respected today.

Mittenwald has been holding an international competition in violin and bow construction since 1989. The 6th competition took place in May 2010, and the gold medal in violin bow construction was awarded to American Kot hu-Sheng from Wayne, Pennsylvania. 


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