Collection: Schimmel Piano History
Schimmel Pianos was founded in 1885 by Wilhelm Schimmel. Shortly after the completion of his training as a piano manufacturer, he established his own workshop in Leipzig and produced his first piano at the beginning of 1885. by 1894, Schimmel had produced 1000 pianos.
Schimmel's products were always completed with his customer's expectations in mind. They could hear and feel the love and care that went into the Schimmel instruments and how at the time they were at the highest of standards with regards to tone and quality. By 1897 it was already necessary for the company to build a larger factory.
The company built Grand pianos, Upright pianos and player pianos known as "Kunstspiel pianos" Wilhelm Schimmel retired in 1927 and his son Arno Schimmel became president of the company, whilst his older brother, Authur managed the retail store in Lepzig. Arno relocated the workshop to Braunschweig where he developed one of the major innovations of the 1930s: a small piano without back posts with a newly designed action and a unique tonal character.
In the late 1920's, due to the worldwide recession, a group of piano makers formed a co-op known as "Deutsche Piano-Werke AG" and Schimmel remained part of this until 1931.
The German family firm continued to flourish and by the end of the 1950s, Schimmel pianos were the most frequently purchased pianos produced in Germany - and were sent all round the world. In 1961, Nikolaus Wilhelm Schimmel became head of the company and focused on the continuity of the firm's expansion in the third generation. In 1967, Schimmel acquired the May Pianofortefabrik of Berlin and increasing sales volumes necessitated the construction of a new company site in which special areas such as research and development were extended and intensified. Alongside the Schimmel Classical Series, the company developed the Schimmel Konzert Series over a period of approximately 20 years, thereby consolidating the company's leading position in the market. In 2003, Nikolaus Wilhelm Schimmel passed on the management of the company to Hannes Schimmel-Vogel.
The modern factory that Schimmel still operate from was completed in 1980, having an annual production capacity of over 10,000 upright pianos and 1200 Grand pianos. The company reintroduced the acrylic grand series in the 1990's and has had several art pianos designed by artists which are sure to be collectors pieces.
