Schimmel Family
I was so proud to rent my first own workshop. A tiny room with two windows in the front - Wilhelm Schimmel 1885
Wilhelm Schimmel (1885 – 1927)
Success demands courage and passion. These qualities were demonstrated by Wilhelm Schimmel, the founder of Schimmel Pianos. At the age of 16 he began an apprenticeship as a cabinetmaker. A year later he was making accordions and violins. At the age of 22 he decided to learn piano making at the eminent Stichel piano factory. Eight years later he established his own workshop in Leipzig (seated in photo above) and produced his first piano at the beginning of 1885. Both he, and his slogan ‘Quality will prevail’, were proven right by his success.
Wilhelm A. Schimmel (1927 – 1961)
His son, Wilhelm Arno Schimmel, took over the management of the company and relocated the site to Braunschweig (Brunswick), where he developed one of the major innovations of the 1930s – a small piano without backposts, a newly-designed action and a unique tonal character. The family firm continued to flourish. By the end of the 1950s, Schimmel instruments were the most frequently purchased pianos produced in Germany and sent around the world. In 1961, tragedy struck the company when Wilhelm Arno Schimmel suddenly passed away.
Nikolaus W. Schimmel (1961 – 2003)
Nikolaus Wilhelm Schimmel became head of the company and focused on the continuity of the firm’s expansion in the third generation. Increasing sales volume necessitated the construction of a new company site. Schimmel became the bestselling German piano, which is still true today. The glass grand piano, invented in 1951, has now becoming a cult object. Special areas such as research and development were extended and intensified. alongside the Schimmel classic line, the company developed the Schimmel Konzert line over a period of approximately 20 years, thereby consolidating the company’s leading position in the market.
Hannes M. Schimmel – Vogel (2003 – today)
Nikolaus Wilhelm Schimmel passed on the management of the company to his son-in-law, Hannes Schimmel-Vogel. In adherence to the founding slogan ‘Quality will prevail’, he completed the product spectrum with additional models in the Konzert Line and the conceptual design of a wide-ranging, extended Schimmel brand family. in the 21st century Schimmel became the most highly awarded German piano – not only for sound and touch, but also for their timeless and tasteful casework designs. This courage in innovation and the passion for piano manufacture will also characterize the future development of the family firm and guarantee the excellent quality of Schimmel’s grand and upright pianos.
