Way back in March 2003, I responded to a post on The Trombone Forum about the German trombone tradition and spent a considerable amount of time piecing together a timeline of events relating to the manufacture of trombones in German-speaking lands. I reproduce here what is otherwise only retrieved using a search and hope it may prove interesting.
- 1674 (Oct. 27) Johann Michael Koch gains appointment to Royal Court of Saxony as supplier of trombones.
- 1753 Franz Ambros Alexander born.
- 1778 (Jan. 20) Christian Friedrich Sattler born.
- 1782 Franz Ambros Alexander moves to Mainz and establishes workshop.
- 1787 Philipp Alexander born.
- 1799 C F Sattler apprenticed to Johann Gottfried Moritz (1799-1805).
- 1802 Franz Ambros Alexander dies, succeeded by widow and later sons Claudius, Martin and Philipp.
- 1808 Carl Wilhelm Moritz workshop founded in Berlin.
- 1809 C F Sattler establishes workshop, commences development on trombone. Eventually increases bore size from Baroque 10mm (tenor) to approx. 14mm. Bell diameter increased from 15cm (6″) to over 20cm (8″). First dual bore slides, spring-loaded slide barrels and Schlangenverzierungen (snake decorations) later applied by Sattler.
- 1817 (March 15) Johann Christoph Penzel born.
- 1819 Valve patented.
- 1823 Vienna valve (double piston) patented.
- 1827 (March 31) Friedrich Adolf Schmidt born in Colochau (Merseburg).
- 1832 Rotary valve invented by Joseph Riedt.
- 1833 Karl Kruspe takes over workshop of Karl Zielsdorf in Erfurt working with sons Eduard and Friedrich.
- 1836 Johann Adam Heckel workshop founded in Dresden, pioneering use of Neusilber (German silver) in bell manufacture and Heckelrand or Kranz (bell garlands).
- 1839 Sattler devises improved Tenorbaßposaune incorporating approximately 1m (3′) tube actuated by thumb-operated rotary valve in bell section.
- 1842 C F Sattler dies. Johann Christoph Penzel takes over Sattler workshop.
- 1844 (Dec. 14) Ignaz Hüttl born in Graslitz.
- 1845 J C Penzel marries Sattler’s daughter.
- 1845-50 (approx.) Vienna opera orchestra places order with Sattler workshop for slide trombones to implement transition from valve trombones to slide trombones. Sattler workshop becomes increasingly famous.
- 1848-50 (approx.) Friedrich Adolf Schmidt takes over L A Schröder workshop.
- 1850 Karl Ernst Mönnich workshop founded in Erlbach.
- 1859 (Feb. 21) Hermann Robert Schopper born in Adorf.
- 1862 Richard Wagner contacts Alexander workshop in Mainz about producing Wagner tuben.
- 1864 Eduard Kruspe takes over Kruspe workshop. Philipp Alexander dies.
- 1865 Leopold Mitsching born in Düsseldorf.
- 1866 Friedrich Alwin Heckel takes over Heckel workshop in Dresden.
- 1870 Gustav Bohland and Fuchs establish workshop in Graslitz.
- 1872 Georg Philipp Alexander commences building brass instruments in Alexander workshop in Mainz alongside brother Franz Anton Alexander.
- 1875 (May 13) Reinhold Oskar Ullmann born to wind instrument maker Gustav Erhard Ullmann.
- 1878 Schopper commences apprenticeship in Sattler workshop. Hüttl workshop moves to Leipzig from Reudnitz.
- 1880 Sattler workshop closes. Schopper moves to Berlin, later to Friedrich Alwin Heckel workshop in Dresden. Heckel workshop starts producing B flat rotary trumpets.
- 1882 (Feb. 18) Josef Monke born in Elberfeld near Wuppertal. Robert Piering workshop established, producing trombones in every size from alto to contrabass until the mid-20th century.
- 1884 Gustav Emil Knoth apprenticed to Phillip Reichel (1884-1900).
- 1888 (Sept.) Schopper establishes workshop in Leipzig.
- 1889 Heckel workshop gains royal appointment to court of Saxony and supplies many instruments, establishing very high reputation and enabling royal crown emblem to be incorporated into company stamp (until 1918). Instruments sold exclusively to Dresdner Staatskapelle over next 50 years.
- 1890 (March 24) Vincenz Schrottenbach born in Baden bei Wien, Austria.
- 1893 Kruspe workshop taken over by Eduard Kruspe’s son, Fritz. (Jan. 22) Friedrich Adolf Schmidt dies. Workshop taken over by Leopold August Schmidt (son).
- 1896 Leopold Mitsching workshop founded in Elberfeld. Workshop survives until late 1930s. Josef Monke commences apprenticeship.
- 1897 Johann Christoph Penzel dies. Robert Hellmann takes over Penzel (formerly Sattler) workshop. Georg Philipp Alexander dies, succeeded by brother Franz Anton Alexander and sons Friedrich Sebastian Anton Alexander and Georg Philipp Alexander jr.
- 1898 Robert Hellmann dies. Penzel workshop under threat of closure.
- 1900 Leopold Mitsching factory gains royal appointment. Gustav Emil Knoth founds workshop in Markneukirchen (workshop lasts until 1970s, later managed by son Kurt Knoth). Hüttl workshop commences supplying Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra.
- 1902 Josef Monke apprenticed to Max Enders workshop in Mainz.
- 1903 Reinhold Oskar Ullmann employed by Penzel workshop after studying under Gustav Erhard Ullmann.
- 1904 Moritz of Berlin acquires workshop in Dresden employing Gustav Adorf Wagner. Philipp Johann Christoph Alexander born to Friedrich Sebastian Anton Alexander.
- 1907 Reinhold Oskar Ullmann takes over Penzel workshop.
- 1909 Fritz Kruspe dies, succeeded by widow.
- 1911 Josef Monke apprenticed to Fritz Werner in Wiesbaden (to 1912). Meets Vincenz Schrottenbach, trumpet virtuoso.
- 1913 Friedrich Sebastian Anton Alexander dies.
- 1914 (Sept. 14) Vincenz Schrottenbach moves to New York and changes name to Vincent Bach.
- 1916 Georg Philipp Alexander jr. killed at Verdun. Alexander workshop managed by widows of Friedrich Sebastian Anton Alexander and Georg Philipp Alexander jr. and uncle Franz Anton Alexander.
- 1918 Herbert Lätzsch born. Vincent Bach workshop founded in New York.
- 1920 Georg Wendler (Eduard Kruspe’s son-in-law) takes over Kruspe workshop.
- 1921 Ernst Dehmel invents F/Eb/Bb contrabass trombone.
- 1922 (Feb. 28) Josef Monke workshop opens in Cologne.
- 1923 Helmut Finke born in Herford.
- 1925 Philipp Johann Christoph Alexander takes over Alexander workshop in Mainz.
- 1930 Gustav Adorf Wagner takes over Dresden workshop, producing own brand of instruments. Max Enders’ workshop in Mainz taken over by son.
- 1936 Rudi Schneider commences employment in Kruspe workshop.
- 1937 Ullmann’s son takes over Ullmann (formerly Sattler, then Penzel) workshop supplying military bands.
- 1938 (11 Sept.) Schopper dies in Leipzig. L. A. Schmidt workshop sold by his widow to Gebr. Alexander in Mainz.
- 1940 Ignaz Hüttl dies.
- 1943 Schopper and Ullmann workshops destroyed in allied air raids. Schopper workshop later reopens briefly after Second World War.
- 1945 Franz Kuhn workshop opens in Bremen. Bohland/Fuchs workshop closes in Graslitz.
- 1948 Schopper workshop closes.
- 1949 (Jan.) Herbert Lätzsch workshop founded in Bremen.
- 1954 Heckel’s son dies. Arno Windisch takes over Heckel workshop in Dresden. Helmut Finke workshop starts to build copies of sackbuts.
- 1955 Franz Kuhn develops Modell Alschausky trombone in collaboration with virtuoso Serafin Alschausky (later known as Modell Kuhn). Franz Kuhn dies, succeeded by Fritz Arno Donstantin (son). Moritz workshop closes down in Berlin.
- 1956 Rudi Schneider takes over Kruspe workshop.
- 1963 (May) Berndt Mayer born in East Berlin.
- 1965 Josef Monke dies. Liselotte Monke (daughter) takes over workshop.
- 1967 Hans-Hermann Nienaber (nephew of Herbert Lätzsch) apprenticed to Lätzsch workshop.
- 1971 Philipp Johann Christoph Alexander dies, succeeded by sons Anton Julius Alexander and Hans Peter Alexander.
- 1973 Helmut Voigt workshop founded in Markneukirchen.
- 1974 Max and Heinrich Thein open workshop in Bremen (after Heinrich completes apprenticeship in Lätzsch workshop). Max Thein studies under Heinrich’s tutelage.
- 1975 Siegfried Cieslik (Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra) co-develops new Bb bass and F contrabass trombones with Lätzsch.
- 1976 Vincent Bach dies.
- 1979 (Jan.) Peter Heldmann takes over Kruspe workshop. Hans-Hermann Nienaber takes over Lätzsch workshop.
- 1992 Arno Windisch dies.
- 1996 Berndt Mayer takes over Heckel workshop in Dresden. All Heckel tools and designs passed to Mayer including large numbers of bell and tool data which survived the allied air raid on Dresden.
- 1997 Stephan Krahforst takes over Monke workshop.
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