Ammer

Ammer, formally known as Ammer-Spezialwerkstätten für Historische Tasteninstrumente, was a German workshop dedicated to the construction, restoration and maintenance of historical keyboard instruments. It was founded in 1927 by the brothers Michael and Alois Ammer in Eisenberg, Thuringia. The brothers had moved from Landshut in Bavaria to work in the piano factory of their uncle Josef Ammer, and their involvement in the youth and Wandervogel movement led them to play historical instruments. In cooperation with the Leipzig Musical Instrument Museum, they began building harpsichords, spinets and clavichords from the early 1930s, supplying customers across Europe. The firm survived the Great Depression and the Second World War, but both founders died in 1946. The business was continued by their widows under a employed manager, and in 1951 Michael Ammer's wife Elisabeth took over management, later joined by her daughter Renate Ammer. During this period Ammer KG was the only manufacturer of historical keyboard instruments in the entire Eastern Bloc. In 1965 the carpenter and wood technology engineer Jürgen Ammer (1945–2017) joined the company and took over its management. In 1972 the firm was nationalized, like all other private enterprises in the German Democratic Republic, and integrated into the VEMöbelkombinat Eisenberg. Renate and Jürgen Ammer founded a new workshop for historical keyboard instruments in 1974 in Wiederitzsch near Leipzig. Jürgen Ammer left this new firm in 1984, and it was dissolved in 1988. In 1988 Jürgen Ammer moved to the Federal Republic of Germany and opened a new workshop in Trendelburg in the Weser Uplands, continuing the tradition of the original special workshops. In 2001 the business moved to a new residential and workshop building in Schauenburg-Breitenbach near Kassel. The firm Jürgen Ammer Historische Tasteninstrumente was closed in June 2017 following the death of Jürgen Ammer. Ammer was one of several German manufacturers of series harpsichords as well as historical replicas. Founded in 1927 in Eisenberg, in what later became the GDR, Ammer harpsichords were found throughout Eastern Europe. Their sound is documented on Supraphon recordings by Zuzana Růžičková and Josef Hála, as well as on early Hungaroton recordings by János Sebestyén. The Austrian harpsichordist Isolde Ahlgrimm used two early Ammer harpsichords, one from 1937 and another from 1941, for her Bach edition on Philips.

The firm Ammer-Spezialwerkstätten für Historische Tasteninstrumente was founded in 1927 by the brothers Michael and Alois Ammer in Eisenberg, Thuringia. Both came from Landshut in Bavaria and had moved to Eisenberg to work in the piano factory of their uncle Josef Ammer. Through their membership in the youth and Wandervogel movement they came to making music on historical instruments. In close cooperation with the Musical Instrument Museum in Leipzig, they began building harpsichords, spinets and clavichords of all kinds from the 1930s and soon supplied customers throughout Europe. Despite great economic difficulties, the firm survived the Great Depression and the war, but had to cope with the death of both brothers in 1946 (according to the official website, 1947). After a transitional period with a manager, Michael Ammer's daughter Renate Ammer took over the running of the business. According to the German Wikipedia, the company was initially continued by the widows under an employed manager; in 1951 Michael Ammer's wife Elisabeth took over the management until finally her daughter Renate Ammer joined the management. During this time Ammer KG was the only manufacturer of historical keyboard instruments in the entire Eastern Bloc. In 1965 the carpenter and wood technology engineer Jürgen Ammer (1945–2017) joined the company and took over its management. In 1972 the firm Ammer, like all other private enterprises in the German Democratic Republic, was nationalized. The company was integrated into the VEMöbelkombinat Eisenberg. Renate and Jürgen Ammer founded a new workshop for historical keyboard instruments in 1974 in Wiederitzsch near Leipzig. Jürgen Ammer left this new firm in 1984, and it was dissolved in 1988. In 1988 Jürgen Ammer moved to the Federal Republic of Germany. He opened a new workshop for historical keyboard instruments in Trendelburg in the Weser Uplands, succeeding the original special workshops. In 2001 the business was moved to a new residential and workshop building in Schauenburg-Breitenbach near Kassel. In June 2017 the firm Jürgen Ammer Historische Tasteninstrumente was closed because of the death of Jürgen Ammer. Ammer was one of several German manufacturers of series harpsichords as well as historical replicas. Founded in 1927 in Eisenberg and thus based in the later GDR, Ammer harpsichords were found throughout Eastern Europe. They are documented in sound on Supraphon recordings by Zuzana Růžičková and Josef Hála as well as on early Hungaroton recordings by János Sebestyén. The Austrian harpsichordist Isolde Ahlgrimm used two early Ammer harpsichords, one from the 1937 production and the other from 1941, to record her Bach edition for Philips.

• 2017

  Firm closed in June following the death of Jürgen Ammer.

• 2001

  Business moved to Schauenburg-Breitenbach near Kassel.

• 1988

  Wiederitzsch firm dissolved; Jürgen Ammer moved to West Germany and opened a workshop in Trendelburg.

• 1984

  Jürgen Ammer left the Wiederitzsch firm.

• 1974

  Renate and Jürgen Ammer founded a new workshop in Wiederitzsch near Leipzig.

• 1972

  Company nationalized and integrated into VEMöbelkombinat Eisenberg.

• 1965

  Jürgen Ammer joined the company and took over management.

• 1951

  Elisabeth Ammer took over management.

• 1946

  Death of both founders; company continued by widows under an employed manager.

• 1930

  Began building harpsichords, spinets and clavichords in cooperation with the Leipzig Musical Instrument Museum.

• 1927

  Founded by brothers Michael and Alois Ammer in Eisenberg, Thuringia.

Specialist workshop for historical keyboard instruments, known for both series production and historical replicas.

• Harpsichords

• Spinets

• Clavichords

1. 1Startseiteammer-cembalo.de
2. 2Firmengeschichteammer-cembalo.de
3. 3Ammer (Instrumentenbau)de.wikipedia.org
4. 4Ammerwikidata.org