Almost three hundred years have passed since the invention of the hammer action by Bartolomeo Cristofori. The multitude of variations which in the meantime have seen the light of day testify to the art and craftsmanship of musical-instrument makers. For over a century now, Schimmel has been a part of all this.

On May 2, 1885, Wilhelm Schimmel founded the company in a suburb of Leipzig. His being honored with titles of purveyor to royal houses, as well as numerous awards at world expositions and fairs, testify to the quality of his instruments. Down to this day, Schimmel continues to cultivate the fine art and craft of piano manufacturing.

In 1927, the management of the company passed on to the second generation, Wilhelm Arno Schimmel. He relocated the production to Brunswick (Braunschweig), led the family business through difficult years and proved an inspiration to the piano industry, leaving his imprint on an entire epoch of piano designing and opening up new paths with his modern designs

Since 1961, the company has been under the management of the third generation, Nikolaus Wilhelm Schimmel. Under his leadership, Schimmel advanced to become Germany's No. 1 resident family-owned and -operated piano manufacturer, one of the few companies still in the hands of direct descendents of the original founder for over a century. Today Schimmel continues to rank as one of the world's top brands in the piano industry.

Digital technology and electronics will not replace the quality traditional piano in the 21st century, because fine artistry and craftsmanship are things of lasting value. Of this, there's not the slightest doubt in our minds. Which is why we at Schimmel long ago decided to concentrate our efforts exclusively on the manufacturing of traditional pianos.