Many crafts originated in Bavaria, such as the beautiful Lüftlmalerei (facade painting) from Oberammergau and Mittenwald. But the people of our state were not only familiar with paintbrushes, they were also skilled with musical instruments. In a small town in the Oberallgäu region, near the border with Austria, lute and violin making was so important that today it is considered the cradle of this craft in Europe. You can still trace this tradition in Füssen today.
From a village in southern Bavaria across the continent
Photo: Hans/Pixabay
Winter in Europe is long, and in the Middle Ages it was even longer. This made farming difficult and led people to specialize in other crafts. In Füssen, this was the construction of lutes and violins, which was not least due to the availability of the necessary raw materials. Only wood from mountain forests, such as spruce, maple, and yew, which is abundant on the edge of the Alps, is used for violins. Furthermore, Füssen was located on the Via Claudia Augusta trade route, which connected Venice and Augsburg, and goods were shipped to Vienna and Budapest via the Lech River.
Violin and lute making flourished, which is why the farmers of Füssen joined together in 1562 to form Europe’s first lute makers’ guild. At that time, the village had a population of just 2,000, of whom up to 20 worked as master lute makers. The establishment of the guild meant that only a limited number of masters were able to work in Füssen. So the instrument makers migrated to the metropolises of Europe, where the large opera houses had a great demand for violins.
They were particularly prevalent in Italian cities such as Venice, Rome, and Naples, which was also reflected in the adaptation of their names. They continued to source their wood from Füssen. The Napoleonic Wars finally put an end to the craft in the 19th century: the poor economic situation meant that the last remaining violin makers ceased their operations.
Violin making in Füssen today
Photo: Baher Khairy/Unsplash
The tradition of instrument making in Füssen experienced an unexpected renaissance in the 1980s: in 1982, Pierre Chaubert from Geneva and Urs Langenbacher founded a workshop for guitar and violin making in Füssen, thus reviving the craft. The journeymen from the workshop later opened their own businesses, reviving the craft. So even today, you can still purchase and play an original Füssen violin.
But the tradition is also visible in other places and is still alive today. Visit the permanent exhibition at the city museum to learn more about instrument making in Füssen and see historical examples. At the Brotmarkt, there is a fountain with a statue of the master builder Caspar Tieffenbrucker, who emigrated to France during his lifetime and founded the French lute-making school. At Ritterstraße 11, you will find a commemorative plaque for Simpert Niggel. He is considered the most famous violin maker in Füssen and grew up in this house. Today, 15 instruments that he built in the 18th century still exist.
Since 2003, Füssen has also hosted the annual “Vielsaitig” festival. Here you can celebrate violin making and music in equal measure. This year, you can visit the festival from September 2 to 9 and look forward to eight concerts, exciting lectures, and master classes. The concerts are played in the Kaisersaal of the baroque St. Mang monastery, which also houses the city museum.