Gebrüder Perzina Hof-Pianoforte-Fabrikanten
It all began on a Saturday morning. The calendar read July 1st, 1871 and for many of us this would be a day like no other. It was just after 9 o’clock on this typical German summer morning when Julius and Albert Perzina, sons of Anton Perzina; a Saxon piano builder, together with a handful of skilled craftsmen proudly walked down to Fernsprecher No.189
in Schwerin, North Germany, and painted their name on the dilapidated gable of an old piano factory, thus laying the foundation for their own piano production business. The ceremony was short and simple, yet highly emotional. Standing underneath the freshly painted “Gebrüder Perzina Hof-Pianoforte-Fabrikanten” sign (interpreted to “Perzina Brothers Piano Manufactory”) Albert and Julius addressed their staff of twelve, and laid down the one single rule that was to govern their work: “To build a piano with an outstanding sound, beautiful design and the ability to offer pleasure for generations to come; all at an affordable price”. Moments later, this old large workshop would open its doors for the first time to the two motivated brothers and their twelve highly trained craftsmen. The small town of Schwerin, home to no more than 40,000 at that time, was soon about to receive international attention from the work of the Perzinas. Perzina, the early years:
Both, Julius and Albert were well trained piano builders. They were, after all, sons of a Saxon piano builder and as such, they wanted to continue the family tradition. However, their wish to become the best they could be, led them to work for different piano makers before even considering to work on their own. They received thorough training in all skills needed to build the perfect instrument and learned methods and techniques rooted in the rich traditions of centuries. During these apprentice years, they worked for many different piano makers; the best known of them being the factory of the famous Carl Bechstein. In their late twenties, confident and competent with the training and knowledge they gained from their travels, Julius and Albert felt ready to implement what they’ve learned into an instrument of their own. Together with their crew of 12, the Perzina brothers worked purely according to traditional methods, from the refined woodwork to the casting of the frames and in the first year of their operation 20 pianos were produced with the name “Gebr.Perzina” proudly appearing on the lid – all hand-crafted masterpieces! The Perzina pianos were received with enthusiasm and the compliments by pianists and musicians were succeeding one another. Exhibitions brought medals, diplomas and other paraphernalia and contributed to the wider recognition of the brand which became synonymous to quality. In 1883, His Highness the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin named Perzina “Piano Supplier to the Court” and more Royal warrants of appointment were soon to follow, including those of H.M. Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, H.M. the Duke of Anhalt. In 1897, Daniel Huss, Julius Perzina’s son-in-law, took the reins of the company and helped it expand even further. What started a few years before with an annual production of twenty, developed into a major operation of almost one thousand pianos. Perzina pianos were already exported to Europe and beyond: Amsterdam, Antwerp, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Caracas, Constantinople, Cape Town, London, Madrid, Paris, Vienna and more cities of major cultural importance. Daniel Huss remained in charge of the “Gebrüder Perzina Hof-Pianoforte-Fabrikanten” until 1917 when on August 23rd of that year, the famed aviator Anthony Fokker (nicknamed “the Flying Dutchman”) took over. He received from Huss a major operation in brand new premises and 400 employees! Perzina, the troublesome period:
After the end of “the Great War” (WWI) in 1918, Anthony Fokker leased the factory to manufacturer Otto Libeau. As of April 1920, Perzina began the production of furniture alongside its pianos and further changes were implemented in a period that later became known as Perzina’s “dark ages”. In the 1930s, Schwerin piano builder Wilhelm Meyer joint forces with Otto Libeau to continue with the making of the pianos under the company’s new, shorter name: "Gebr.Perzina GmbH". Libeau left the company in the mid-30s and Meyer led the company in the years that followed. The Perzina Haus; the wonderful Concert Hall in Wismarsche str. 153, was abandoned, and today this historical building accommodates Schwerin’s Library. In the late 1950s the company was taken over by the Berliner piano manufacturer Friedrich Geil, who moved the construction facilities to newer and larger premises in nearby Lenzen, some 70km away from the founding location in Schwerin. Perzina, the golden years:
The House of Mecklenburg maintained close connections to the Netherlands with perhaps the greatest example being the marriage of H.R.H. Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands with H.H. Grand Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1901 in The Hague. Perzina pianos were endorsed by many royals, amongst them the Royal Court of the Netherlands. It was therefore inevitable that the renaissance of “Gebrüder Perzina Hof-Pianoforte-Fabrikanten” and the revival of the instruments would come from yet another Dutchman. Following the huge changes in the political and geographical scenery of Europe in the late 1980s, piano entrepreneur Ronald Gerdinus Bol from the Dutch capital city of Amsterdam purchased in 1993 the complete ownership of the 122-year-old firm. For the first time after several decades, the future of “Gebr.Perzina” pianos seemed to be bright again. The tireless new owner of the company was determined to restore the lost glory of the past. Today, the pianos are built in much the same way as they did back in 1871. Completely hand crafted, with the utmost attention to even the finest of details and with the best available material. Strings, hammers, action parts, pin blocks and tuning pins from Germany, spruce from Austria, polyester from Switzerland, woods from Australia, veneers from Germany, France and the United States, all contribute to the unparalleled quality of the Perzina pianos.
