Reichel

Extract

German family of violin and wind instrument makers in Neukirchen (called Markneukirchen after 1858). The family is the largest and oldest such dynasty of the Saxon Vogtland. Up to 1862 it included 54 masters, who unfortunately rarely signed their work. 18 of them were chairmen of the violin makers’ guild. In 1812, nine Reichel violin makers, a double-bass maker, a turner of tuning pegs, and a woodwind and a brass instrument maker worked in Neukirchen. Some of the violin makers were also successful dealers. The last representatives of the family were still working in the mid-20th century, for example August Otto Reichel (b 24 Sept 1873; d Muggendorf, Fränkische Schweiz, 18 April 1968). In brass instrument manufacturing there were eight masters, the companies of August Reichel Jr (founded 1868) and Philip Reichel (founded 1908) gaining importance in the 20th century.

The ancestor of the violin makers was Christianus Reichel (bap. Graslitz, ...