author
August Riechers
1836–1893
A celebrated 19th-century German violin maker and writer, he brought practical workshop knowledge to the page in a classic treatise on how violins are built. His life moved from Hanover to Berlin, where his craftsmanship earned lasting respect among musicians and instrument historians.
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About the author
Born in Hanover in 1836, August Riechers trained as a violin maker after briefly beginning an apprenticeship with a piano manufacturer. He later worked in Markneukirchen and Leipzig before establishing his own business in Hanover in 1862.
In 1872 he moved to Berlin, reportedly on the advice of the violinist Joseph Joachim. There he built a strong reputation as a violin and bow maker and was later recognized as one of the notable German makers of the 19th century.
Riechers is also remembered as the author of Die Geige und ihr Bau (The Violin and the Art of its Construction), a treatise connected with his deep knowledge of violin making and repair. He died in Berlin in 1893, and the work was published after his death.