author
August Riechers
1836–1893
Known for bringing a craftsperson’s eye to the violin, this 19th-century German maker left behind a detailed, practical book on how great instruments are built. His work connects the workshop bench with the history and sound of the Stradivarius tradition.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in Hanover in 1836, August Riechers was a German violin and bow maker who became known for the quality of his craftsmanship and his expertise with older instruments. Sources about his life describe him as the son of a musician, and note that he trained in instrument making before establishing himself professionally in Hanover and later in Berlin.
Riechers is especially remembered as the author of Die Geige und ihr Bau (later published in English as The Violin and the Art of its Construction). The book reflects a maker’s practical understanding of how violins are designed, repaired, and judged, with a special interest in the Stradivarius tradition.
He died in Berlin in 1893, around the time his best-known book was being prepared for publication. Today, he is remembered both as a respected 19th-century luthier and as a writer who helped explain the craft of violin making to later generations.