Alpine Zither - Image 1

The Schwarzer story is that of the quintessential 19th-century immigrant. Holding the dream of success and with well-honed skills as a European zither and furniture maker, Franz Schwarzer (b. Olmutz, Austria, 8 October 1828-d. Washington, Missouri, 23 February 1904) and his wife, Josephine (d. 1912), left the failing economy of their native Austria and moved to America in 1864, eventually settling in Washington, Missouri. Taking full advantage of the hospitable, post-war business environment, Schwarzer began building zithers, importing the German-silver frets, mother-of-pearl inlay, ivory, and wood veneers from Europe. In 1873, he entered three of his zithers into the International Exhibition in Vienna and won the coveted Gold Medal of Progress. With a staff of up to 25 skilled workers in its heyday, the Schwarzer factory produced both bowed and plucked stringed instruments that were highly-regarded during the luthier's own lifetime. Schwarzer's widow, Josephine, ran the family business after her husband's death. A nephew, Herman Grohe, inherited the business following his aunt's death in 1912. Grohe maintained a small staff of two or three workers who together continued to produce instruments for about a decade, despite a sharp decline in zither sales. Company inventory records from 1920 reveal that there was sufficient inventory remaining in the Schwarzer firm to supply demand for zithers, guitars, mandolins, and accessories until the factory was demolished in the early 1950s. Grohe's wife valiantly tried to keep the factory operational following her husband's death in 1925, allowing some older workers to remain with the firm through the 1930s and 1940s.