The Glier family in Markneukirchen

The guild of the violin makers

The first mention of the surname "Gluer / Glier" can be traced back to around 1542 in Neukirchen. The further development of the family can only be tracked with much difficulty, as the parish registers of Markneukirchen start with the year 1748. Thus the only mention of family members is within documents and certificates. One such reference can be found in the Book for Art and Handicraft of the honorable Art of Violinmaking in Markneukirchen of 1677. The making of violins was brought from the Bohemian Graslitz to Markneukirchen. Around 1652 the Counter Reformation broke into Graslitz. Almost all violin makers of Graslitz went into exile due to their Prostestant belief. They found their new home in neighboring Markneukirchen. On March 6th, 1677 twelve masters received the confirmation of their guild through Duke Moritz of Saxonia. Gliers were also taken as masters into the guild between 1677 and 1772:

Violinmakers and trade

Lütgendorff critical remarks, that the beginning Art of violin making in Markneukirchen became dilapidated to a craft. Quotation: ".. and as the end of the 18th century draws closer, the cheaper and worse the violins of the Vogtland got." [7; page 264]. Mass production came up. Many violin makers employed homeworkers and operated as traders. That resulted in an economic uprise of Markneukirchen. Even in the family Glier traders are found:
 

Anzeige der Firma Clemens August Glier


Kuhlohorn, 1910

At the turn of the century the company August Clemens Glier was well known. After the death of August Clemens (1897) his sons Paul and Otto took over the company. After Otto's death in 1914, Paul continued as the sole owner. A valvewinghorn (so-called Kuhlohorn) from August Clemens Gliers production can be found in a collection of the Museum for Musicinstruments in Berlin. This special form was developed by means of the priest D. Johannes Kuhlo of Bethel (Institute of Bodelschwing in Bielefeld) for the prostestant trombone choir.


 

Since 1893 up to 1929/30 the stringmaking factory of C. G. Glier and sons, founded 1830, did commercials for their products in Paul de Wit's "Worldaddressbook of the industry of music instruments". Zoebisch writes on page 130 concerning the company C. G. Glier, that the founder could not be traced. 

The magazine "Zeitschrift für Instrumentenkunde" (ZfI 51th year, page 86/87) writes on behalf of the 100-year existence of the company in 1931 that Christian Gottfried Glier (* 1781+1855) has been the founder. After the church register entries he was a tanner and tax inspector. However, founder could also have been his brother, the string maker and trader of musical instruments Christian Gottlob Glier (* 1787 +1858). In 1838 Christian Gottfried Glier (* 1817 + 1878), the son of the tanner Christian Gottfried Glier married the daughter of his uncle Christian Gottlob, Christiane Wilhelmine. The son mentioned in the company name would be in that case the son-in-law of Christian Gottlob. Son and son-in-law at the same time is Christian Gottfried Glier (* 1817+1878). In the second generation the company is in his hands. After another two generations of family property Max Adler purchased the company on November 8th, 1809. 


Markenzeichen der Firma C.G.Glier&Sohn
Anzeige der Firma C.G. Glier & Sohn von 1909

 

The following postcard addressed to Osmar Reinhold Glier (* 1857  + 1940) gives evidence on how far the trade was spreaded throughout the world. He was a brother of August Clemens Glier. On this card missionary Göhring from Cameroon complained that with the delivery of school-violins half a dozen tuning-pegs were missing.

 

 

Also multi-language commercials are an evidence for the world wide trading. (see picture below):

Another trading company, founded 1884 from Ernst Rudolf Glier (* 1862  + 1930), still exists today.

The composer 

Hermann Friedrich Glier

Hermann F. Glier, born 1891 in Markneukirchen, was son of the double bass and cello maker Hermann Glier. With 10 years of age he learned playing the violin and piano. He obtained the basics for his later educational and artistic work on a teacher training college in Plauen. After WW1 he started his activities as a teacher in his hometown Markneukirchen. Beside his teaching post, which ended 1945, he gave piano lessons up to his last years of life. After WW2 he was a teacher for religious education (R.E.) working for the church and at the same time he was an organist at the Nicolai-church in Markneukirchen. Friedrich Glier worked as a composer, too. His opus-list contained 86 opusnumbers. A commemorative plaque for the teacher, musician and composer Friedrich Glier can be found on the house of his father in the Breite Straße 1 in Markneukirchen.


 
 

Friedrich Glier Gedenktafel The city of Markneukirchen named one of its streets after Friedrich Glier:

F.-Glier-Strasse in Markneukirchen

 

If more information are needed about Markneukirchen or the Musical Instruments Museum in the "Glierhaus am Bienengarten", renamed Paulus-Schössel (Paulus-castle) , please use the link. This side contains further links (some only German!). A visit to Markneukirchen is certainly worth the time.

last update: Aug 29, 2005