As early as the 16th century, lute and violin makers from Füssen left their homelands to settle in cities such as Venice, Bologna and Lyon.
The wave of emigration of instrument makers from southern Germany during the 30 Years War (1618-1648) is a testament to the craftsmen’s struggle to survive.
↘︎ Füssen
Many of the emigrants established themselves in Italy and contributed significantly to the flourishing of Italian violin making.
In the 20th century, we also witnessed the demise and reconstruction of a violin-making culture with the expulsion of the Sudeten German instrument makers from Bohemia to West Germany as an example:
↘︎ Bubenreuth