H.R. Pfretzschner (1857-1921)
By combining French, German, and English influences, Hermann Richard Pfretzschner secured his place in music history with a truly international style of bow-making. Born in Germany’s “Musikwinkel,” he displayed musical talent from a young age, and he began training under his father, Carl Richard Pfretzschner. In 1871, Pfretzschner travelled to Paris to work in Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume’s workshop, where he studied under legendary archetier François Nicolas Voirin. Voirin had a profound influence on the young Pfretzschner, whose early bows are often exact copies of Voirin’s models.
In 1880, Pfretzschner established his own workshop in Markneukirchen. The House of Saxony recognized Pfretzschner’s craftsmanship in 1901 by naming him the “purveyor to the Royal Saxon Court,” and Pfretzschner began stamping his new coat of arms on his frogs. Pfretzschner’s business expanded to include a Dresden workshop from 1910 to 1914. As he developed, Pfretzschner combined English bow aesthetics with Voirin’s models to create his own signature style. He passed his business to his sons in 1914, and, despite the political upheaval of the twentieth century, the company still makes quality bows stamped with Pfretzschner’s coat of arms.
