Ibach

Schwelm, Germany

Johannes Adolph Ibach was born in 1766 in Germany. In 1794, at the age of 28, he opened his piano production workshop in Baeyenburg, having learnt organ making and restored church organs. In 1825, his son Carl Rudolph Ibach took the reins and opened a bigger factory in Wuppertal-Barmen. He improved the design of the pianos and cemented the factory’s reputation. He introduced cast-iron frames into their products. He died in 1863, with production having reached 1,000 pianos and a worldwide reputation. His son Rudolph succeeded him. He modernised the factory, and developed the brand’s reputation and a distribution network. He moved in musical circles and met Liszt, Brahms and Wagner. His pianos were known for their excellent musical quality. The business became simply Rud. Ibach & Sohne. He died in 1892, and his wife Hulda Ibach managed the firm until his son became old enough to manage such a large business, with factories in Barmen, Schwelm and Berlin. In 1900, production had reached 38,600 units. The first world war did not have a big impact on the firm, as in 1920 production had reached 82,100 pianos. Adolph Ibach took the reins from his father Rudolph, who died in 1940, when piano no. 98300 was made. The factory was completely destroyed during the second world war, with production not beginning again until the 6th generation of the Ibachs relaunched the business in 1952. The company has now closed.