My Genealogy Hound

Franz Schwarzer, manufacturer of zithers in Washington, Mo., is a native of Olmutz, Austria, born in 1828, and the son of Anton and Marie (Strnad) Schwarzer. The father was contractor for buildings, and also engaged in the manufacture of furniture. Franz was sent to the gymnasium at Olmutz, and subsequently spent three years at the Polytechnic Institute at Vienna, where he learned the principles of architecture, wood carving and ornamentation. Re turning from college, he received instruction on the zither from the celebrated composer, Ludwig Ritter Von Ditrich, a member of the Austrian nobility. As soon as Mr. Schwarzer learned to play on the instrument he began to study the principles involved in its construction. Being something of a mechanical genius for one of his age, he went to his father’s shop at Olmutz, and there worked incessantly to improve the zither. His first efforts were so successful that they attracted the attention of the renowned composer, Carl J. F. Umlant, of Vienna, who repeatedly urged the young man to go to Vienna and manufacture the improved instrument and thus win fame and fortune, but our subject had made up his mind to emigrate to America. Accordingly, in 1864, he sailed to the United States, and settled near Holstein, Warren Co., Mo., and began tilling the soil. At the end of two years he became convinced that farming was an occupation better suited for some one else than for himself, and in 1866 sold out and came to Washington, where he began earning a living by erecting altars, pulpits and other fancy wood work. While so engaged he thought of his improvement on the zither of Austria. Inquiry developed the fact that there was no such manufactory in the United States, and that the instrument was almost wholly unknown here. Mr. Schwarzer made no excitement about the matter, but made a zither now and then for a friend, until he opened a shop and began to devote his entire time and attention to the manufacture of the same. His capital was limited, and he was compelled to go slowly. Gradually his instrument began to be heard of in Europe, and soon he had a foreign demand he was not able to supply. His business has constantly increased until he now employs eleven men, and his instruments have been sold in every State, and are also quite well established in Germany, Austria, France, Spain England and Mexico. Prior to 1862 only two kinds of zithers were manufactured in the world, and they in Europe. They were the prime or common style and elege. Mr. Schwarzer’s first improvement was called the concert. He has since made the following: Arion harp, harp zither, with forty-three and forty-four strings; harp zither, with thirty-eight strings; arion, violin and ‘cello. In 1873 he sent three finely-made instruments to Vienna Exposition, and received a massive gold medal as the first prize over about thirty European competitors. He has made over 3,000 instruments in all, and last July celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of his manufactory. The wood used in its manufacture is of two kinds—spruce, obtained from Boston, and segoya giganta, of California. March 1, 1859, Mr. Schwarzer married Miss Josephine Pettera, a native of Brunn, Moravia, Austria, born in 1836. He has a nephew, Charles Grohe, living with him, also a niece, Tbressa, sister to Charles, and he is a guardian to both. He is a Republican in politics, and was chief of the fire department in Washington for several years.