Robert Booth Posted May 18, 2007 Share Posted May 18, 2007 Hi, all: Today on eBay there are two different offerings for little red 20 button anglos. they have cherry red ends with fake wood-grain painted onto them; flowered borders around the sleeves. one is offered at $89.00 U.S., the other (nearly identical) for $22.00 U.S. (I don't know how to make links, but they are pretty easy to find). Oddly enough, I just saw one in Dick's Appliance Store in Salem (OR), price negotiable. All are marked with a metal badge "Made in GDR" All this within 3 days. Wonder where these came from? Any ideas why they would show up all at the same time? They're cute. Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted May 18, 2007 Share Posted May 18, 2007 Wonder where these came from? Any ideas why they would show up all at the same time? Robert, From your description these sound like the typical Scholer single-reeded model (the double-reeded one was yellow, and larger) made in Klingenthal, though they were sometimes made especially for distributors and sold under their brand names. For many years, before and after I first took an interest in concertinas, they were just about the only affordable new instruments available, especially in the British Isles, so it may well be that it's simply because they are/were so common.` There do seem to be examples cropping up on eBay all the time ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidFR Posted May 21, 2007 Share Posted May 21, 2007 Hi, all: Today on eBay there are two different offerings for little red 20 button anglos. they have cherry red ends with fake wood-grain painted onto them; flowered borders around the sleeves. one is offered at $89.00 U.S., the other (nearly identical) for $22.00 U.S. (I don't know how to make links, but they are pretty easy to find). Oddly enough, I just saw one in Dick's Appliance Store in Salem (OR), price negotiable. All are marked with a metal badge "Made in GDR" All this within 3 days. Wonder where these came from? Any ideas why they would show up all at the same time? They're cute. Robert The GDR probably stands for German Democratic Republic, so as to distinguish from soviet-controlled East Germany. -David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Husmann Posted May 21, 2007 Share Posted May 21, 2007 The GDR probably stands for German Democratic Republic, so as to distinguish from soviet-controlled East Germany. -David Hello David, it does stand for that. Klingenthal is located in Saxony, close to the border of the Czech Republik. As far as I know always it has always been a town with a lot of instrument constructing. I think the accordion brand "Weltmeister" is as well from Klingenthal. Greetings Christian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Wild Posted May 21, 2007 Share Posted May 21, 2007 The GDR probably stands for German Democratic Republic, so as to distinguish from soviet-controlled East Germany. -David If I remember correctly, the German Democratic Republic was the formal name of East Germany. - John Wild Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Brook Posted May 21, 2007 Share Posted May 21, 2007 (edited) The GDR probably stands for German Democratic Republic, so as to distinguish from soviet-controlled East Germany. -David If I remember correctly, the German Democratic Republic was the formal name of East Germany. - John Wild You are absolutely right John. GDR was soviet/party "spin" which fooled no one. There was hardly anything democratic about it! "Free" West Germany was known as Bundesrepublik Deutschland or BRD which was known in the (English speaking) West as Federal Republic of Germany, or FRG. Edited May 21, 2007 by Peter Brook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted May 21, 2007 Share Posted May 21, 2007 The GDR probably stands for German Democratic Republic, so as to distinguish from soviet-controlled East Germany.Klingenthal is located in Saxony, close to the border of the Czech Republik.As far as I know always it has always been a town with a lot of instrument constructing. I think the accordion brand "Weltmeister" is as well from Klingenthal. And having been there a few times, I can tell you that Klingenthal is so close to the Czech border that the crossing point is in a side street, just off the main road through the town. You couldn't really have got any further east in that region of East Germany! "Weltmeister" (Worldmaster) is now the main factory in Klingenthal, though there are now many fewer employed than there used to be in what the Germans term the Harmonika industry. (Under the Communist Regime everyone had to have a job!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m3838 Posted May 22, 2007 Share Posted May 22, 2007 "Free" West Germany was known as Bundesrepublik Deutschland or BRD which was known in the (English speaking) West as Federal Republic of Germany, or FRG. Just the name FRG brings the memories. Ah, the good times! GDR were good people, calm and friendly. FRG was mean, revanscist and evil. Given the choice, Russian Germans from Kazachstan made it directly to the revanscist and evil. Off topic: are there any German folks from GDR on the forum? How was it? P.S. Given the modern state of events, I would rethink the totalitarianism of GDR. Compared to most modern democracies, GDR was free, moderate and prosperous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Chambers Posted May 22, 2007 Share Posted May 22, 2007 (edited) Given the modern state of events, I would rethink the totalitarianism of GDR. Compared to most modern democracies, GDR was free, moderate and prosperous. Hmmm, all except for the Stasi, and the serious risk of getting shot if you tried to leave the country ... Still, they do now have "Ostologie" - nostalgia for the "good old days" of East Germany, not forgetting their beloved "Trabi" (Trabant) cars! Edited to add links. Edited May 22, 2007 by Stephen Chambers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nontox Posted May 22, 2007 Share Posted May 22, 2007 (edited) Hey It's quite funny to read about all of this, coming from the "free" evil west and having been guest at least once a year in the liberal and philantropic east as a child. I remember the GDR as a country full of - well yes - calm and friendly people closed in by some always smiling guy called Erich Honecker and his folks. The people I met were afraid of talking about their actual thoughts because you could never be sure whether one of the Stasi guys was around to listen carefully. Confessing members of the lutheran church were hardly allowed to study at the technical university and all the letters we got from there had wrinkeled edges at the opening caused by the steam to open and read them at the office before we got them. Talking about the GDR as a lost paradise is as stupid as it is ignorant - sorry for the harsh words - Maybe you know the films "The Lives of Others" or "Good bye Lenin" which show partly the reality, the second mentioned also a bit of the "Ostalgie" someone wrote about earlier. The best to you all Joschi (a German - sorry for any mistakes in my writing) Edited May 22, 2007 by nontox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidFR Posted May 22, 2007 Share Posted May 22, 2007 Of course, my mistake, I really should know better - GDR was the soviet-controlled eastern Germany. Interesting that we have so many Germans on the forum! Maybe I should organize a concertina.net get-together next time I'm visiting my relatives......hrm........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Husmann Posted May 22, 2007 Share Posted May 22, 2007 The GDR probably stands for German Democratic Republic, so as to distinguish from soviet-controlled East Germany.Klingenthal is located in Saxony, close to the border of the Czech Republik.As far as I know always it has always been a town with a lot of instrument constructing. I think the accordion brand "Weltmeister" is as well from Klingenthal. And having been there a few times, I can tell you that Klingenthal is so close to the Czech border that the crossing point is in a side street, just off the main road through the town. You couldn't really have got any further east in that region of East Germany! "Weltmeister" (Worldmaster) is now the main factory in Klingenthal, though there are now many fewer employed than there used to be in what the Germans term the Harmonika industry. (Under the Communist Regime everyone had to have a job!) Hello Stephen, yes I do remember that when the borders have opened the country was flodded with Weltmeister accordions. The quality is more or less good as you just said they were built to be sold not regarding quality aspects in the first place. All these postings make me want to know more about concertinas built in Germany, hopefully I will find some time soon to actually put my ears to the ground. Greetings Christian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Husmann Posted May 22, 2007 Share Posted May 22, 2007 Interesting that we have so many Germans on the forum! Maybe I should organize a concertina.net get-together next time I'm visiting my relatives......hrm........ Please do that! Christian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m3838 Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 HeyIt's quite funny to read about all of this, coming from the "free" evil west and having been guest at least once a year in the liberal and philantropic east as a child. The best to you all Joschi (a German - sorry for any mistakes in my writing) Hey Joschi. No need for explanation, I was joking. I'm from USSR, a country much more liberal and philantropic than GDR. I remember when my friend returned from visiting his sister in East Berlin, somewhere in 1985ish. He gathered crowds. Firstly, he was allowed to go, secondly, he brought some stuff, thirdly - the photos and stories. Compared to our Paradise, GDR's paradise was better paradise. At least you didn't have to roam empty stores for milk and meat. And there was time, when all of a sudden, Weltmeisters were allowed into Russia, and what a phenomenal upgrade they made. 5 rows, with switches, shiny, airtight, multy-voiced. Wow! Russian bayan school started to change. But concertinas were absent. We all knew about them, but they were just a rumor. Oh, and toys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Hersh Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 Christian-- Here is the web site for an active German concertina manufacturer. There are at least two or three bandoneon makers in Germany too. Daniel The GDR probably stands for German Democratic Republic, so as to distinguish from soviet-controlled East Germany.Klingenthal is located in Saxony, close to the border of the Czech Republik.As far as I know always it has always been a town with a lot of instrument constructing. I think the accordion brand "Weltmeister" is as well from Klingenthal. And having been there a few times, I can tell you that Klingenthal is so close to the Czech border that the crossing point is in a side street, just off the main road through the town. You couldn't really have got any further east in that region of East Germany! "Weltmeister" (Worldmaster) is now the main factory in Klingenthal, though there are now many fewer employed than there used to be in what the Germans term the Harmonika industry. (Under the Communist Regime everyone had to have a job!) Hello Stephen, yes I do remember that when the borders have opened the country was flodded with Weltmeister accordions. The quality is more or less good as you just said they were built to be sold not regarding quality aspects in the first place. All these postings make me want to know more about concertinas built in Germany, hopefully I will find some time soon to actually put my ears to the ground. Greetings Christian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Husmann Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 Christian-- Here is the web site for an active German concertina manufacturer. There are at least two or three bandoneon makers in Germany too. Daniel Hello Daniel, yes, bandoneons I heard of some makers and still there are (in this region) a lot of people playing these instruments. As well in the city where I live there is a man who´s specialised in these instruments due to tango workshops and therefore musicians playing for them. Bandoneons can be found quite easily but I mean these concertinas described as: having wooden screws and wooden levers and so on. Acutally the odd red Hohner Anglo can be seen here and there but other instruments ... As I wrote before maybe I´ll find some time to start some research. Christian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marien Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 Hello Christian, Have you seen this thread: this thread It shows good quality English concertina's that have been made in Germany a long time ago. Also I heard from a Bandoneon maker in Belgium that in history, German made anglo's exist with english types of action and individual reed frames (far before Suttner's time). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Worrall Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 Christian-- Here is the web site for an active German concertina manufacturer. There are at least two or three bandoneon makers in Germany too. Daniel Hello Daniel, yes, bandoneons I heard of some makers and still there are (in this region) a lot of people playing these instruments. As well in the city where I live there is a man who´s specialised in these instruments due to tango workshops and therefore musicians playing for them. Bandoneons can be found quite easily but I mean these concertinas described as: having wooden screws and wooden levers and so on. Acutally the odd red Hohner Anglo can be seen here and there but other instruments ... As I wrote before maybe I´ll find some time to start some research. Christian Christian, For your research, here is a nice website with photographs of old German concertinas, a detailed part by part documentation of their parts, photos of the shop of an old builder, and lots of information on current German players. Mostly the Chemnitzer type, but some on the Anglo-German variety. http://web.uni-bamberg.de/ppp/ethnomusikol...na/K-Men%fc.htm Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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