Heinrich Theodore Heberlein, Jr

Heinrich Theodore Heberlein Jr. was born in the Vogtland region of Germany in 1843. He studied violin-making under his father, Carl August Heberlein, at the Heberlein workshop in Markneukirchen. Later, he moved to Leipzig to study under Ludwig Bausch and then to Hanover to study under August Riechers. Heinrich’s work became recognizable through his artistic uses of varnish and the high quality materials he used. Players praised his instruments for the clarity of their sound and masterful craftsmanship.

Heinrich Heberlein was able to combine his talent as a luthier with his knowledge of business, soon becoming the most famous of his family members. He established his own independent workshop in Markneukirchen in 1863. Heberlein entered the trading business while never sacrificing the quality of the instruments he made himself, often building on the techniques he noticed to produce better instruments than the ones on the market. Throughout his career, he was awarded over a dozen medals. He was also given the title of Knight of the Saxonian Albrecht Order. Later in his life, he taught at the Markneukirchen violin making school.