BRAND HISTORY
Prosperous years Brand history
Please follow us on a short trip in the history of PETROF. Looking back on the past, from the establishment of the company by Antonín Petrof to the present, PETROF and its family brand FIBICH has become a well-known European piano brand. Let us look back at the memorable history of PETROF FIBICH Piano.
1853
BIRTH OF THE COMPANY FOUNDER, ANTONÍN PETROF
1853
The founder of Scholze Piano brand - Frank Scholze was born.
1870s
He was technically minded as well as musically talented. He soon began making musical instruments. He got into making pianos purely by chance, having successfully shortened a Viennese grand piano.
1876
He gained experience in Germany and founded his own piano factory in the Šluknovsko region in 1876.
1880s
Later he moved to Varnsdorf, where he built a new factory for uprights and grands. Scholze’s high quality pianos sold well both locally and abroad.
1900s
Scholze made all four of his sons learn the pianomaker’s craft and sent them to gain experience in overseas firms (Steinway in England, Bechstein in Berlin) where they learnt modern manufacturing procedures.
1914
After returning in 1914 the sons of Mr. Scholze entered the firm to run the pianomaking factory in Jiříkova. The name of the firm was changed to “Scholze & Co.”
1920s
After F. Scholze’s retirement, the company changed its name to “Scholze’s Söhne”. The firm prospered right up.
1945
After the war the company was confiscated and continued operations under an appointed national manager.
1948
In 1948 the company assets were transferred to a nationalised enterprise called Továrna na piana a varhany v Hradec Králové (Hradec Králové Piano and Organ Factory).
1979
In 1979, 103 years after the company was founded, the SCHOLZE brand was acquired by PETROF and became one of the PETROF family brands.
2012
Fiona Musical Group and Czech Petrof Company have reached a strategic cooperation and are responsible for the production and sales of Scholze brand pianos in China.
2017
Scholze pianos use the design patent of the Czech Petrof company - honeycomb iron plate.