Petrof

Petrof is a Czech manufacturer of pianos, headquartered in northeastern Bohemia Hradec Králové ( German Hradec Kralove ).

History

The company was founded in 1864 by Antonín Petrof piano maker ( German Anton Petrof ) in Hradec Králové. This had to be previously trained at several renowned piano manufacturer as Heitzmann, Friedrich Ehrbar and Schweighofer in Vienna. Over the years, the success continued and he was able to rise to a major manufacturer. Its customers included, among other things, the imperial court. Petrof received in 1899 the privilege of k.u.k. Hoflieferanten awarded and the title of a secret privy councilor. The sons were later both titles. 1908, the company was transformed into a general partnership, Petrofs wife Marie was an authorized signatory, the sons Jan, Antonín and Vladimír were part of the operation. Antonín Petrof and Marie died in 1915, the management was taken over by the youngest son Vladimír.

In 1924 pianos were exported to America, Asia and Australia. In London Petrof opened together with Steinway in 1928 a branch office in Wigmore Street. With the entry of Dimitrij, Eduard and Eugene Petrof the third generation of the family business began. The piano maker Petrof was awarded during the World Expo 1935 in Brussels with the Grand Prix. In the period 400 workers were employed on the farm.

In 1948, the manufacturer Petrof was nationalized, was re-privatization between 1991 to 1998. Petrof, which has been run by two sisters of the fifth generation of the Petrof family since 2004, with a year up to 5000 upright pianos and 900 wings in terms of units currently one of the largest piano manufacturer in Europe. Since the beginning of the 21st century, Petrof also strives to innovations in piano. Thus the company developed a device to adjust the weight of the key game of the grand piano action by means of adjustable magnets and be able to adjust according to the preferences of a pianist.

Petrof acquired in 1932 the license for the production of electro- acoustic piano Neo - Bechstein, which was marketed as a neo- Petrof. In the Petrof also manufactures instruments from other brands are manufactured. In branch in Jiříkov ( German Georg Walde ) prefabricated pianos brand Weinbach will be assembled in China. There, until the Second World War had a factory of the company August Förster passed in the Lobau in Saxony has its main plant.