If you enter the time-honoured "Schuster Villa" on Pestalozzistrasse in Markneukirchen, you might well believe that you had stepped back in time several centuries.

The wood, paint and metal combine to form an unusual aroma. The wooden panelling, stairs and balconies are awe-inspiring. The sounds and melodies from different woodwind instruments drift through the room. It is a unique atmosphere. "We could only hope for this effect when we moved the headquarters of our musical instrument making company to this building in 2001. What was more important then was to combine the two old business premises in a common building locally," says Veit Schindler, managing partner of Gebrüder Mönnig - Holzblasinstrumente GmbH, with a smile on his face.

He points out that the move back then was particularly necessary in order to create better production conditions. The prospects for the firm, which emerged from the Gebrüder Mönnig and Oscar Adler companies to form a new limited company in 1990, were not particularly rosy at the turn of the millennium.

Veit Schindler received a phone call from business partners in 1999 asking him whether he wanted to help the instrument manufacturer in Markneukirchen.

"It's unacceptable for a company with a tradition going back more than 100 years to fail, so I thought I would join," he recalls. 

This marked the start of the second creative period for him in the Vogtland region. He moved to Markneukirchen to work at the Institute for Musical Instrument Making as a graduate acoustics expert following his university studies in 1989. In the confusion caused by the fall of the Berlin Wall, he landed in the musical instrument business.

He has now been living and working in the Vogtland region for 16 years, is married and has one daughter - and is an ambassador for the Vogtland region. "I can use the company to demonstrate the potential that is available in the Vogtland region - it is a synonym for strong will, tradition and innovation", he says, declaring his message. 

After some very tough years, Gebrüder Mönnig Holzblasinstrumente GmbH is once again in great demand in the international market. "That is mainly due to the loyalty, ability and willingness to learn on the part of our employees," says the 55-year-old, referring to the incredible performance of his team. By using traditional machines and the latest CNC technology, the employees manage to produce superb instruments with their unbelievable craftsmanship skills. It takes between 100 and 300 working hours to make a bassoon, for example, depending on the model, and there are once again many well-known soloists or orchestras playing an oboe, a clarinet or a bassoon from the Gebrüder Mönnig company.

"What's important is that we not only provide our instruments at a large number of trade fairs, but also invite musicians to visit the company," says Veit Schindler, referring to more than 60 master-class courses for over 500 participants from about 50 different countries. When organising and holding these classes, but also in our production or looking after visitors to Musicon Valley, we work with other instrument manufacturers, with the town of Markneukirchen or with the "Experience Musical Instrument Making in Musicon Valley Association".  

The final concerts for the master classes are held in the very special foyer of the Schuster villa. Musicians often take an instrument home with them after the course, as a kind of message from the Vogtland region.

Vita Veit Schindler

• Born in 1961
• Studied to become an acoustics expert at Dresden University of Technology
• Has been in Markneukirchen since 1999
• Now managing partner of Gebrüder Mönnig –  Holzblasinstrumente GmbH