Förster & Nicolaus Orgelbau

Förster & Nicolaus Orgelbau is a German organ-building workshop based in Lich, Hesse. Founded in 1842 by Johann Georg Förster, it is one of the older continuously operating organ workshops in Germany and has remained active into the 2020s. The firm describes itself on its website as having crafted and restored the "Queen of Instruments" for over 180 years, offering new organ construction, restoration, and service. The workshop was founded by Johann Georg Förster, who had trained with leading organ builders of his time and established his own business in Lich in 1842, succeeding Johann Georg Bürgy of Giessen, who had died without a successor in 1841. In 1883 Karl Nicolaus joined the firm, later becoming Förster's son-in-law and partner, and in 1900 sole owner, giving the company its enduring name "Förster und Nicolaus." The firm was run as a family business across four generations until 1988, when two long-serving employees, Joachim (Jochen) Müller and Martin Müller, took over in equal shares. After Joachim Müller's death, Martin Müller led the company until 2023. Since 2024, employees Rainer Bingel and Thomas Küpper have been the owners and managing directors. Over its history the workshop has built more than 700 new organs and restored numerous historic instruments. Its early territory covered Rheinhessen and Oberhessen; after the Second World War it expanded to the regions around Mainz, Frankfurt am Main, and Wiesbaden. In 2017 the company had 13 employees and about 1,000 maintenance contracts. The firm's work spans traditional mechanical slider chests, cone chests, and suspended-valve chests, as well as pioneering pneumatic systems; it is also known for restorations that preserve historic substance and for incorporating historic façades into new instruments.

Förster & Nicolaus Orgelbau was founded in 1842 in Lich by Johann Georg Förster. Förster was the son of Conrad Förster, the town shepherd of Lich, and first came into contact with organ building at age 14 when he assisted the organ builder Hartmann Bernhard of Romrod during a repair at the St. Marien-Stiftskirche in Lich. He then apprenticed with his uncle, master carpenter Alexander Schneider in Steinbach (Giessen district), before going to Romrod to learn organ building with Hartmann Bernhard. He later worked as a journeyman with the organ builders Dreymann (Mainz), Bürgy (Giessen), and Krämer (Leusel), whose daughter he married. In 1842 he established his own workshop in Lich, succeeding Johann Georg Bürgy of Giessen, who had died without a successor in 1841. Förster built traditional mechanical slider-chest organs as well as cone-chest and suspended-valve-chest instruments. One organ in Butzbach was equipped with flap-valve chests, a novel pneumatic system patented by H. Dietz and C. Nicolaus on 16 November 1892 (patent no. 72546). Förster's style was characterized by transmission chests with double sliders. In 1883 Karl Nicolaus of Steinbach (Giessen district) joined the business as an assistant. He later became Förster's son-in-law and partner, and in 1900 took over as sole owner of the firm, which was then renamed "Förster und Nicolaus." Carl Nicolaus (born 9 November 1860 in Steinbach near Giessen; died 24 October 1929 in Lich) had been a journeyman in the workshop from 1884, married Förster's daughter Louise (1862–1956) in 1889, and became a partner before becoming sole owner in 1900. Nicolaus further developed the pneumatic action, which from 1892 entered in the form of tube pneumatics as his own invention, though it proved unreliable. Another new form with freely suspended, downward-opening valves also failed to gain acceptance, so in 1900 the firm returned to the pneumatic cone chest. This action system was retained until the early 1920s. In new organ construction, historic façades were frequently incorporated. Karl Nicolaus's sons Karl (born 5 May 1891 in Lich; died 28 May 1924 in Lich) and Ernst (born 23 April 1897 in Lich; died 26 August 1966 in Lich), who learned organ building in their father's workshop and trained further with various other firms—including Koulen in Strasbourg-Oppenau and Augsburg, Faust in Barmen, and Seifert in Cologne and Kevelaer—became partners in 1923. From 1923 to 1927 they built 127 harmoniums. From 1927 Otto Heuss was works manager; he became self-employed in Lich in 1953, specializing as a supplier of consoles and other organ parts. After their father's death, Ernst Nicolaus led the firm from 1929 in the third generation. The Orgelbewegung (organ reform movement) exerted a lasting influence on dispositions from the 1930s. Fritz Abend, who had been artistic director and voicer at Eule and had participated in the restoration of Gottfried Silbermann's organs, joined the Lich firm in 1947. He worked with Helmut Walcha, advocated retaining historic actions, and rejected pneumatic conversions. In new organs after the Second World War, the electric cone chest was introduced and used into the 1960s. From 1951 the first positive organs with mechanical slider chests were built again; from 1953 smaller organs, and from 1960 larger organs as well. Manfred Nicolaus (born 25 April 1926 in Lich; died 1 March 2014), son of Ernst Nicolaus, learned organ building in the family workshop and deepened his knowledge with Mönch (Überlingen) and Åkerman & Lund (Stockholm). He became a partner in 1960 and led the company from 1966 to 1988. He introduced the historically oriented organ building he had encountered in Sweden into new organs and substance-preserving restoration projects. Under his leadership, the unrelated Joachim (Jochen) Müller (born 7 March 1959 in Büdingen; died 1 February 2017) began his organ-building apprenticeship in 1974 and Martin Müller (born 8 October 1958 in Sellnrod) in 1976. Jochen Müller trained further with Rudolf von Beckerath, and both trained with the Giesecke firm. Study trips to significant European organ landscapes followed. In 1986 both passed their master examinations and in 1988 took over the company in equal shares. This phase of the firm's history was marked above all by restorations of historic organs and less by new construction. After Joachim Müller's death, Martin Müller led the company until 2023. Since 2024, the previous employees Rainer Bingel (born 8 July 1970) and Thomas Küpper (born 18 April 1965) have been owners and managing directors. After the firm's territory initially covered Rheinhessen and Oberhessen, it expanded after the Second World War to the areas around Mainz, Frankfurt am Main, and Wiesbaden. In 2017 the company had 13 employees and about 1,000 maintenance contracts. Since its founding, more than 700 new organs have been built and numerous historic organs restored. The company works with about 1,000 contract partners.

• 2024

  Rainer Bingel and Thomas Küpper become owners and managing directors.

• 2023

  Martin Müller ends his leadership of the company.

• 2017

  The company has 13 employees and about 1,000 maintenance contracts.

• 1988

  Joachim Müller and Martin Müller take over the company in equal shares, ending four generations of family ownership.

• 1986

  Joachim Müller and Martin Müller pass their master examinations.

• 1966

  Manfred Nicolaus takes over management until 1988.

• 1960

  Manfred Nicolaus becomes a partner; larger organs are built again from this year.

• 1951

  The firm again builds positive organs with mechanical slider chests.

• 1947

  Fritz Abend joins the Lich firm, advocating historic actions and rejecting pneumatic conversions.

• 1929

  Ernst Nicolaus leads the firm in the third generation after his father's death.

• 1923

  Karl and Ernst Nicolaus become partners; they build 127 harmoniums until 1927.

• 1900

  Karl Nicolaus becomes sole owner; the firm is renamed "Förster und Nicolaus."

• 1892

  H. Dietz and C. Nicolaus patent a novel pneumatic flap-valve chest system (patent no. 72546).

• 1889

  Karl Nicolaus marries Louise Förster, daughter of the founder.

• 1883

  Karl Nicolaus joins the business as an assistant.

• 1842

  Johann Georg Förster founds his own organ workshop in Lich, succeeding Johann Georg Bürgy of Giessen.

Traditional German organ-building workshop combining historic craft with restoration expertise; known for mechanical slider-chest organs and preservation-oriented restorations.

• New pipe organs (Neubauten)

  Over 700 new organs built since 1842, ranging from small positive organs to multi-manual instruments.

• Restorations (Restaurierungen)

  Numerous restorations of historic organs, especially under Manfred Nicolaus and the Müller era.

• Service and maintenance

  About 1,000 maintenance contracts as of 2017.

• Mechanical slider-chest organs

  Traditional action type built by the firm, reintroduced from 1951.

• Cone-chest and suspended-valve-chest organs

  Alternative chest types built historically by the firm.

• Pneumatic and electro-pneumatic actions

  Including tube pneumatics patented in 1892 and electric cone chests used after WWII.

1. 1FÖRSTER & NICOLAUS - ORGELBAU - official websitefoerster-nicolaus-orgelbau.de
2. 2Firmengeschichte - foerster-nicolaus-orgelbau.defoerster-nicolaus-orgelbau.de
3. 3Förster & Nicolaus Orgelbau - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Förster & Nicolaus Orgelbau - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org