Mechanical musical instruments at the Märkisches Museum, in the background the orchestrion “Fratihymnia” © Stadtmuseum Berlin | photo: Sebastian Ruff
© Stadtmuseum Berlin | Photo: Sebastian Ruff

Pianola, orchestrion, gramophone and more

The Sunday demonstration of mechanical musical instruments at the Märkisches Museum has a long tradition. With multi-year renovation work on the museum set to begin soon, the demonstration has been made exclusively available in this video.

by Anne Franzkowiak

The Stadtmuseum Berlin’s collection includes an impressive variety of mechanical musical instruments, also called automatophones, including barrel organs (also called crank organs), player pianos (or pianolas) and unique objects like the “Fratihymnia” orchestrion which mimics the sound of an entire chamber orchestra. Roughly the size of a wardrobe, this mechanical instrument could be heard in a restaurant at Schönhauser Allee 51 from 1919 to 1954, and was typically played at the end of a show.

Pianola, Orchestrion, Grammophon & Co.

with: Anne Franzkowiak | Head of Music Instruments Collection

Mechanical musical instruments at the Märkisches Museum, in the background the orchestrion “Fratihymnia”
© Stadtmuseum Berlin | Photo: Sebastian Ruff