Alois Bittner - Prague Czechoslovakia 1932 Violin

Alois Bittner was born in 1880 in Kral Pola. He died in 1950 in Kladne Czech Republic. He was a student of Franz Angerer in Vienna where he was trained as a luthier. He apprenticed at various violin makers in Moravia, Bohemia, in Leipzich, Berlin, Dresden, and at Jindřich Zazvonil in Kladno. After he worked in Kladno he went independent in 1909 working for 41 years until his death. He was taken captive in Russia in 1915 during the world war 1 where he worked in Moscow at Gregorovič Mach. He taught a lot of students when he returned home. His work started with an unusual personal model then finally stayed at models of Amati, Guarneri, Maggini, and Stradivari. He completed about 140 violins, violas and violoncellos and spent mostly on repairs and restauration during his final years. Alois Bittner was awarded at various exhibitions with numerous distinctions due to his strong personal style and still very clean craftsmanship.