Franz Schwarzer: History and Legacy of the Zither King

Learn about the famed zither musician and zither manufacturer, Franz Schwarzer. He was the best zither manufacturer in the United States and many of the players in the Davenport Zither Club played his instruments. Over 10,000 Schwarzer instruments, with the majority being zithers, were made in Washington, Missouri by Austrian immigrant Franz Schwarzer, beginning in 1866. Schwarzer’s zithers competed favorably with those of European makers and were sold all over the world. He won the Gold Medal of Progress in 1873, beating out all of the zither manufactures in Europe.