RAU’S SONS

How two of August Rau’s three boys went into the instrument trade, although two met a tragic end in World War I

As August Rau’s business evolved, two of his sons followed in his footsteps: his eldest, Karl August (Charles) Rau, and his youngest, Fritz Walter Rau. Both learnt the craft of bow making from their father and apprenticed in his workshop before leaving separately to find work abroad. Bows stamped ‘AUG. RAU & SOHN’ reflect the time when Charles and/or Walter were working with him.

The historian René Vannes thought Charles Rau a remarkable master bow maker. It seems he was attracted by the opportunities he heard about in Amsterdam from Hermann G. Fischer, who had trained and worked with August Rau. Fischer was then (1900–07) working for Karel van der Meer and wrote to the Raus about the exciting employment opportunities in the Netherlands, which soon brought Charles to Amsterdam.

The workshop of van der Meer (1862–1932) established a fine reputation from 1900 to 1920. With the founding of the Concertgebouw Orchestra in 1888, and the Residentie Orkest in The Hague in 1904, there was a need for high-quality instruments and bows, and the repair and careful maintenance that went with it. Thus, the city attracted many talented craftsmen from abroad. Van der Meer soon recruited a number of young and promising makers, mainly from Germany, to Amsterdam to assist him with increasing demand. Among them was Max Möller, who occupied the post of chef d’atelier for many years.

Van der Meer’s knowledge as a violinist and violin teacher were of great importance to his famous workshop. He initially worked as a violinist in the newly founded Concertgebouw Orchestra under Willem Kes. In 1892 he left the orchestra and worked in various Amsterdam studios. In 1899 he opened his own business partnering with Johan van Roosmalen in the Van Baerlestraat building, and focused on making excellent violins and bows. As Möller said, ‘He knew how to inspire skilled violin and bow makers.’ Many foreign makers who later settled in Holland had been brought by him, which led to a revival in Dutch violin making.

Charles Rau worked at van der Meer’s workshop from c.1910 until 1914, when the onset of World War I brought him back to Germany, and to the front lines along with his brother Albin Paul. Both were killed in October 1916 near Ligny-Tilloy in France, just a few days apart: Albin on the 21st or 22nd, and Charles on the 24th. A tragic fate, but hardly an isolated case at that time.

August’s youngest son Fritz Walter Rau also learnt bow making with his father but in 1913 left for Switzerland, where he focused on violin making instead. On 29 April 1920 he married Marie Martha Heberlein. At the time of the marriage, his occupation was listed as ‘violin instrument maker’, and his residence as 305 Bahnhofstrasse, Markneukirchen. He had three children: two daughters and a son, Karl Helmut, born in Markneukirchen in September 1930.

Between 1925 and 1937, Fritz Walter was listed as a violin maker at Schönlinder Strasse 456H in Markneukirchen (renumbered to 36 in 1929), while his father August Rau was living at Beethovenstrasse 13. On 7 June 1940 Fritz Walter moved from Markneukirchen to Zwickau for military service, but by 1942 he was back at his old address in Markneukirchen, listed as a bow maker – with a new spelling, Walter ‘Rauh’. There is also a record that he was released from political imprisonment on 12 July 1948. Fritz Walter Rau died on 1 March 1963.

Top Cover of Der Markneukirchner Heldenbuch (‘Book of Markneukirchen Heroes’), listing all those from the town who had fallen in World War I Above Entries for Charles August (left) and Albin Paul Rau (right)