descendant of the Schweighofer family opened a parallel factory (Johann Michael Schweighofer GmbH) and built pianos under the Schweighofer name, which led to legal complications. To distinguish their pianos, Kohn & Karbach put sometime after 1920 the Schweighofer Original inscription on their instruments and added the Karbach name on the soundboards. 1938 Karbach and Kohn, who were Jewish, were expropriated under the Nazi regime and the company was subsequently led by Friedrich Ehrbar jr., another Viennese piano maker, until 1940 when it was closed. The other company, owned by the Schweighofer family descendant, also disappeared during World War II. Products Schweighofer pianos are still highly respected for their rich, powerful sound and finely crafted construction. Throughout its long history, the company remained committed to the highest standards and incorporated new inventions in their pianos earlier than other Austrian piano makers (such as duplex scaling, Anglo-German and double escapement repetition actions, full cast iron frames etc.) The company produced a relatively small number of pianos per year (usually less than 200), accounting for their rarity today. Trivia The grave of Carl Schweighofer, located on the Zentralfriedhof in Vienna, is featured in the video and on the cover art for the 1981 Ultravox single Vienna. References Martha Novak Clinkscale, "Makers of the Piano: 1820-1860", Oxford University Press 1999 Schweighofer 100-year Jubilee Catalogue (published in 1892) "Die Pianoforte von Schweighofer" External links The Historical Schweighofer Piano Website – history, piano models and serial number list Piano; A history, By Robert Palmieri, Margaret W. Palmieri Companies established in 1792 Piano manufacturing companies of Austria Musical instrument manufacturing companies based in Vienna Purveyors to the Imperial and Royal Court Companies acquired from Jews under Nazi rule