As early as the 16th century, when the earliest Italian violins were made, violin playing was probably also widely known in Switzerland. Numerous archival traces provide us with clues and names of early Swiss violin makers. The earliest instruments that have been handed down to us date from the 17th century and belong to the ‘Alemannic School’.
In addition to Hans Krouchdahler (⬈ Violin making in Switzerland, Krouchdahler viola exhibit), Konrad Stoppelt (1680-1759) in Fribourg and Walshut, Hanns Wisser (1697-1745) in Waldshut, and Jean Eméry in Geneva (active from 1722-1737) were also actively involved from 1700 onward.