This E-flat ring-key piccolo comes from Munich, Germany. It is made of grenadilla wood and has rings and keywork crafted from nickel silver. Its maker was Johann Martin Benedikt LEHNER (1853-1915), who preferred simply Martin Lehner. The instrument is stamped with M. LEHNER / MÜNCHEN. The maker’s stamp also features a...
Johann Martin Benedikt LEHNER Johann Martin Benedikt LEHNER was born on 11 June 1853. His father Josef and mother Marianna Wilhelmina (née Stobl) were married in Ansbach, Bavaria and had three children – two boys and a girl. Johann Martin Benedikt, or simply Martin Lehner, as he preferred to be known,...
Münchner Kindl – ‘Munich child’
This emblem has represented Munich’s coat of arms since the 13th century. Initially, the depicted figure was a monk or friar with a Bible, but by the 16th century, it transformed into various representations, including that of a small child in a pointed hood, frequently seen holding a beer mug and a radish. It is believed that the name ‘Munich’ (München in German) is derived from the phrase Kloster von Mönchen, meaning ‘Cloister for Monks’, which relates to the nearby Imperial Abbey of Tegernsee, a Benedictine Monastery that was established close to the original settlement of Munich.
This image, in its numerous variations, has been displayed on countless items, including the city hall in Munich, manhole covers, and beer steins. The gender of the figure has also transformed over time, shifting from a clearly male representation to a gender-neutral child, and then to a small girl. Today, when the kindl is depicted by a person, such as during Oktoberfest, it is most often portrayed by a young woman.
