Kern
ORGUES DE PARIS 2.0 © Vincent Hildebrandt COLOPHON
The
Kern
family
is
a
dynasty
of
organ
builders
from
the
Alsace.
The
firm
was
founded
in
1953
by
Alfred
Kern
(1910-1989)
in
Strasbourg,
who learned his skills at the Roethinger and Muhleisen firms.
The
firm
made
its
name
by
its
advocacy
of
the
tracker-based
mechanical
action.
In
particular
Jean-André
Silbermann
was
its
great
example,
and
in
half
a
century
most
of
the
Silvermann
organs
were restored by this company.
In
1977,
Daniel
Kern
(*1950)
took
over
as
head
of
the
firm
and
his
son
Olivier
also
joined
the
firm.
Daniel
Kern
Manufacture
d’orgues
merged
in
2002
with
that
of
his
grand-nephew
Gaston
KERN,
when
he retired.
The Kern company closed its doors in 2015 due to bankruptcy.