Dear friends, upon the death of Carl Frei Jr. we might take the 
opportunity to tell a little about the Frei family.

Father Carl Frei Sr. was born April 4th, 1884, in Schiltach.  When he was
14 he began his apprenticeship as a music designer with Firma Wilhelm 
Bruder und Soehne.  Along with Franz Bruder II there were several gifted 
musicians, and there Frei made his first early music pieces.

In 1901 Frei went to the Gavioli branch in Waldkirch, and then in 1902 he 
went to the main Gavioli factory in Paris.  He entered military service 
in 1906, and then changed to the Mortier firm, and by 1910 he was an
independent organ maker!

The First World War interrupted his work; when he returned from Russia 
in 1919 he worked a short time with Alfred Bruder, and then in 1920 he 
travelled with his wife and son, Carl Jr., to Breda in Holland.  Once
again work was interrupted by war.

After WW2 the family returned to Waldkirch.  Starting in 1950, up to
today, the Frei's worked in the Kandelstrasse [the extension of the 
market street, beyond the church in Waldkirch].  

Carl Frei Jr. was born November 7, 1912.  When Frei Sr. died in 1967 he 
took over his father's business, and manufacured big organs with the 
graceful Waldkirch scales known as the "Frei Scale".

Likewise he was always well-employed with the construction of the 20-key 
hand-organs.  In 1995 he officially closed the business, but he continued 
working hard.  His wife died May 1, 1996, and starting then he wanted to 
do nothing more.  Carl Frei Jr. passed away on March 25th, 1997, at the 
age of 85 years.

Only a few days ago Mr. Frei was still with us.  We had ten years with 
him; we could hear much from him and question him.  We will hold his 
works in honorary commemoration.  With the death of Mr. Carl Frei Jr. 
a family tradition succumbs that was crucial to the success of the 
Waldkirch organs.

The Frei name heard world-wide is well known.  His daughter lives in 
Waldkirch; daughter, son-in-law and grandsons will not lead Carl Frei's 
work further.  Consequently it falls to us to take further the great 
history of the Waldkirch organ industry.  The remembrance of Carl Frei, 
as all the great organbuilders here, will be our task and honor: to 
succeed in this and to carry the reputation further as "The Organ-
building City of the World".  We will honor the memory of Carl Frei Jr.

Heinz Jaeger und Wolfgang Brommer¶
Orgelbaumeister in Waldkirch

 [ Translated by Robbie Rhodes ]
 [
 [ Wolfgang notes that there remain only two from the good old days:
 [ Otto Wernet (almost 90 years) who arranged under Gustav Bruder, and 
 [ Siegfried Fromm, the last organbuilder to learn at Firma Wilhelm 
 [ Bruder Soehne.  Wolfgang says, "When these two gentelmen die there
 [ will be no one left who experienced the good old times."