Bacigalupo-Söhne, Orgelfabrik

by Sarah Davachi

A substantially large group of Italian organists immigrated to Berlin in 1870, settling in the city’s Prenzlauer Berg neighbourhood, and many Italian organ builders and manufactures followed shortly thereafter. The Bacigalupo family specialized in manufacturing and repairing barrel organs throughout their 100-year history, and remained headquartered in Berlin until ceasing operations in 1977 on account of declining sales.

During its period of production, the company always remained under the control of a Bacigalupo family member, with three main members serving for the most extended periods. In an interview given to the New Berlin Illustrated, a former East Berlin magazine, in the early 1970s, the then company owner, 88-year-old Nestor Giovanni Bacigalupo, lamented that, “the time of organ grinders and barrel organs of all colours is definitely over.”

During the company’s most productive period, Bacigalupo barrel organs were among the most widely used in Berlin, serving approximately 400 different players. Throughout its history, the company made use of several different names, occasionally undertaking joint ventures with various other manufacturing partners. Company names included: ‘Frati & Co.’, of which Giovanni Battista Bacigalupo formed the ‘Company’ portion; ‘Cocchi, Bacigalupo, Graffigna’, which was another Berlin-based barrel-organ-building business founded by Giovanni Bacigalupo, Cocchi Giuseppe, and Antonio Graffigna; ‘G. Bacigalupo’; ‘Bacigalupo Söhne’, which was used toward the end of the company’s operations; and, ‘L. Bacigalupi’, which was used by Luigi “Louis” Bacigalupo (1872 – 1957), the son of Giovanni, who was an organ builder and professional wrestler based in California.

Until its closing in 1977, the company’s factory and offices were located at Schönhauser Allee 74 in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin.