Winterhalder & Hofmeier made clocks for 120 years — then the owner died in London

Winterhalder & Hofmeier traced its roots to 1810, when Thomas Winterhalder began building precision clocks in the Black Forest. In 1850, his descendants Matthäus Winterhalder and Johannes Hofmeier formalised the partnership. The company made carved wooden bracket clocks and longcase clocks known for their precision, and by 1908 employed around 800 people with an annual turnover of one million marks.

Before World War I, the company depended heavily on the English market. When war seemed imminent, British orders stalled. Linus Winterhalder, the managing director, travelled to London to negotiate extended payment terms from one to three months. When war broke out, all payments stopped. After the war, the English export market never returned — tariffs, German hyperinflation and the Great Depression each took their toll, while mass-produced competitors eroded the craft clock market.

In August 1932, with the company in dire financial straits, Linus Winterhalder travelled to London again to revive export sales. On 18 August 1932, he died of heatstroke complicated by heart paralysis. He was the only person who held the export relationships together. Without him, the company had no liquidity and no one who could restart the English business. Production ended in 1933.

Forced administration was imposed on the factory premises. The Winterhalder estate in Neustadt was auctioned in 1937 and went to the city. The firm was struck from the commercial register on 2 June 1937, ending 120 years of clockmaking.