Eduard Herr Söhne

Eduard Herr Söhne (and Sons) was founded in 1879 by Eduard Herr. Eduard was a traditional Black Forest clockmaker and a member of the renowned Herr family of Schonach, a lineage deeply rooted in the development and export of cuckoo clocks from the Triberg region of the Black Forest, Germany. He is considered part of the second or third generation in a long family tradition of horological craftsmanship.

Family Background and Early Influence

Eduard Herr was a descendant or close relative of the pioneering brothers Andreas Herr (b. 1812) and Christian Herr (b. 1814). These two brothers began carving and assembling cuckoo clocks in a farmhouse on the outskirts of Triberg in the early 19th century, helping establish the Herr family’s role in the emerging cuckoo clock industry. Eduard carried this legacy forward into the modern era.

Workshop and Business Development

In the late 19th or early 20th century, Eduard Herr is believed to have purchased land on the outskirts of Triberg, where he established a workshop to continue and expand the family business. In 1909, Eduard passed control of the company to two of his sons Hubert and Alfred Herr who continued the business as a partnership under the same name.

Around 1918, Eduard’s son Hubert purchased land in the heart of Triberg and founded a separate company: Hubert Herr. While both businesses were located in the same small town of only an estimated 4,000 residents, and Hubert now manufacturing movements right there in town, one would expect Eduard Herr clocks to have used Hubert Herr movements. But instead, it appears that later Eduard Herr clocks used Regula movements.

The company remained in operation until at least 1963, by that time being managed by Karl Otto Herr.

Eduard Herr – Overview

  • Location: Schonach and Triberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
  • Period of Activity: Early to mid-20th century
  • Business Name: Clocks labeled “Eduard Herr, Schonach” appear on vintage cuckoo clocks and in mid-century export catalogs.
  • Operated an independent workshop as part of the extended Herr family network

Unfortunately Eduard is less extensively documented than later figures like Hubert Herr.

The Herr Family Lineage – Key Figures

Franz Anton Herr

  • Era: Early 19th century
  • Significance: One of the earliest known Herr family clockmakers, possibly the patriarch who established the family’s horological tradition

Andreas & Christian Herr (late 19th century)

  • Born: 1812 and 1814
  • Activity: Mid-19th century
  • Contribution: Began making cuckoo clocks in a rural farmhouse near Triberg; helped transition Black Forest clockmaking from domestic craft to organized workshop production
  • Sometimes credited with supplying components (e.g. cases, carvings) to emerging firms

Eduard Herr

  • Era: Early to mid 20th century
  • Likely grandson or great-grandson of Franz Anton
  • Built the workshop on Nussbacherstraße in Triberg
  • Predecessor to Hubert Herr and contributed significantly to the family’s early 20th-century presence in the clock trade

Hubert Herr

  • Era: Mid to late 20th century
  • Oversaw modernization and global distribution
  • Formalized the business as Hubert Herr KG, a brand that became internationally known for traditional cuckoo clocks

The Herr family legacy represents one of the longest continuous traditions in Black Forest clockmaking. From humble beginnings in farmhouse workshops to international exports from Triberg, the family helped define the aesthetic, mechanical, and commercial identity of the cuckoo clock.

Sources

  1. Revolution Watch, “In Conversation with Hubert Herr,” youtube.com, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wPa30d3TGs
  2. Jürgen Abeler, “Meister der Uhrmacherkunst,” (translated: “Masters of the Art of Clockmaking”), published in 1977
  3. Worthpoint, “Antique Rare – Regula – Eduard Herr Sohne – Triberg – Germany – Cuckoo Clock,” worthpoint.com, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/antique-regula-eduard-herr-sohne-52433587
  4. Timetips Clock & Watch Repairs, “Hubert Herr Cuckoo Clocks,” members.tripod.com, accessed May 4, 2025, https://members.tripod.com/clock_doc/page13_Copy_1.html
  5. Uhrenlexicon Volume I and II.