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In the year 1832 in Freinberg near Passau, Josef Breinbauer, the founder of the firm, began building organs with a mechanical action. In 1840, he moved the workshop to Ottensheim where his work achieved recognition. Among other things he was engaged to rebuild and extend the Chrisman organ in the old cathedral in Linz under the direction of Anton Bruckner. New developments in organbuilding brought the introduction of the pneumatic and electric action. The disadvantages of these systems became apparent in time and, in 1927 Wilhelm Zika, who had in the meantime taken over the firm, reverted at the instigation of Johann Nepomuk David to building organs with slide windchests and mechanical actions. It took however until 1950-60 for this practice to become adopted world-wide.
In 1945, the workshop was moved to the Collegiate Church of St.Florian
on the occasion of the restoration of the Bruckner organ. Upon the death of
Wilhelm Zika in 1954, the firm was taken over by his son Wilhelm.
The Oberösterreichische Orgelbauanstalt Ltd.Co was
founded in 1956. Since 1972, it has belonged to the Kögler
family. Helmut Kögler and his son Christian work with a team of qualified
craftsmen. Close association with the organologist Bernhardt H.
Edskes since 1990 has brought major changes, in particular a return
to the traditional organbuilding methods practised over the centuries.
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