Markneukirchen

Markneukirchen (German pronunciation: [ˌmaʁk.nɔʏˈkɪʁçn̩] ) is a town in the Vogtlandkreis district, in Saxony, Germany, close to the Czech border. It lies in the Elster Mountains (part of the Fichtel Mountains), 24 km (14.9 mi) southeast of Plauen, and 14 km (8.7 mi) northeast of Aš (Czech Republic). Markneukirchen is the main town of the small musical instrument-making region Musikwinkel, known for four centuries for high quality brass, woodwind and string instruments. Within this small locality, 113 different enterprises are involved in making musical instruments. They rely on traditional methods but sell all over the world. The town is home to the Museum of Musical Instruments founded in 1883 by Paul Otto Apian-Bennewitz. It hosts an annual International Instrumental Competition and master classes. [1] Since 1993 the competition has been a member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions. Arnold Voigt worked in the town for most of his life.