In 2005, Klaus Schöller and Ulrike Schrimpff (Höfner management buyout owners, 2004-2026; holding vehicle name unverified) controlled the Höfner name. Its 2 lines on record were built at Hofner Hagenau (Baiersdorf) and Hofner Beijing, Shunyi (Germany and China).[1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
A Höfner guitar from 2005 belongs to whichever era was running on its product line that year. An era is a stretch when the company that controlled the name and the plant that built the line both stayed the same. If you know the line, the table below tells you which version of Höfner you have. The name dates from 1887[1, S1024], 118 years before.
Line by line in 2005
Line
Controlled by
Parent
Built at
Era
Grade
Höfner Contemporary (CT/HCT) and Icon/Ignition series (Far East-built, 2005 to present)
Höfner Contemporary (CT/HCT) and Icon/Ignition series (Far East-built, 2005 to present): a new era begins under Klaus Schöller and Ulrike Schrimpff (Höfner management buyout owners, 2004-2026; holding vehicle name unverified), built at Hofner Beijing, Shunyi[1, 2, 3, 4]
Every numbered marker on this page points here: the document, its grade and the passages relied on. An era is computed, so it cites the facts it was derived from. A fact marked “no source” has no claim attached yet.
So, at the end of 2004, Höfner was sold to Klaus Schöller and his wife Ulrike Schrimpff. Klaus had been the former general manager at Höfner while Ulrike had been Finance Director at Höfner since 1995.Höfner in 2005: owners and plants
The branch office in Beijing is 100% Höfner (i.e. is not a joint venture) [...] Today in Beijing Hofner student level instruments are produced,Höfner in 2005: owners and plants
the main step taken was to close the factory at Bubenreuth and move all production to the newer factory at Hagenau, which was enlarged and modernized in 1997.Höfner in 2005: owners and plants