Bookstore Pirngruber

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Pirngruber at Landstrasse 34 in Linz (2011)

The Pirngruber bookstore was an Austrian bookstore based in the Upper Austrian capital Linz , whose history dates back to 1776 and which existed until January 31, 2017.

At the present time the bookstore was also known under the name Kulturkaufhaus Pirngruber or just under the family name Pirngruber . In addition to the original purchase of books, you could also purchase musical instruments, sheet music, CDs and various other items. The company also acted as a ticket office .

history

The company's history goes back to the end of the 18th century . After it was founded in 1776, the bookshop advanced to become one of the most successful department stores in Linz. In 1859 the bookstore was among other things one of the founding members of the Main Association of the Austrian Book Trade . It was particularly successful in 1905, when Richard Pirngruber, who was among other things entrusted with training Hermann Hesse's apprenticeships , opened the shop on Linzer Landstrasse opposite the Carmelite Church as the Fürstlich Schaumburg-Lippische Hofbuchhandlung R. Pirngruber . It was only through his leadership that the department store became an institution and a traditional department store in the Upper Austrian capital. Even back then, in addition to books, art prints , music and ceramics were offered here. The associated concert management organized around 300 concerts, with which Richard Pirngruber also played an important role in Linz's cultural life.

Pirngruber was also no less successful in publishing. Various works, mainly by Austrian artists and writers, were published by the associated publishing house. In 1960 the previous ceramics department was replaced by a record department , which was expanded to include a range of musical instruments in 1968 by the then owners, Alfred and Luise Pirngruber. This was a special concern of Alfred Pirngruber (* 1929), who is himself an enthusiastic musician, including on the accordion . In 1976 Alfred Pirngruber published the book 200 years of R. Pirngruber Linz 1776–1976 on the occasion of the bookstore's 200th anniversary. A bookshop in the city's cultural life.

From 1970 the daughter Johanna Pirngruber took over the record department and from 1992 also the City Disc branch in Linz. This was opened in 1986 as the second CD specialty store in Austria. In 1999 Johanna Pirngruber also took over her parents' business in Landstrasse and, after extensive structural adaptations, integrated the branch there. The non-logged sole proprietorship Johanna Pirngruber , based at Betlehemstrasse 1 in 4020 Linz, was brought into the parental company, whereupon the father retired and left the company as the owner. In 2009, among other things, an additional new book department was opened.

After Johanna Pirngruber retired at the age of 60 in July 2016, the company continued to operate until January 31, 2017, before it was completely closed. The reasons given were, in addition to the retirement of the owner, the decline in sales, mainly due to competition and online shops. Sales in the CD department alone have halved in the past ten years. Like her father, daughter Johanna Pirngruber is also an enthusiastic musician who is mainly active as a piano and cello player. While most of the company was closed, the ticket office moved to the Veritas bookstore on Harrachstrasse in Linz on January 9, 2017 .

literature

  • Alfred Pirngruber: 200 years of R. Pirngruber Linz 1776–1976. A bookshop in the city's cultural life. 1st edition. Self-published, Linz 1976.

Web links / sources

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ 200 years of R. Pirngruber Linz 1776–1976. A bookshop in the city's cultural life. in the archive of the Austrian National Library , accessed on February 12, 2017

Coordinates: 48 ° 18 ′ 7.1 ″  N , 14 ° 17 ′ 22.7 ″  E