Paul Weidhaas

Paul Weidhaas was a German Master bowmaker or bogenmacher.

Biography

Paul Weidhaas learned bow making from his father Ewald Weidhaas, in Markneukirchen. He then worked for E. Liebich in Breslau from 1911 to 1913 and then for Winterling in Hamburg 1913-1915. He took his master's examination in Hamburg in 1918. He returned to Markneukirchen and took over managing his father's shop. Between 1920-1930, to deepen his knowledge in bow making and networking he travelled to Holland where he worked for Max Möller, Vedral and J. Stüber and then Paris, where he worked for the highly esteemed master bow maker Victor Fetique alongside Victor's son Marcel Fetique and nephew André Richaume. This had a profound and lasting effect on his subsequent work.
During WWII, business came to a halt but resumed activity soon afterwards. In 1945, 18 year old Siegfried Finkel came to Markneukirchen to learn bow making. After completing his apprenticeship became Weidhaas's associate. Siegfried also met Weidhaas's daughter Hanna, fell in love, and married. Their son Johannes Siegfried Finkel was born in 1947. Paul Weidhaas died on 15 February 1962.
"The high quality of his bows and his good business sense made Paul one of the most important German bow makers of the mid-20th century."