Piano built for Spanish king star attraction at museum

BALIKESİR

A piano believed to have been specially produced for Spain’s King Alfonso XIII has become one of the most popular exhibits at the Ayşe Sıdıka Erke Ethnography Museum in the northwestern province of Balıkesir’s Edremit district.

The instrument, which is displayed at the museum and still retains its original keys and strings, attracts the attention of both local and foreign visitors with its
unusual story.

Students visiting the museum as part of cultural programs, as well as tourists and organized tour groups, are informed about the history of the piano, which was reportedly manufactured by a Berlin-based company in Germany as a gift for the Spanish monarch.

According to museum officials, the piano was never delivered because of the outbreak of World War I. Preserved in its original condition, the instrument has become one of the museum’s most distinctive artifacts since it went on display in 2015. Its tuning is maintained regularly according to seasonal conditions.

“The company produced pianos specifically for European royalty,” said İrfan Kolçak, director of the Ayşe Sıdıka Erke Ethnography Museum.

Kolçak said the instrument has been seen by approximately 30,000 visitors since 2015.

He explained that Bogs & Voigt, a German company founded in 1905 and active until 1939, manufactured special pianos for European royal courts as part of its efforts to promote its brand.

“They produced custom-made pianos for the kings of Germany, Spain, France and England. The piece exhibited in our museum was specially made for Spain’s King Alfonso XIII,” he said.

Kolçak noted that World War I broke out before the piano could be delivered to Spain, adding that the historical instrument eventually came into the possession of a German general during the war.

“When the general was assigned to Türkiye, he brought the piano with him. After completing his two-year mission here, he left the instrument in Istanbul,” Kolçak said.

He explained that the piano was later purchased by Ülker Erke, who played it throughout her youth and later passed it on to her niece, Işıl Erke.

“In 2015, Işıl Erke donated this valuable piece to our museum. It has been on display here ever since,” he added.

He also highlighted that the piano has preserved its original structure, with neither its keys nor its strings ever replaced. “It is a completely handmade and unique piece,” he said.