壕溝大樂隊

今天閱讀到一篇有闗德國手風琴大廠Hohner的歷史，其中一段相當有趣。

1914年第一次世界大戰爆發，事業起步不久的Hohner憂心，工人從軍去了，做簧片的金屬得供應到前線，國外客戶變成敵國，一定不會再有生意往來。不料當時德國的領導，出乎意料的，查覺口琴及手風琴可以讓士兵們排解無聊、緩解思鄉情緒，因此鼓勵手風琴產業。生意變的出奇的好，1915年Hohner繳的稅是其他所有Trossinger產業加起來的三倍。特別版本的手風琴，外箱的圖案反應出愛國主義及戰勝的信心，在戰爭的初年，賣的特別好。

1917年的聖誕節，國王發給來自Würtemburg的每個士兵一支口琴，做為聖誕節禮物，足見這樂器在當時舉足輕重的地位。

When the First World War broke out in 1914, it looked as thought it would hit firms like Koch and Hohner hard- workers joined up, metal became scarce, and all contact with business partners in hostile countries had to be broken off. But the government, soon cottoned on to the fact that mouth organs and accordions could actually help the war effort by helping to relieve the boredom and homesickness of soldiers. Therefore, Accordion and Harmonika producers found themselves doing a brisk business during the war. The troops of the Wurtemberg regiment found in their Christmas stocking in 1917 a present from their king: a harmonica, made in Germany.