Zimmermann is a German occupational surname which is literally an older German term for a carpenter. The modern German terms for the occupation of carpenter are Zimmerer, Tischler, or Schreiner, but Zimmermann is still used.
Zimmer in German means room or archaically a chamber within a structure. The German man or mann is, in English the extra n is ignored, man or worker. Combining the two German words you get a worker of wood or literally translated room man or room worker.
Zimmermann, as a surname is often confused with Zimmerman. The loss or addition of the double "n" may imply many things. This may include linguistic, racial, ethnic, religious or other cultural variations.
Many German names were often Anglicized or simplified by immigration officials upon entry into the United States. With Zimmermann the double 'n' Zimmermann was often seen as redundant in countries where English was spoken. As a part of routine, German names were often Anglicized or simplified later by immigrants to better fit in. Zimmerman became Carpenter for example. Sometimes this was done by immigration officials upon entry into the United States when the immigrant did not know how to spell their name and that variant became the legal name.
Musikverlag Zimmermann is a German music publisher that claims to be the first specialized publisher for instrumental methods. Until 1933, it was also a manufacturer of brass, string, wind musical instruments as well as mechanical musical instruments. Formed in 1876 in Saint Petersburg it also published Russian composers, including works by Nicolai Medtner, Mily Balakirev, Sergei Lyapunov, Alexander Taneyev, Alexander Gretchaninov and foreign musicians such as Leonardo De Lorenzo and Riccardo Drigo. With subsidiaries in Moscow, Riga, Leipzig and London, the company was one of the largest music dealers in Europe.
The company joined with Robert Lienau Musikverlag in 1991.
Zimmermann is a German piano maker and brand name.
The company founder worked for the piano company Steinway & Sons in New York City, United States, before starting his own factory in Leipzig, Germany, in 1884.
As business grew, the Zimmermann company expanded to a second factory in 1904. By 1912 over 10,000 pianos were being built a year making it one of the Europe’s largest piano manufacturer. Later, it became a global piano exporter within over 400,000 instruments sold world-wide.
In 1992, C. Bechstein took over the company and incorporated it in its Product Range. Modern Zimmerman pianos are produced in Saxony like all Bechstein Instruments, where the Bechstein company has regrouped its production facilities.