Kraftwerk’s Florian Schneider honored with instruments & memorabilia’s auction

Over 450 personal items from the late cofounder’s archive are up for bidding through November 19th.

Photo credit: Maurice Seymour Studio

Hundreds of items belonging to Kraftwerk cofounder Florian Schneider are currently up for auction. The collection, hosted in Nashville, runs until November 19th, 2025, at 10:00 AM CST, and is billed as the first auction to feature a comprehensive collection of items from Schneider’s personal life and career.

Featuring over 450 individual lots, the sale includes rare synthesizers, drum machines, performance gear, signed vinyl, and various memorabilia from the late German pioneer’s personal archive. Notable highlights include an EMS Synthi AKS suitcase synthesizer and a rack case containing two MIDI racks used by Kraftwerk to create their signature robotic speech effects in live shows between 1981 and 2002.

The catalog also presents a copy of ‘Kraftwerk 2’ signed by Schneider and addressed to his mother, as well as non-musical items such as the Panasonic bicycle featured in the 1983 ‘Tour De France’ video and his personal 1964 Volkswagen van.

Among the more historic inclusions are Schneider’s woodwind and brass instruments, notably a 1960s Romeo Orsi alto flute that appeared on Kraftwerk’s first three albums and on the back cover of Kraftwerk. Additional Orsi pieces include a piccolo, oboe, saxophone, and a rare octavin dating back to the 1900s.

Register to bid here.