First Mayor Dr. Fabian Mayer inaugurated it on 22 July. Barbara Saebel, Member of the State Parliament and spokesperson for monument protection and cultural heritage, initiated the naming together with the Schiedmayer Foundation.
Entrepreneur and patron
With its new name, the square commemorates the Schiedmayer family, which has been active in the manufacture of keyboard instruments for nine generations. The family business has developed into one of the leading manufacturers with an excellent reputation. From 1821 until July 1944, the company buildings - built by the court architect Nikolaus Friedrich von Thouret - stood on the exact site of the square to be named. However, they were not rebuilt after the war, as the city had planned a different use for the space when planning the Kulturmeile. Instead, a new factory was built in Altbach. There is still one reminder of the Schiedmayer factory in Stuttgart, but it can only be seen from a bird's eye view: the Haus der Geschichte is built in the shape of a concert grand piano.
Johann Lorenz Schiedmayer (1786-1860) played a decisive role in Stuttgart's economic and cultural life. A relief portrait on the Haus der Wirtschaft bears witness to the importance of the entrepreneur, who was valued throughout Germany as a patron of the arts. In 1857, he co-founded the music academy. He made premises available for it in his factory. He also supported famous artists such as Clara Schumann and Friedrich Silcher.
