Items That Belonged to Florian Schneider of Kraftwerk to Be Auctioned in November

Personal belongings of Florian Schneider (1947–2020), one of the founders and chief sonic architects of Kraftwerk, will be offered for sale at “The Florian Schneider Collection” auction, organized by Julien’s Auctions. The event will take place on November 19, 2025, at the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, with both in-person and online bidding available.

Florian Schneider was a central figure in shaping Kraftwerk’s sound and visual identity, a pioneering force that redefined the course of electronic music and profoundly influenced generations of artists since the 1980s. From the early 1970s through the late 1990s, Schneider invested heavily in technology, acquiring synthesizers, effects processors, and custom-built instruments developed in collaboration with engineers and manufacturers.

This relentless pursuit of innovation made Schneider a true sound engineer and helped establish Kraftwerk as one of the most influential and respected acts in modern music history.

During his time with the group from 1970 until his departure in 2006, Schneider amassed an extensive personal and technical collection featuring equipment, instruments, and objects used in both studio recordings and live performances. Part of this collection, including rare and custom-made pieces created specifically for Kraftwerk, will now go under the hammer, with bids starting at $150.

Among the highlights are an EMS Synthi AKS synthesizer, believed to have been used on the album Autobahn (1974), estimated between $15,000 and $20,000, and a Sennheiser VSM-201 vocoder used during the recording of The Man-Machine (1978) and Computer World (1981), valued between $30,000 and $50,000. Also included in the catalog are an Orsi G alto flute, the legendary Volkswagen Type 2 Van used by the band in the early 1970s, and dozens of instruments, photographs, clothing items, and personal belongings.

This is not the first time Schneider’s equipment has been made available to collectors. In 2006, he personally listed on eBay the vocoder used on Autobahn, which was later purchased by Daniel Miller, founder of Mute Records.

After the relocation of Kraftwerk’s iconic Kling Klang studio from Düsseldorf to Meerbusch, other items from the old facility were also sold to Japanese fans. At the time, Schneider remarked with amusement, “Japanese fans buy anything.”

According to Julien’s Auctions, the sale fulfills Schneider’s own wish that his personal items be passed on to admirers rather than displayed in a static exhibition.

Those fortunate enough to acquire one of these pieces will be holding a tangible fragment of electronic music history and of Florian Schneider’s invaluable legacy.

More information: Julien Sautions