LOS ANGELES, CA.- Julien’s Auctions announces an event honoring Florian Schneider, a founding member of Kraftwerk, the architects of electronic music. Universally recognized as one of the most influential bands of all time, their use of synthesizers, drum machines, and minimalist compositional forms significantly expanded the expressive possibilities of popular music. The resulting sound structures influenced numerous musicians from different genres, including David Bowie, Depeche Mode, New Order, Daft Punk, and Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force. Works such as “Tour de France” were also used in early hip-hop and breakdance culture.

Kraftwerk’s sonic innovations forged a completely new musical vocabulary that stands to this day – genres like techno, hip-hop and synth-pop would not exist without their pioneering sounds. The upcoming "Florian Schneider Collection Auction" offers an extraordinary assemblage of rare instruments, stage wardrobe, and historic ephemera from the visionary artist. This one-day sale is set for November 19th at the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum, with lots available for bidding now at JuliensAuctions.com

“The Florian Schneider Collection is the first auction to feature a comprehensive collection of items from Florian’s personal life and career, providing a tantalizing glimpse at the visionary’s often-enigmatic musical processes,” shares Giles Moon, VP Head of Music. “Julien's is proud to be a part of this groundbreaking sale and to celebrate the legacy of a true pioneer of electronic music.”

Schneider began his musical path as a classically trained flautist. From the late 1960s onwards, he shifted his focus from acoustic instruments to electronic sound generators. Working with other musicians and technicians, he developed and modified devices that could be used to electronically distort and synthesize speech and sound.

A central area of his work was speech synthesis. He was involved in the technical implementation of the characteristic electronic voices used in many of his productions. These included the Robovox system, a combination of vocoder and speech synthesizer that he co-developed and for which he also applied for a patent.

Florian Schneider lived a largely secluded life, avoiding public appearances and personal portrayals in the media. Little is known about his private life and working methods.

This marks an exceptional event, as it is unlikely that such a large number of items from Florian Schneider's personal estate will ever be available again. It thus offers a rare insight into a band whose origins and working methods have given rise to numerous myths and stories.

“This auction fulfills Florian’s handwritten will for his instruments and personal collection to continue living beyond him. He always believed that they are meant to be played and shared — not left unused or gathering dust in storage.” Said a spokesperson, “He wanted his equipment to find their way to people who would truly value them: musicians, collectors, and those inspired by the art of sound.

An online auction accessible worldwide is the fairest and most open way to make that possible. The decision to hold the event itself in the United States is symbolically aligned with his legacy — it honors the place where his musical work first found international recognition.”

The catalogue also includes select memorabilia from different stages of his life, offering a glimpse beyond the instruments themselves. It has been organized in collaboration with his closest family members.

Highlights from the "Florian Schneider Collection" include:

Sennheiser VSM-201 Vocoder (Estimate: $20,000–$40,000)

Perhaps the crown jewel of the sale, this late-1970s Sennheiser VSM-201 vocoder was typical of the ones used by Schneider in Kraftwerk’s Man Machine (1978) and Computer World (1981) albums. Only a few dozen were produced, and this example still bears signs of live modification and includes its original “Sennheiser Sound Effect Vocoder” road case. Its unmistakable robotic tone helped define Kraftwerk’s aesthetic and later inspired artists like Daft Punk and Herbie Hancock.​

Florian Schneider | Robovox and Votrax Silver Rack Case with Votrax Phoneme Keyboard (Estimate: $15,000-20,000)

A rack case covered in textured metal which contains a Telefunken rack unit, two Robovox Sculpture MIDI rack devices, and seven Votrax VS-6 speech synthesizer rack units, all from the collection and home studio of Florian Schneider of Kraftwerk fame (see image). According to the consignor, this rack of Votrax units were in use at Kling Klang Studio and used, among other things, to create the iconic robotic speech sounds which opened each Kraftwerk concert from 1981-2002. The Telefunken rack unit has front-mounted controls labeled f, s, and d, while the Robovox units (speech synthesizers originally developed and patented by Florian himself) have on/off switches, a reset button, MIDI 2 selector, four external/internal mini toggle switches, and rotary selectors for SEQ, POLY, MONO, SPLIT, and FILTER modes. The seven Votrax speech synthesizers have on/off rocker switches, a fuse holder, controls for Speech Rate, Audio Level, and Pitch. Aside from the top two Votrax units, everything is wired together using multi-pin connectors and individual power cables. There is a mass of wires in the back including eight orange wires from the Telefunken unit, all of which are not connected. Includes a Votrax Phoneme keyboard which is missing two buttons.

1964 Volkswagen Type 2/T1 Kastenwagen (Estimate: $15,000–$20,000)

Personally owned and driven by Schneider, the van’s pedigree extends beyond its Kraftwerk connection: it was also featured in the German biographical film Eight Miles High (Warner Bros., 2007), adding cinematic provenance to its musical legacy.​​

The van was originally part of a German Fire Department’s fleet before being restored to a utilitarian matte gray finish for Schneider’s use. Carefully maintained, it sports a classic 1483 cc 4-cylinder boxer engine, a four-speed manual transmission, and distinct details such as a rear-facing vinyl seat and dashboard telephone, remnants from its earlier emergency service role. The cosmetic and mechanical restoration highlights both its historic integrity and the personal touches reflecting Schneider’s aesthetic minimalism

EMS Synthi AKS Suitcase Synthesizer (Estimate: $8,000–$12,000)

This portable EMS Synthi AKS—the same model used on Kraftwerk’s “Autobahn” (1974)—embodies the band’s early fusion of analog synthesis and electro-acoustic experimentation. Schneider famously processed his flute through this unit, using its patch matrix and joystick to sculpt futuristic soundscapes that bridged progressive rock and electronic minimalism.​

"Ruhe" Electric Kling Klang Recording Studio Sign (Estimate: $500-700)

A "Ruhe" Electric Sign (which translates to "Quiet" in English), from the personal collection of Kraftwerk founding member Florian Schneider.

This sign was originally located above the recording booth of Kling Klang. Kling Klang (also known as KlingKlang, taken from the title of a track on the band's album Kraftwerk 2) was founded in 1972 and is the private music studio and record label of Kraftwerk. The studio was originally located at Mintropstraße 16 in Düsseldorf, Germany, but moved to Meerbusch-Osterath in mid-2009.

Panasonic Panaracer Road Bike From The Music Video for "Tour de France" ("Kling Klang Analog Mix") with Polaroid Photos (Estimate: $4000-$6000)

The bike represents the crossover between music and sport in the Kraftwerk legacy. “Tour de France” combined sampled cycling sounds and drum machine textures to evoke both physical movement and electronic rhythm, underlying the band’s unique style. The 1984 video, featuring the artists riding in Düsseldorf, brought the group’s interest in cycling to the fore and cemented the song’s iconic status. It also reached a wider audience through its feature in the film Breakin’, propelling Kraftwerk’s music into hip hop and dance scenes worldwide.​​

Korg PS-3200 Polyphonic Synthesizer & PS-3010 Keyboard (Estimate: $10,000–$20,000)

The rare, dual-module Korg PS-3200 and PS-3010 setup reveals Schneider’s preference for richly textural, fully polyphonic sound design. Covered in metal casing and linked via a vintage sixty‑pin cable, it allowed for extreme tonal modulation and fine temperament controls—an essential tool in Kraftwerk’s late-1970s studio recordings.​

Orsi G Alto Flute, Stage‑Used 1969–1974 (Estimate: $4,000–$6,000)

A deeply symbolic artifact, this Orsi alto flute in G was played by Schneider during Kraftwerk’s earliest performances and the key transition from The Organisation to Kraftwerk and Ralf und Florian. Featured on the band’s first three albums, its recorded echoes on “Ruckzuck” embody his journey from acoustic performance to electronic reinvention—a narrative cornerstone of Kraftwerk’s evolution.​