The German organ builder Jürgen Ahrend died on 1 August aged 94. A creator of new instruments, he was most notably a restorer of Baroque organs, especially that of Arp Schnitger in the Jacobikirche, Hamburg.

Ahrend was born in Göttingen on 28 April 1930. From 1946 to 1948, he served an apprenticeship in the firm of Paul Ott before forming a partnership with Gerhard Brunzema in Lower Saxony. Since January 1972, the workshop has been operating under the name Jürgen Ahrend Orgelbau and has been run by his son Hendrik Ahrend since 2005.

An obituary will follow in the Winter issue of Choir & Organ