Fun Fact

In the normal use of language we say “styrian harmonica“. This name was used by the Viennese population around 1900, since the instrument had an “alpine sound” and the Viennese used “Styrian” as a synonym for the Alpine country. The “family name” for this hand-held instrument would be diatonic harmonica. Colloquially we hear often also „Ziach“ (Bavaria/Salzburg), „Zugin“ (Salzburg), „Ziachorgl“ (Tyrol), „Zugmarie“ or „Handörgeli“ (Vorarlberg), „Harmonie“ (Lower Austria, Upper Austria), „Knopfharmonika“, „Knöpferlharmonika“ or just simply „Ziehharmonika“. The following less loving names can also be heard again and again: „Wanzenpress“, „Schnarchkasten“, „Rumpl“, „Raunl“, „Quetschn“, „Maurerklavier“ or also „Faltenradio“.