enterprise focused on the production of medical instruments, stands for a decade-old tradition. It dates back to Carl B. Reiner who was born in 1842.

As confirmed in 1857 by the Superintendent of the “Vereinten Mittels der bürgerlichen Messer-, Zeugschmiede, Chirurgischen Instrumentenmacher und Feilenhauer” (which, roughly translated, means the “Integrated union of civil knife makers, smiths, surgical instrument makers and file cutters; it corresponds to the contemporary guild) Carl B. Reiner first completed his apprenticeship in the craft at Alservorstadt 218 under his father Friedrich Reiner (born in 1810 in Hechingen, Hohenzollern), who was also a master craftsman and a “maker of civil surgical instruments”. Carl B. Reiner added to his knowledge in Belgium by training in silver galvanisation of crystal glass. After leaving his family business he founded the first Viennese institution for mirror work (Wiener Spiegelbelege-Anstalt).

His son Karl (born in 1879) started to train as an apprentice under Heinrich Reiner (Carl B. Reiner’s brother), who continued to run the family business of the production of instruments. After completing his apprenticeship he attended the Advanced School of Crafts (Gewerbliche Fortbildungsschule) in 1885 and worked as a journeyman at his uncle’s company until 1897/98. After returning from Berlin where he worked at his craft for two years, he soon became the executive director of the family business.

Together with his partner L. Lieberknecht, Karl Reiner founded the company which was named Carl Reiner & Lieberknecht GmbH in 1912, located in the Mariannengasse in Vienna. The Mariannengasse is in the very midst of the hospital and university quarter of Vienna. Lieberknecht departed from the instrument manufacturing company shortly thereafter. The company was then operated as an individual enterprise and was known as Carl Reiner.

Between 1900 and 1940, at a time when ear, nose and throat medicine experienced a major upswing in Europe and particularly in Vienna, Carl Reiner was entrusted with the development of instruments for a large number of renowned specialists like Kahler, Alexander, Hajek, Marschik, Hirsch, Rethi, Barany, Ruttin, Kofler, Urbantschitsch, Schrötter, Chiari, Politzer and Schlander. His son Heinrich, born in 1908, also had a great affinity for the production of instruments. Like his father he joined the family business after obtaining his school-leaving certificate (commerce) in 1926. At the company he completed his apprenticeship, passed his journeyman’s examination, acquired extensive knowledge of his craft after training abroad, and was recognized by the medical fraternity. Following these achievements, he cooperated intensively with outstanding persons like Rosen, Lempert, Shea, House, Dworacek, Kleinsasser, Messerklinger, etc. in the development and manufacture of surgical instruments.

The fact that the innovative development of instruments, especially in the field of ear, nose and throat medicine has always been one of the major points of focus at the instrument manufacturing company Reiner is evidenced by the development and exclusive manufacture of tonsil compressors based on Dr. Haslinger’s model.

After the end of the Second World War a new area of business was added to the company which had solely been an instrument manufacturing company until this time. The new area of business was trade in medical apparatuses, particularly in the fields of endoscopy, anaesthesia, ENT, pulmology and urology. After his father’s death in 1950, Heinrich Reiner, born in 1908, passed the examination for the master craftsman’s certificate and took over the company as an individual enterprise. From 1958 onward he was assisted by his son Heinrich, born in 1940. In keeping with tradition, he also first took his school-leaving certificate. After his internal training at the company he extended his knowledge at the premises of various foreign manufacturers of apparatuses and instruments for endoscopy, anaesthesia, ventilation and lung function.

Heinrich Reiner took over the company in 1982 and continued to operate it as an individual enterprise until it was converted into a private limited company in 1991. In January 2014, Heinrich Reiner handed over the management to Gerhard Hobl, Dominik Lirsch and Robert Kölbl. From July 2019, Mr. Gerhard Hobl handed over the management to Mr. Marcell Muschal. In addition to its traditional fields of activity, Carl Reiner GmbH is currently the exclusive representative of several non-Austrian manufacturers such as VYAIRE (ventilation, lung function, spiroergometry), H.U.R (medical rehabilitation and training equipment), ORSIM (simulation technology for flexible bronchoscopy) und PERRY BAROMEDICAL (hyperbaric oxygen therapy via monoplacechamber systems). After several years of intensive cooperation with Professor Alexander Aloy at the University Department of ENT Medicine at the General Hospital of Vienna; Dr. Bird, USA; Carl Reiner Company and Percussionaire Corporation, the form of ventilation known as superimposed high-frequency jet ventilation was investigated. In 1989 the research and development work culminated in the production of the respirator known as Bronchotron-1G and the specially adapted jet laryngoscopes, jet bronchoscopes, jet tracheoscopes and jet adapter, which are manufactured and measured even today at Carl Reiner GmbH’s surgery workshop.

At the end of 2005, after 3 years of research and development, the respirator Bronchotron which used to be a purely pneumatic device until this time was replaced by its successor model TwinStream™ . Carl Reiner GmbH is the owner of several major patents in the field of jet ventilation (SHFJV®). At the time this innovative product was developed, Carl Reiner GmbH which used to cater exclusively to the Austrian market until this time started to enter the global market. However, one did not rest on one’s laurels but decided to extend the company’s research activities by cooperating with internationally renowned medical specialists, physicists and technical experts. Cooperation in the medical field with the technical university of Vienna was also developed further.

The company’s headquarters are still located in the district of Alservorstadt which is now known as 1090 Vienna, in the Mariannengasse 17. Additional office premises, training rooms, a research and development laboratory and the logistics department are located in Mariannengasse 13. Surgical instruments are manufactured in the immediate vicinity, namely in the Höfergasse 18/2.

Chapter I Basics - Video