Roland Meinl was born on March 04, 1929 in Silberbach, Sudetenland, as the oldest child of Emil and Hedwig Meinl. After attending elementary and business school, Roland served in the military at the age of 16 during the last days of World War II. After his military service, Roland began an apprenticeship as a wind instrument maker in Grasslitz, which was interrupted because of his family\'s relocation to a small city named Rimpar near Wuerzburg after the war. There he began a business apprenticeship, which upon completion his family moved to Neustadt a. d. Aisch where he founded the Roland Meinl Musikinstrumente company in 1951.

That is when he began to produce Meinl cymbals. During the early years, Roland manufactured everything by hand using only the simplest of tools. He carried the cymbals by bicycle to the Neustadt train station and shipped them from there. In 1964 the company\'s first employee was hired and in 1969 a new company building was constructed. During the 70\'s, Roland built up and developed the cymbal production, while at the same time establishing the company\'s distribution business, becoming a strong wholesale partner for music retailers in Germany and Austria. In 1978 he founded Meinl\'s first percussion factory in Thailand and began introducing the full range of Meinl percussion instruments.

Many groundbreaking innovations in the cymbal and percussion world, which are still applied to this day, were invented by Roland Meinl. His relentless and hard work laid the foundation for his company\'s current success as one of the world\'s leading manufacturers and distributors of musical instruments.

After his son Reinhold began working with the company in 1972, Roland continued to be involved in all of the company\'s operations. As long as he lived, his presence, sense of humor, and magnanimity were always felt among all Meinl\'s employees, who as a result always held him in high esteem. His life\'s story is inseparably connected with the success of his company.

Roland\'s family and the entire Meinl staff worldwide are deeply saddened by his passing. He leaves a hole which can\'t be filled.

Roland Meinl is survived by his wife Nit, his son Reinhold, his daughter Ingeborg, and five grandchildren.