Who invented the harpsichord?

The exact inventor of the harpsichord is unknown. There are written references to the instrument dating back to the 1300s, which may have been when the harpsichord was invented. However, the specific year and inventor of the harpsichord is undetermined.

The first written reference of the harpsichord in 1397 states that Hermann Poll claimed to have invented an instrument he referred to as a clavicembalum. The earliest image of a harpsichord is believed to be from 1425, appearing in a sculpture in Germany. The harpsichord eventually became a notable instrument in Europe from the 15th to 18th centuries, with renewed interest in the instrument coming in the 20th century.