Thought the founder, (Julius Heinrich Zimmermann), was of German origin the firm started in St. Petersberg, Russia as a music publisher in 1876 and in 1880 he opened a factory making Brass instruments. Subsequent expansion led to offices in Moscow, Riga, Leipzig, (where they purchased the Gustav Fiedler piano factory), Berlin and London. At this time they manufactured pianos, woodwind, stringed instruments and early gramophones; in fact in the very early 20th century they were one of the biggest music firms in Europe. 

Success allowed Zimmermann to return to Germany so when the Russian Revolution of 1917 nationalised all of the Russian based assets, (the eldest son August managed to escape but the younger son Wilhelm didn't and was imprisoned), the firm continued out of the Leipzig and Berlin offices in Germany. 

With the death of Julius in 1923 August took over as manager and in 1928 when Wilhelm managed to return to Germany the firm was split in two, with August managing instrument manufacture and Wilhelm music publishing. 

Being part Jewish and publishing Jazz music the two firms did not fair well with the rise of Nazism in Germany and the manufacturing side became insolvent in 1933, (though it is moot as to if this demise was solely down to the rise of Fascism or if some poor management contributed?). 

On the publishing side Wilhelm was not officially allowed to manage a business but apparently still did until the end of WWII, (he died in 1946) Having the firm nationalised by the East German Communist regime, Wilhelm's wife Edith managed to escape to the west and set up again in Frankfurt. With her death in 1975 her daughter took over and through the have merged with another firm the publishing side of the business is still going today as Musikverlag Zimmermann.