The Stoessel lute (German: Stössel-Laute) is a string instrument invented by Georg Stössel in 1914 in Cologne (Köln), Germany.

[1][2] Its steel strings are fingered not by putting one's hand round the neck, but over the end of it.

To this end, most Stössel lutes have very short necks.

[3] The instrument was very popular in Germany and elsewhere in the early 20th century; it was frequently used in German and Austrian schools in the inter-war period.

The Second World War put an end to production and the instrument never regained its former popularity.