Building bridges – Christian Friedrich Theodor Steinweg (1825–1889) | Partnerships

Theodor Steinweg (1825–1889) loved life in Wolfenbüttel. Other than in Seesen, he finally had enough work: 

“Wolfenbüttel has 10,000 residents, among which are many terrible bureaucrats, who start to become my clients already. 800-1000 instruments are here for repair, so that I have two men reserved entirely for that. Then, I have two on new instruments, with two more needed to hire as to get on top of the orders. The tools I have already ordered in Hamburg, I also bought a bench and borrowed another, looking for two more to buy. There is no lack of work here […]”

(Letter from Theodor Steinweg to his family in New York, December 25, 1855, Wolfenbüttel, La Guardia and Wagner Archives New York, Steinway & Sons Document Collection, Box 040262, Folder 29, Letter 1; transcription La Guardia and Wagner Archives) 

In October 1857, Theodor made Georg Friedrich Carl Grotrian (1803–1860) from Schöningen partner in his firm. Like Theodor, he was involved in the Wolfenbüttel Masonic Lodge; Theodor was friends with Grotrian’s son Louis. Friedrich Grotrian had run a successful piano and music shop in Moscow for decades and had extensive contacts in the artistic scene. When his cousin died in 1855 and left him a considerable inheritance in Schöningen, he returned to his home town with his family.