COMPANY HISTORY

1835

Production of the table piano “op. 1” by Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg (1797-1871) in Seesen, today at Städtisches Museum Braunschweig

1850

Emigration of the Steinweg family to the USA/New York

Theodor Steinweg (1825-1889) continues his father's business in Seesen under the name C. F. Th. Steinweg

1855

Relocation of home and workshop to Wolfenbüttel

1857

Friedrich Grotrian (1803-1860) joins the company C. F. Th. Steinweg as partner

1859/60

Relocation of the company to Braunschweig

1865

Sale of his company share to Wilhelm Grotrian (1843-1917), and two other employees – Theodor Steinweg moves to New York

1865

Founding of the company C. F. Th. Steinweg Nachf. at Bohlweg 48, Braunschweig

The new owners of the piano workshop C. F. Th. Steinweg are Wilhelm Grotrian (1843-1917), Heinrich Diedrich Wilhelm Schulz (1835-1878) and Gustav Adolph Helfferich (1840-1915). They are authorized to manufacture instruments based on Theodor Steinweg's designs and models for a period of ten years.

1869

Expansion of the company label to ‘Grotrian, Helfferich, Schulz / C. F. Th. Steinweg Nachf., Braunschweig’

Around 1900, the label ‘Steinweg Nachf., Grotrian, Braunschweig’ came into use, replaced in 1928 by the name ‘Grotrian-Steinweg’, as we know it today. Outside Europe, the company traded simply as ‘Grotrian’.

1871

First concert by pianist Clara Schumann on a Grotrian-Steinweg grand piano

1876

Start of the lawsuits between Grotrian-Steinweg and Steinway & Sons regarding the Braunschweig company name (last court ruling: 1980)

1878

Death of Heinrich Diedrich Wilhelm Schulz (1835-1878)

1886

Gustav Adolph Helfferich (1840-1915) leaves the company

Wilhelm Grotrian becomes the sole owner.

1890

Opening of a new factory on Zimmerstraße/am Bültenweg, Braunschweig

The factory is in operation until 1974, with extensions/modernizations in 1897, 1911 and 1914.

The house on Bohlweg remains in operation as a residential and commercial building as well as a production facility.

1895

Willi (1868-1931) and Kurt (1870-1929) Grotrian join the company as partners

1896

Double wedding of the siblings Willi (1868–1931) and Elisabeth (1877– unknown) with the children of the Braunschweig music publisher Theodor Litolff: Marie and Richard

ca. 1900

Construction of a concert hall at Breite Straße 18, Braunschweig

1906

Willi Grotrian (1868-1931) starts developing the star notch for grand and upright pianos

1909

Production of a grand piano with arched keyboard after Frederick Clutsam (1869-1934)

1920

Opening of a sales branch in London

Foundation of the Grotrian-Steinweg Orchestra under the direction of Hermann Scherchen (1891-1966), Leipzig

1921

Introduction of the homogeneous soundboard

1924

Production of a quarter-tone grand piano

1926

Major fire in the factory at Zimmerstraße/am Bültenweg, Braunschweig

1927

Establishment of a laboratory in the factory under the direction of physicist Carl Hörig (1882-unknown)

1928

Erwin (1899-1990) and Helmut (1900-1977) Grotrian-Steinweg join the company as partners

1939–1945

Second World War: Establishment of an aircraft repair plant in the piano factory

The factory is badly damaged during one of the bombing raids on Braunschweig, but is rebuilt after the war.

1954

Founding of the Grotrian-Steinweg Piano Competition, Braunschweig

The competition is taking place in Braunschweig until today.

1974

Opening of a new factory in Grotrian-Steinweg-Straße, Braunschweig (industrial estate, directly on the A2)

Knut Grotrian-Steinweg (*1935) takes over the management of the company

2000

Burkhard Stein (*1967) takes over the management

2015

The Parsons Music Group, Hong Kong, becomes a shareholder in the company

2017

Terence Ng takes over the management

2024

Grotrian-Steinweg files for insolvency