The Old World – Grotrian-Steinweg | Workshop and Production

Wilhelm Grotrian (1843–1917) and his partners expanded both residence and workshop at No. 48 Bohlweg, Braunschweig several times. Apart from showrooms for the presentation of finished instruments and a piano hall, they also built staff rooms. In 1890, a whole factory was finally built at Zimmerstraße. Equipped with steam engine and electricity, it was a state-of-the art factory which worked up until its destruction in 1944. Reconstruction followed after WWII, and in 1974 the enterprise moved to the industrial estate near the A2 highway at Grotrian-Steinweg-Straße.

By 1872, Grotrian-Steinweg had produced 1776 grand and upright pianos. By 1900, the number had grown to 12,131, and in 1931 it reached 62,238. The number of employees rose from around 40 in 1865 to 685 in 1920. However, against the backdrop of the global economic crisis and the Second World War, the following years and decades were not easy for the company. In 1930, only 180 employees were working at the factory. 

In the recent past, Grotrian-Steinweg in Braunschweig produced 500 instruments per year with a team of 50 people.