In memory of Klaus Grohe
Klaus Grohe, a pioneer of the hansgrohe success story, passed away on 3 January 2026 at the age of 88. We bid farewell to a family entrepreneur who shaped the design identity and customer-focused ethos of an entire industry on an international scale.
From family business to global player
Klaus Grohe was born on 3 April 1937 in Aachen as the third and youngest son of company founder Hans Grohe. After completing his studies in business administration, he joined his father’s company in 1968. Over the course of five decades, first as Managing Director and later as Honorary Chairman of the Supervisory Board, he played a decisive role in steering the international fortunes of the Baden-Württemberg-based fittings manufacturer.
“Klaus leaves behind a human and entrepreneurial legacy of immeasurable depth. When he took over the management of hansgrohe in 1975, he fundamentally reinvented the family business and led it to a scale that few could have imagined at the time. In doing so, he brought prosperity to the region – and to many other places around the world,”
says Richard Grohe, son of Klaus Grohe and Managing Director of Syngroh Beteiligungsgesellschaft.
Design, innovation and responsibility
Klaus Grohe understood design as a binding responsibility of entrepreneurial leadership. As early as the 1980s, he established a forward-looking approach to business: appointing an environmental officer, developing water-saving showers, and laying the foundations for the brand successes of AXOR and hansgrohe. He was equally aware of the importance of professional brand communication and therefore integrated in-house marketing into the company during the same decade. In 1987, Klaus Grohe also played a key role in founding the renowned design studio Phoenix Design in Stuttgart, which was later honoured with a Honorary Award at the German Design Awards 2012 within the German Design Council’s circle.
Klaus Grohe’s distinctive hands-on mentality and tireless drive were instrumental in transforming the family business from the Black Forest into a global player – a legacy that continues to resonate beyond his lifetime. The fact that hansgrohe has been part of the German Design Council Foundation for more than 25 years is due in no small part to his enduring commitment and vision.
