Founders and pioneers

Obernberg GruendungsstaetteJohann Wintersteiger with wife Christl, Alois Wintersteiger

In 1953, Fritz Walter and Johann Wintersteiger founded the company "F. Walter & H. Wintersteiger KG" in the old smithy in Obernberg am Inn. The building was already 200 years old at the time and was converted into a restaurant in 1995.

 

In the beginning, the two founders of the company repaired all the devices and machines that were brought to their workshop from the surrounding area: “They fixed everything that came to them,” recalls Josef Fill (former provincial government minister and founder of Fill Maschinenbau GmbH, Gurten), who started in 1954 as the first apprentice. In the first few years, one of the company's specialization was mills: the Wiesbauer mill was completely refurbished, with Walter & Wintersteiger making the new drums, for example.

 

Technology in the blood.

Johann Wintersteiger was the oldest son of the wainwright Johann Wintersteiger sen. in St. Georgen bei Obernberg am Inn. Fritz Walter came from today's Wiesbauermühle in Obernberg, which was called "Waltermühle" until 1929. Fritz Walter learned his craft in Germany and was a very talented precision mechanic who had a passion for repairing watches. Johann Wintersteiger was the inventor and designer in the team. Both were masters in their field and complemented each other very well professionally.

Founding location Obernberg