Stoewer
Historical German manufacturer known for automobiles, bicycles, sewing machines, and typewriters, headquartered in Stettin before and during the Second World War.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Stoewer was a German industrial manufacturer whose origins lay in precision mechanical work and sewing-machine production in Stettin, then part of the German Empire and now Szczecin, Poland. Bernhard Stoewer established the business in 1858 after repairing a sewing machine for the local military garrison. The enterprise subsequently manufactured sewing machines and typewriters, while also becoming associated with bicycles and other mechanical products. By its fiftieth anniversary in 1908, the company had reportedly produced approximately 75,000 sewing machines and six million typewriters, illustrating that its pre-automotive industrial base was substantial. The company entered automobile production in 1899, when Bernhard Stoewer's sons, Emil and Bernhard Stoewer, established Gebrüder Stoewer, Fabrik für Motorfahrzeugen. Its first automobile, the Großer Stoewer Motorwagen, was a small early car with a 6.5-horsepower engine and a top speed of about 17 kilometres per hour. Stoewer became one of Germany's early automobile manufacturers, gradually reallocating factory capacity from bicycle components and other products toward motor vehicles. In 1906 it stopped producing bicycle chains and pedals in order to expand its automobile facilities, with the stated objective of increasing annual output from roughly 100 vehicles to about 250. During the first decade of the twentieth century, Stoewer broadened its commercial and technical network. A 1907 partnership with Deutsche Motorfahrzeugfabrik GmbH was intended to use expanded Stoewer production capacity for the Autognom and gave the partner exclusive sales responsibilities for Stoewer vehicles. The Stoewer G4, introduced in 1908, became one of the company's more successful early models, with approximately 1,070 built. In 1910, Stoewer vehicles were also produced under licence in France by Mathis of Strasbourg. The family business was reorganized as a joint-stock company in 1916 under the name Stoewer-Werke AG, vormals Gebrüder Stoewer. Stoewer's interwar range covered several market segments. The D-series of the 1920s included four-cylinder and six-cylinder models, while the unusual D7 used a proprietary six-cylinder aero engine. In 1928, the company introduced eight-cylinder S8 and G14 models. Its most ambitious civilian products appeared in the early 1930s, including the G15 Gigant, M12 Marschall, and P20 Repräsentant. These large eight-cylinder cars offered power outputs ranging from approximately 60 to 120 horsepower and speeds of up to about 130 kilometres per hour. Economic conditions curtailed this programme after roughly 2,500 vehicles had been produced. Stoewer also pursued front-wheel drive and compact-car engineering. The V5, introduced in 1931, was an early front-wheel-drive automobile with a 25-horsepower engine and an approximately 80-kilometre-per-hour top speed. The Greif Junior was built under licence from Tatra, and the later V8 Greif became the last automobile designed and produced by Stoewer itself. The Arkona and Sedina represented the company's final civilian passenger cars. From the mid-1930s, military procurement increasingly shaped the company. In 1936 Stoewer developed the light standardized four-wheel-drive off-road vehicle for the German armed forces. The Stoewer R200 initially incorporated four-wheel steering. Because Stoewer lacked enough capacity, related versions were also built by BMW's Eisenach plant as the BMW 325 and by Hanomag as Type 20 B. The three manufacturers produced approximately 13,000 vehicles in total, of which about 2,000 were built by Stoewer. The political and wartime history of the company was deeply problematic. The Stoewer family was removed from effective control in the early 1930s after conflict over its continued emphasis on civilian vehicles, and a supervisory board aligned with the Nazi regime assumed control. During the Second World War, Stoewer was among the German companies that used forced labour and maintained a camp for prisoners. After the war, the Red Army seized the remaining Stettin facilities, dismantled the factory, and transported equipment to the Soviet Union. Stoewer consequently ceased to exist as an automobile manufacturer and did not resume production.
History
Bernhard Stoewer founded the original Stettin business in 1858 as a precision mechanical repair shop. The immediate impetus was a sewing-machine repair commissioned by the local garrison. Stoewer soon began producing sewing machines and later typewriters, building an industrial foundation before entering vehicle manufacturing. The company's output by 1908 included approximately 75,000 sewing machines and six million typewriters. Its activities also included bicycles and bicycle components. In 1899, Emil and Bernhard Stoewer, the founder's sons, created Gebrüder Stoewer, Fabrik für Motorfahrzeugen and began building automobiles. The first was the Großer Stoewer Motorwagen, a low-powered pioneer car with a maximum speed of about 17 kilometres per hour. Stoewer's automobile operations expanded as the company redirected factory space from bicycle parts to vehicle production. In 1906, it discontinued production of chains and pedals and used approximately 2,000 square metres of freed capacity to target an increase from around 100 cars in 1905 to approximately 250 in 1906. Stoewer entered a commercial partnership with Deutsche Motorfahrzeugfabrik GmbH in 1907. The arrangement involved production of the Autognom at Stoewer's enlarged facilities and exclusive sales activity by the partner. The G4, constructed in 1908, became an important early model, with about 1,070 units produced. Stoewer also achieved international reach through licensed production by Mathis in France from 1910. In 1916, the family enterprise became Stoewer-Werke AG, vormals Gebrüder Stoewer. The 1920s brought the D-series, including four-cylinder D3, D9, and D10 cars and six-cylinder D5, D6, and D12 models. The D7 was notable for its proprietary six-cylinder aero engine. In 1928 the company added eight-cylinder S8 and G14 models. Its high point in large civilian cars came during the early 1930s with the eight-cylinder G15 Gigant, M12 Marschall, and P20 Repräsentant. These cars produced approximately 60 to 120 horsepower and could reach about 130 kilometres per hour, but worldwide economic difficulties forced the programme to end after approximately 2,500 vehicles. Stoewer was also an early participant in front-wheel-drive development. The V5, introduced in 1931, used front-wheel drive, a 25-horsepower engine, and an approximate 80-kilometre-per-hour maximum speed. The Greif Junior was produced under Tatra licence, followed by the V8 Greif, the last car made by Stoewer itself. The Arkona and Sedina were the final civilian models. Political and military conditions then transformed the company. The Stoewer family was displaced from effective control in the early 1930s, after being criticized for concentrating too heavily on civilian automobiles. A Nazi-controlled supervisory board took over corporate direction. In 1936, Stoewer developed the light standardized off-road vehicle for the German military. The R200 used four-wheel drive and, initially, four-wheel steering. BMW and Hanomag built related versions, known respectively as the BMW 325 and Hanomag Type 20 B; combined production across the three firms was about 13,000 vehicles, with approximately 2,000 from Stoewer. Stoewer exploited forced labour during the Second World War and operated a prisoner camp. After Germany's defeat, Soviet forces took control of the remaining plant in Stettin, dismantled its equipment, and sent it to the Soviet Union. The company did not resume production. Because Stettin became Szczecin in postwar Poland, the original factory location is now outside Germany, although Stoewer remains part of German automotive history.
- 1945
Factory dismantled after the war
[1]Soviet forces dismantled the remaining Stettin facilities and removed their equipment, ending Stoewer production.
- 1936
Military off-road vehicle developed
[1]Stoewer developed the R200 light standardized four-wheel-drive vehicle for the German army.
- 1931
V5 front-wheel-drive car introduced
[1]Stoewer developed the V5, an early front-wheel-drive automobile.
- 1928
Eight-cylinder models introduced
[1]Stoewer began producing the S8 and G14 with eight-cylinder engines.
- 1916
Company becomes a joint-stock enterprise
[1]The family business was reorganized as Stoewer-Werke AG, vormals Gebrüder Stoewer.
- 1910
Licensed production begins in France
[1]Mathis of Strasbourg began building Stoewer cars under licence.
- 1908
G4 becomes a significant early model
[1]Stoewer constructed the G4, which achieved approximately 1,070 units of production.
- 1906
Factory capacity redirected to automobiles
[1]Stoewer ended bicycle-chain and pedal production and allocated the released factory space to automobile expansion.
- 1899
Automobile production begins
[1]Emil and Bernhard Stoewer founded Gebrüder Stoewer, Fabrik für Motorfahrzeugen and entered automobile manufacturing.
- 1858
Precision-mechanical business founded
[1]Bernhard Stoewer established a repair and manufacturing business in Stettin, beginning with sewing-machine work.
Products and positioning
A historically significant German engineering manufacturer that evolved from precision machinery into automobile production, with a later emphasis on technically distinctive passenger cars, luxury models, and military vehicles.
Early automobile · 1899
Großer Stoewer Motorwagen
Stoewer's first automobile, introduced after the sons of Bernhard Stoewer entered vehicle manufacturing in 1899. It was a small pioneer car powered by an approximately 6.5-horsepower engine and capable of about 17 kilometres per hour.
Passenger automobile · 1908
Stoewer G4
Introduced in 1908, the G4 was one of Stoewer's commercially successful early automobiles. Approximately 1,070 examples were built, making it a notable production model during the company's transition from a mechanical-products manufacturer to a dedicated automobile producer.
Passenger automobiles · 1921
D-series
The D-types formed a broad 1920s range. D3, D9, and D10 used four-cylinder engines, while D5, D6, and D12 used six-cylinder powerplants. The D7 was especially unusual because it employed a proprietary six-cylinder aero engine rated at approximately 120 horsepower.
Luxury and executive automobiles · 1930
G15 Gigant, M12 Marschall, and P20 Repräsentant
These large eight-cylinder cars represented Stoewer's most ambitious civilian range in the early 1930s. Depending on model, output ranged from approximately 60 to 120 horsepower and top speed reached about 130 kilometres per hour. Production ended after roughly 2,500 vehicles amid worldwide economic difficulties.
Front-wheel-drive passenger automobile · 1931
Stoewer V5
The V5 was one of Stoewer's early front-wheel-drive designs. Introduced in 1931, it used a 25-horsepower engine and had an approximate top speed of 80 kilometres per hour, reflecting the company's interest in alternative drivetrain layouts.
Military off-road vehicle · 1936
Stoewer R200
Developed from 1936 as Germany's light standardized off-road vehicle, the R200 used four-wheel drive and initially four-wheel steering. Approximately 2,000 Stoewer-built examples formed part of a broader production programme that also included BMW and Hanomag versions.
Controversies
Brand decisions
1936
Develop the standardized light off-road vehicleProduct launchBackground
The German military sought a standardized light cross-country vehicle.
Action taken
Stoewer developed the R200 with four-wheel drive and initially four-wheel steering.
Aftermath
BMW and Hanomag produced related versions because Stoewer's facilities could not meet the full requirement; combined production reached approximately 13,000 vehicles.
1906
Redirect factory space from bicycles to automobilesStrategyBackground
Stoewer sought to expand automobile output as demand and production ambitions grew.
Action taken
The company stopped making bicycle chains and pedals and used approximately 2,000 square metres of factory space for automobile manufacturing.
Aftermath
Stoewer targeted an increase from about 100 vehicles in 1905 to approximately 250 in 1906.
Sources1 sources
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