David Grove
David Grove (1840-1909)
1909 Obituary [1]
DAVID GROVE was born in London on 27th June 1840.
At the age of fourteen he went to Germany, where, after ten years' training in engineering, he founded in Berlin the business known by his name. At first his speciality was the introduction of sanitary appliances into Germany. By dint of great energy and industry he soon succeeded in establishing a good connection, and, with the help of his friends, extended his business by taking up the improvement of heating, ventilating, irrigation, drainage, and bath installations.
His genius led him into other branches. He succeeded, after several years spent on experiments, in constructing a transportable field baking oven, which was introduced throughout the German army.
Owing to increasing business, he found it necessary to build works at Charlottenburg; the building of barracks, the manufacture of vacuum drying plants, and complete apparatus for the chemical industry were also taken up. He devoted himself specially to the question of water and sewage purification, and for this an additional laboratory was built.
In the last years of his life some large sanitary installations were carried out, in addition to the construction of waterworks and town-drainage schemes.
His undertakings were not confined to Germany, many installations being carried out by him in Russia, Austria-Hungary, and the Balkan Peninsula, and he established and maintained branches in Breslau, Danzig, Frankfort-on-Main, Dusseldorf, Bucharest, Budapest, and Constantinople.
The first public shower-baths in Germany were built by his firm, and be assisted in the foundation of the German Society for National Baths. He was also Engineer to the Imperial Court.
In spite of his having made his home in Germany, he remained true to his native country. This was shown throughout, especially by his great care for the English colony in Berlin, whose leader he had been for many years.
He was also one of the founders of an Institution for the support of distressed British Subjects residing in, or passing through, Berlin.
His death took place at his residence in Berlin after a long illness, on 3rd December 1909, in his seventieth year.
He became a Member of this Institution in 1886.