The company was founded in 1816 in the Silesian Nowa Sól () by Johann David Gruschwitz, it emerged from an operation of the Moravian Church. In 1847, Gruschwitz left the company, which his sons "Heinrich Gruschwitz" (1816–1885) and "Alexander Gruschwitz" (1819–1888) successfully continued under the company "JD Gruschwitz & Söhne oHG" . The company was converted into "Gruschwitz Textilwerke AG" in 1906, in whose management the "Doherr" families "(Doherr-Gruschwitz)" and "von Treskow were represented" as Gruschwitz descendants. During the First World War, Gruschwitz employed over 3,500 people. 