Press Information
How an invention freed people’s hands when showering
It revolutionized the bathroom: The shower bar Unica has been around for 60
years now – and it was invented by Hans Grohe, the founder of the shower
specialist Hansgrohe SE in Germany’s Black Forest
Schiltach, December 2013. Frequently it is the seemingly simple ideas that change
the world because they make life simpler, more convenient and better. The shower
bar is such an innovation with a sustainable impact. In 2013 it became 60 years
old. Today it is taken for granted in bathrooms across the globe: the shower bar.
It was discovered by Hans Grohe, the pioneer of Germany’s sanitation industry, in
Schiltach 60 years ago. It came on the market in 1953, under the brand name
Unica: A milestone in the history of Hansgrohe as this innovation made the
company the shower specialist at the time and has characterized its approach to
innovation to this day.
In addition, however, the invention of the shower bar was a significant watershed
in the development of the bathroom. This is because first of all, it changed users’
behavior by enabling “hands-free” showering – with a height-adjustable hand
shower. Secondly, this brought about the emancipation of the shower from the
bathtub. This heralded the advent of separate showering areas in the bathroom,
changing its architecture in the process. A genuine bathroom revolution!
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Caption: Hansgrohe’s Unica was the world’s first shower bar in 1953. It was
invented by Hans Grohe, the founder of the bathroom specialist Hansgrohe
SE.
Hansgrohe_Unica_
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Hansgrohe SE · Public Relations · Auestrasse 5-9 · 77761 Schiltach · Germany · Phone +49 7836 51 1215, +49 7836 51 1226, +49 7836 51
1231, +49 7836 51 1297, +49 7836 51 3009 · Fax +49 7836 51 1170 · [email protected] · www.hansgrohe.com · Reproduction
free of charge · Proof and voucher copy please · Commercial Registry: District Court Stuttgart, Registration No: HRB 740779 · Sales Tax ID
No: DE 812782725 · Board of Directors: Siegfried Gänßlen (CEO), Richard Grohe (Deputy CEO), Marc Griggel, Frank Semling · Chairman of
the Supervisory Board: Klaus Grohe
***
Within the international Hansgrohe Group, Hansgrohe is the premium brand for bathroom and
kitchen fixtures, showers and shower systems as well as thermostat and plumbing technology.
Winners of numerous awards throughout the world, the brand’s products stand for modern
technologies, innovative design and a superlative level of functional quality. This explains the
success of the brand as a market leader in the shower segment and as one of the leading
manufacturers of fixtures. With inventions such as the shower bar, adjustable spray types, the
QuickClean function, the AirPower or the EcoSmart technology as well as the convenient Select
technology, Hansgrohe is regarded as one of the leading innovators in the international sanitation
industry.
***
Find out more about Hansgrohe SE and its brands Hansgrohe and Axor on
www.facebook.com/hansgrohe
www.twitter.com/hansgrohe_pr
Design leader in the sanitary industry
In the current ranking of the International Forum Design (iF) of the world's best
th
enterprises in the field of design, Hansgrohe SE is in 11 position among 2,000
companies. With a score of 680 points, the Schiltach-based bathroom mixers
and shower specialist even outperforms companies such as Daimler, Hewlett
Packard, Loewe and Porsche and leads the design hit list in the sanitary
industry.
www.hansgrohe.com/design
Further information:
Hansgrohe SE
- Public Relations Franziska Seitz
Phone: +49 (0) 7836/51-3009/-1226
Fax: +49 (0) 7836/51-1170
E-Mail: [email protected]
www.hansgrohe.com
Hansgrohe SE · Public Relations · Auestrasse 5-9 · 77761 Schiltach · Germany · Phone +49 7836 51 1215, +49 7836 51 1226, +49 7836 51
1231, +49 7836 51 1297, +49 7836 51 3009 · Fax +49 7836 51 1170 · [email protected] · www.hansgrohe.com · Reproduction
free of charge · Proof and voucher copy please · Commercial Registry: District Court Stuttgart, Registration No: HRB 740779 · Sales Tax ID
No: DE 812782725 · Board of Directors: Siegfried Gänßlen (CEO), Richard Grohe (Deputy CEO), Marc Griggel, Frank Semling · Chairman of
the Supervisory Board: Klaus Grohe