Cabinetmaking and restoration workshop for furniture, historic windows and doors as well as heritage conservation, based in Wuppertal
Tischlerei Daniel Otterbein
Wuppertal-CronenbergNew on Amplifa
Family business in its third generation
The Tischlerei Daniel Otterbein is a family-run joinery and restoration business in Wuppertal-Cronenberg, founded in 1935 by master carpenter Hermann Otterbein sen. and today run by the third generation by Daniel Otterbein, master carpenter and certified restorer. The workshop manufactures made-to-measure furniture such as built-in furniture, kitchens, office fittings and shop interiors, as well as windows and doors – also in historic styles such as Empire, Gründerzeit and Art Nouveau. A key focus is the restoration of antiques and wooden art and cultural assets as well as heritage-compliant refurbishment and energy optimisation of historic windows, e.g. through energy-saving secondary panes and insulating glazing. Production is mainly in solid wood, including oak, larch, spruce, red cedar and Bangkirai, partly with FSC-certified timber; surfaces are traditionally finished with shellac. In addition to in-workshop production on 750 sqm, the range of services includes parquet laying, wooden staircases, outdoor work such as terraces, canopies and shutters, as well as planning, site surveying and on-site installation. Reference projects include restoration work at Schloss Burg an der Wupper and on a historic table planetarium; in 2026 the company received the Federal Prize for Craftsmanship in Monument Conservation for a window restoration.
- Site
- Wuppertal
- Processes
- Furniture making / new furniture production (tables, cabinets, benches, chests, shelves, built-in, Restoration of antiques and wooden art and cultural assets (furniture), Surface finishing with shellac, Gluing/laminating, Manufacture and installation of windows and doors (also historic styles: Empire, Gründerzeit,, Restoration and optimisation of historic windows (incl. energy-saving secondary panes,, Surface coating of windows, Parquet laying work
- Materials
- Wood (general, regional, FSC-certified), Solid wood, Oak, Larch, Spruce, North American red cedar, Bangkirai, Rare woods (veneer bundles)
- Certificates
- FSC certification (wood products), FSC (wood products), Certified restorer in the craft trades, Member of the Wuppertal Cabinetmakers' Guild
- Founded
- 1935
- Industries
- Heritage conservation / historic buildings, Refurbishment of listed buildings, Private customers (furniture, interior fitting)
- 01
Consulting & planning
- 02
Site surveying
- 03
Material selection (wood)
- 04
Production in the workshop
- 05
Surface finishing (shellac/coating)
- 06
On-site installation
- 07
Logistics & service
Wood, materials & processes
Oak
Durable solid wood for terraces, plank floors and furniture.
Larch
Weather-resistant wood for outdoor work, stairs and cladding.
Spruce
Native structural timber for outdoor use and components.
North American red cedar
Durable wood for outdoor applications, e.g. terraces.
Bangkirai
Very hard, weather-resistant structural timber from Southeast Asia for terraces.
Solid wood
Basic material for handcrafted furniture, doors and windows.
Veneer
Bundles of veneers of rare woods from an extensive stock for restorations.
Insulating glazing / thermal and acoustic protection glass
Modern glazing for the energy-oriented retrofitting of historic windows.
Shellac
Traditional surface finish used in restorations.
FSC-certified wood
Regional, sustainable use of wood with ecological forest management.
Workshop & location
Wuppertal-Cronenberg
DEWorkshop, exhibition, administration
- Lot size
- Custom one-off production / made-to-measure work
- Materials
- Solid wood, oak, larch, spruce, veneer
- Large woodworking machines
- Workbenches
- Gouges, chisels, planes, moulding planes
- Japanese saw
Components & services
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Furniture making / new furniture production (tables, cabinets, benches, chests, shelves, built-inAssembly | – | – | – | – | Wood, Solid wood |
| Restoration of antiques and wooden art and cultural assets (furniture)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Wood |
| Surface finishing with shellacSurface | – | – | – | – | Wood |
| Gluing/laminatingJoining | – | – | – | – | Wood |
| Manufacture and installation of windows and doors (also historic styles: Empire, Gründerzeit,Assembly | – | – | – | – | Wood, Glass |
| Restoration and optimisation of historic windows (incl. energy-saving secondary panes,Assembly | – | – | – | – | Wood, Glass |
| Surface coating of windowsSurface | – | – | – | – | Wood |
| Parquet laying workAssembly | – | – | – | – | Wood, Oak wood |
| Fitted kitchens, office fittings, shop interiors – planning and implementationAssembly | – | – | – | – | Wood |
| Wooden staircase constructionAssembly | – | – | – | – | Wood, Larch, Oak |
| Outdoor work: terraces, balconies, canopies, roofing, carports, shutters, roof boxesSurface | – | – | – | – | Oak, Larch, Spruce, Red cedar, Bangkirai, Wood |
| Heritage conservation: manufacture and installation of fixed building components (windows, doors,Assembly | – | – | – | – | Wood |
| Carving work / re-carving defective parts (gouges, chisels)Machining | – | – | – | – | Wood |
| Planing (chip-removing machining, profile rework with moulding planes)Machining | – | – | – | – | Wood |
| Precision cuts with a Japanese saw (e.g. dovetailing of drawers)Machining | – | – | – | – | Wood |
| CNC-controlled production processes (via external partner)Machining | – | – | – | – | Wood |
| Planning / site surveying and on-site installationEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
3 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodworking machines (large production machines, not specified) | – | – | – | – | Wuppertal-Cronenberg, Schulweg 39 |
| Hand tools: gouges, chisels, planes, moulding planes, Japanese saw | – | – | – | – | Wuppertal-Cronenberg |
| Workbenches | – | – | – | – | Wuppertal-Cronenberg |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality & certification
The work follows heritage-conservation principles: gentle, reversible and traceable working methods with documented damage surveys. The company is a member of the Wuppertal Cabinetmakers' Guild and is registered in the trade register of the HwK Düsseldorf; the owner is a certified restorer in the joinery craft.
| Evidence | Wuppertal-Cronenberg |
|---|---|
| FSC (wood products) | |
| Certified restorer in the craft trades | |
| Member of the Wuppertal Cabinetmakers' Guild |
Company history since 1935
- 1935
Takeover of a partial business from the company Dietrich Siemers by master carpenter Hermann Otterbein sen., Brillerstraße 35, Wuppertal-Elberfeld
- 1937
Hermann Otterbein sen. becomes a partner in the company Habrichs (Habrichs & Otterbein), Schönegasse 5
- 1946
Resumption of business at Kasinostraße 24; hiring of the first apprentice
- 1951
Takeover of the inventory of the carpentry workshop Peter Wendung
- 1961
Hermann Otterbein jun. passes his master craftsman examination and works as a master in the parental business
- 1966
Hermann Otterbein jun. buys the business from his father (6 employees)
- 1981
Relocation of the commercial business to Luisenstraße 63
- 1985
Purchase of the business premises in Wuppertal-Cronenberg, Schulweg 39; relocation of the workshop
- 1986
50th company anniversary in the new premises
- 1997
Death of the founder Hermann Otterbein sen.
- 2001
Daniel Otterbein passes the restorer examination in the joinery craft
- 2003
Daniel Otterbein leases the parental business and runs it in the 3rd generation
- 2004
Co-founding of the association "Die Cronenberger Handwerker"
- 2007
Daniel Otterbein buys the business equipment, materials and workshop building
- 2025
Contribution to the reopening of Schloss Burg; new showroom; vehicle fleet expanded by 2 vehicles
- 2026
Federal Prize for Craftsmanship in Monument Conservation 2026 for the window restoration of a Gründerzeit-era villa in Solingen