Crolle & Deneke

Natural sponges are little underwater heroes – they’re environmentally friendly, grow back quickly and enrich our everyday lives. This must have been clear to Gustav Croll and Theodor Denecke when they jumped in at the deep end of the ocean and launched their own business on 1 September 1897. They had the vision of importing natural sponges from the Mediterranean Sea and refining them in Bremen – with love and by hand.

A lot has changed since we were founded. Bernhard Röpke took over the management in 1929, and he was joined by his sonin-law Erich Hankiewicz in 1948, followed by his son Peter in 1958. We initially lived and worked under one roof at Doventorsdeich 23, but then we moved to our new business premises on Emil-SommerStraße in 2002. When daughter Nina joined the management team in 2008, she was soon followed by her sister Sara.

But some things have remained the same since 1897: our hand-crafted products, sustainability and attention to detail. While other companies with a similar business model have left the scene, we have always believed in our vision. And our commitment has paid off, as our family business can look back proudly on 125 years of tradition – and we are now selling our sustainable natural sponges and environmentally friendly products around the world.