Friedrich Grillo was a prominent Essen

Essen

- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...

 industrialist

Born the son of an Essen merchant and he took over his father's enterprise, and expande3d the range of trade, becoming an influential businessman

• In 1854 he gained a seat on the supervisory board of the Bochum Association
• In 1855 he became member of the pit executive committee of a mining company
• In 1873 he was one of the founders of the Gelsenkirchener Bergwerks-AG

Working with banks based in Cologne

Cologne

Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...

 and Berlin

Berlin

Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...

, Grillo a corporate business structure which became characteristic of the Ruhr district, one which deepened the connection between banks and economics. Grillo became one of the most influential persons of the Ruhr.

Friedrich Grillo and his widow Wilhelmine Grillo donated the property and two thirds of the construction costs of the Grillo Theatre which opened in Essen in 1892.