Founded in 1869 in Rotterdam by businessmen Johann Theodor Peek and Heinrich Cloppenburg, Peek & Cloppenburg opened its first German stores in Berlin and Düsseldorf in 1901. A second business was set up in 1911 with the aim of creating two independent companies with headquarters in Düsseldorf and Hamburg respectively. In 1989, as part of a further expansion, the company Anson’s was formed, and has since established itself as a market leader among menswear specialists. In February 2008, Peek & Cloppenburg KG Vienna was established as a headquarters for Austria and Eastern Europe, and to serve the growing markets in these regions.