Cousins Otto Altenburg (also spelled Altenburgh), and Frederick E. Altenburg manufactured pianos in Germany for several years before immigrating to the United States.  Otto and Frederick Altenburg began manufacturing pianos in New York City in about 1865, offering upright and square pianos under the names of “Otto Altenburg” and “Frederick E. Altenburg”.

In about 1868 Frederick Altenburg entered into a partnership with Edward Ehrlich, forming the firm of “F. E. Altenburg & Ehrlich”. This partnership was short-lived and lasted only about a year. The Altenburgs continued to build pianos for several more years, later expanding to become retailers in addition to manufacturers.

In the 1990’s, pianos built under the Altenburg name were reintroduced into the market by Samick International, the largest piano manufacturer in South Korea.