The place was conveniently situated for business, being nearly in the centre of Germany.

The Bavarian Government, desirous of giving encouragement to so useful a genius, granted Koenig the use of the secularised monastery on easy terms; and there accordingly he began his operations in the course of the following year.

Bauer soon joined him, with an order from Mr.Walter for an improved Times machine; and the two men entered into a partnership which lasted for life.
The partners had at first great difficulties to encounter in getting their establishment to work.

Oberzell was a rural village, containing only common labourers, from whom they had to select their workmen.
Every person taken into the concern had to be trained and educated to mechanical work by the partners themselves.

With indescribable patience they taught these labourers the use of the hammer, the file, the turning-lathe, and other tools, which the greater number of them had never before seen, and of whose uses they were entirely ignorant.
The machinery of the workshop was got together with equal difficulty piece by piece, some of the parts from a great distance,--the mechanical arts being then at a very low ebb in Germany, which was still suffering from the effects of the long continental war.
At length the workshop was fitted up, the old barn of the monastery being converted into an iron foundry.
Orders for printing machines were gradually obtained.