Of German origin, he was the son of Józefina (née Frey) and Piotr Steinkeller, descended from Pomeranian nobility.

The family business carried on into the next generation, headed by the following Piotr, who died prematurely in 1813, leaving a widow with 5 children.

He was a social innovator in relation to his work-force: he brought in signed work contracts outlining the rights and obligations of both parties and provided accommodation for the workers.

He also initiated a scheme to build a miners' hospital in Jaworzno and equipped the first industrial Fire service in the area.

He expanded his zinc interests into large-scale production by leasing government owned tin mines and smelting facilities in Congress Poland.

Whereas in London he set up a zinc works to produce galvanised sheeting and from there he developed an international trade in the metal.

Until the opening of the Warsaw-Vienna railway of which he was one of the early backers and investors, his messenger network was the chief source of his revenues.

[citation needed] Thanks to his efforts, on Nowy Świat Street, the main commercial thoroughfare in Warsaw, the road was laid out in timber blocks.

Examples of this were his over-reliance on them in the restoration of lead mines in Olkusz, or in the production of Farm equipment, or importing river barges from England whose draught was inappropriate for Polish waterways.

He was awarded; On the 50th anniversary of his death in 1904 a commemorative plaque to Steinkeller was placed in St Peter and Paul church, Warsaw with the inscription: To a deserving Polish industrial pioneer, from his grateful countrymen.