After Gritzner had visited at the Polytechnic School in Vienna three years courses, he came in the autumn of 1843 to Karlsruhe. Until 1846 he attended the Polytechnic, where he was entered in the classes for mathematics and engineering. The contact to Karlsruhe probably came about Gritzner cousin about, Ferdinand Redtenbacher, who was a professor in Karlsruhe. During his studies he was in 1843 one of the founders of the Karlsruhe fraternity Teutonia. Gritzner wandered on 11 May 1850 via Liverpool to America. He gave up Austrian citizenship and became an American citizen. Probably Gritzner, the production of sewing machines met in America to the singer- works . After his return he founded with his father Maximilian Joseph Gritzner 1872 in Durlach Gritzner works. He invented the two full rotary hook without glasses and upgraded his machine with a bobbin case opener, a rotating take-up lever and a controlled thread tension out . His idea was, however, until much later, popular, than the American sewing machine builders they took over.

Gritzner was married to Pauline ( née Marx) , the couple had two sons.