Klosterfrau

The company "Klosterfrau", known today in particular for its melissa spirit "Melissengeist", was founded on May 23, 1826 under the name "Maria Clementine Martin Klosterfrau" by the Annonciades nun Maria Clementine.

Maria Clementine, born Wilhelmine Martin in Brussels in 1775, is said to have advertised what was presumably bought-in Eau de Cologne at her first address, "Auf der Litsch 1", shortly after her arrival in Cologne in 1825. In the course of secularization, her convent had been dissolved and a lifelong annual annuity from nursing activities is said to have served as the starting capital for her business. In 1827, she started producing Eau de Cologne, melissa spirit and lavender water at the Cologne address "Domhofsgasse No. 19" at the foot of Cologne Cathedral.

The business-minded businesswoman succeeded in obtaining permission to use the Prussian eagle for her products in 1829, which is said to have given her a competitive advantage over other Cologne Eau-de-Cologne-producers. Despite some disputes with competitors, she received permission to use the full royal coat of arms in 1830.

After her death on August 9, 1843, her company and all her assets passed to her employee and sole heir Peter Schaeben, later Peter Gustav Schaeben, whom she had taken on as an apprentice and assistant in 1829 at the age of 14.

Peter Gustav Schaeben and his descendants continued to run the company as "Maria Clementine Martin, Klosterfrau" and expanded it. On May 7, 1929, the Klosterfrau company was transformed into the limited partnership "Melissengeist- und Kölnisch-Wasser-Fabrik Maria Clementine Martin".

Due to the turmoil of the global economic crisis, bankruptcy proceedings had to be opened against the Klosterfrau company on May 20, 1933. The limited partner and main creditor Wilhelm Doerenkamp took over the company, including trademarks, property rights, recipes and processes, as part of a compulsory settlement on July 20, 1933.

To the best of our knowledge, today's "Klosterfrau Zürich AG" or "Klosterfrau Healthcare Group", based in Zurich with its operational headquarters in Cologne and represented since 1962 by a subsidiary, "Klosterfrau Berlin GmbH", and since 1971 by a second plant in Berlin, no longer manufactures perfume products under the "Klosterfrau" brand.