ヘッセン＝ダルムシュタット方伯領
The roots of Merck reach back as far as the 17th century in the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt (now a part of Germany). In 1668, Friedrich Jacob Merck, an apothecary, assumed ownership of the "Engel-Apotheke" ("Angel Pharmacy") in Darmstadt.