Beiersdorf Global Service FAQ Contact Imprint About Us Brands Research Sustainability Newsroom Investors Career Home – About Us – Our History – Milestones Milestones The history of today’s Beiersdorf began in a small pharmacy near Hamburg’s famous St. Michael’s church, often referred to as “Michel”. This is where Paul C. Beiersdorf invented the coated pflaster, thus laying the groundwork for company success. In the decades that followed, Beiersdorf developed into a globally successful consumer goods company with brands such as NIVEA, Eucerin, Hansaplast, and Labello. Click your way through a timeline of milestones covering 130 years of company history. 1882 Born in Brandenburg in 1836, qualified pharmacist Paul C. Beiersdorf founded the company that now bears his name, having settled in Hamburg just two years earlier. Share: 1882 The patent specification numbered 20057 for the “manufacture of coated pflaster” is regarded as the company’s founding document, which was presented to Paul C. Beiersdorf on March 28, 1882, by the Imperial Patent Office in Berlin. Share: 1882 Based on his patent, Paul C. Beiersdorf manufactured adhesive pflaster in his own lab using the mass of the gutta-percha tree, and thus laid the foundation for modern-day pflaster technology. Share: 1883 The gutta-percha adhesive pflaster was so popular that Beiersdorf gave up the pharmacy on Mühlenstraße. He and his family moved from Hamburg to the neighboring Altona, where he founded his laboratory of dermatotherapeutic preparations. Share: 1890 Pharmacist and businessman Dr. Oscar Troplowitz took over Paul C. Beiersdorf’s company based in Hamburg-Altona. Troplowitz modernized the production processes, established the initial international contacts, and significantly expanded the business. Share: 1892 Dr. Oscar Troplowitz celebrating the topping-out ceremony for the new production facility in Hamburg-Eimsbüttel with the architect and employees. The property was gradually expanded over the following decades and is still the location of the company headquarters to this day. Share: 1893 The catalyst for global success: the first international cooperation agreement with New York trading company Lehn & Fink paved the way for business relationships with the US. Share: 1900 A patent application was filed for Eucerit (“beautiful wax”), an emulsifying agent that’s extracted from the lanolin of sheep and forms the foundation for Eucerin and later on, NIVEA Creme. Share: 1906 Beiersdorf set up his own office on Idol Lane in London which served as a temporary storage facility for deliveries to the UK. Sales continued to grow in the following years. Share: 1909 Labello lip balm was launched onto the market. The lip care stick with innovative sliding case quickly became an international success and a synonym for lip care products. Share: 1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 Present Related Links Founding history Personalities International development Back to top Beiersdorf global Facts & Figures About Us Milestones Investors Financial Reports Our brands NIVEA Eucerin La Prairie Hansaplast Brand History Contact & Services FAQ Contact Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Conditions of Use Sitemap