Company founder Heinrich Hagner

In 1942 in the middle of the war Heinrich Hagner founded a retail company in the small Black Forest village of Hallwangen, just outside the well-known spa resort of Freudenstadt.

At that time the company was engaged in manufacturing and selling chemico-cosmetic products, including pine needle baths and bath tablets. These products, typical for a company located in the Black Forest, were sold mainly on a regional basis through haberdashers’ shops and by direct selling.