Pitralon

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Full bottles of "Pitralon Pre Shave" and "Pitralon After Shave" (Germany, 2017)
"Pitralon Pure" (Netherlands, 2016)
"Pitralon Polar" (Germany, 2016)
"Ralon Original" as in 1927 with boric acid and camphor (Croatia, 2016)
"Pitralon 160 ml" (Switzerland, 2013)

Pitralon [ pi.tʀɐ.ˈloːn ] ( listen ? / I ) is the brand name of an aftershave that was invented after eight years of development in Germany in 1927 and has since been produced and sold by various manufacturers in different countries and with varying compositions. It is well known all over Europe and is therefore mentioned again and again in books, films and songs. The word mark “Pitralon” was registered in 1919, even before the invention or market readiness of the later aftershave. The trademark protection for the name expired on April 30, 2019. Since 1921, “Pitralon” or its recipe has been the subject of scientific research in various fields such as business administration , biology , chemistry , psychology , sociology , veterinary medicine , virology and dentistry . Audio file / audio sample

History, composition and by-products

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At the end of the First World War , the " Lingner-Werke " founded by the chemical entrepreneur Karl August Lingner (1861–1916) in Dresden developed an antiseptic shaving tonic as a non- marketable forerunner of the later aftershave and gave it the name on April 19, 1919 as a precaution Register "Pitralon" as a brand name in the German Empire . The "Lingner-Werke" were already successful with the " Odol " mouthwash developed in 1892 . In the annual company documentation, the first description is the Latin working name of the product and not the later brand name:

“Lingner's 'Pitralum compositum': A representation of softwood tar in connection with esters and hydrocarbons of the fat and benzene series . Light yellow, pleasant smelling liquid. Effect: depth effect , anti- inflammatory , anti-parasitic . Application: Pure. "

- Company documentation of the year 1918 of the "Lingner-Werke Actiengesellschaft" [sic!], Responsible: A. Alexander, F. Winkler, page 243.

The name developed from the name "Pitral" for a purified, odorless and colorless softwood oil made from originally yellow-brown and oily softwood tar. “Pitralon” became the name for a combination of colorless pitral with chlorinated hydrocarbons . Building on this, the “Pitral hair tonic” (with and without added cholesterol ) was developed in the early 1920s .

"Pitralon" was a product development in the course of the hygiene movement that began in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century. It was first discussed as a new product in this area in the Allgemeine Medical Central newspaper . The basic product "Pitralon" was initially not developed as a personal care product , but as a medicine against Trichophyton ( dermatophytoses , i.e. fungal diseases of the skin as well as of scalp and beard hair ), purulent eczema , impetigo contagiosa and infected wounds : The diseased areas should be 4-6 covered with a soaked cotton ball for 5 to 10 minutes a day .

Other products from “Lingner-Werke” were the “Pitralon solution” made from an alcoholic solution with 40% Pitralon for treating the face after shaving and for disinfecting the hands after handling infectious material. The solution was also recommended against acne , insect bites and the like. Another product was the “Pitralon ointment ” as an alcohol-containing emulsion with 40% Pitralon against psoriasis , which could also be used on pets or in veterinary practices. The manufacture of these two products was stopped during the Second World War and not resumed afterwards.

In addition to its use in veterinary medicine, "Pitralon" was used and tested in human medicine before it was further developed into aftershave . A mention in an annual report of the already important chemical and pharmaceutical company Merck in Darmstadt proves this:

“The 'Pitralon' is a preparation made from wood tar. H. Ihlefeldt used it in surgery to treat wounds and found it to have an extraordinarily strong antiseptic effect. Infections that defied other treatment methods for weeks were overcome in a short time. [...] "

- E. Merck's Annual Report, 1924, p. 290.

During the development period in the 1920s, two doctoral theses each in the field of veterinary medicine were written by working students at the “Linger-Werken”, which document the early and interdisciplinary scientific support of the research on “Pitralon” in the “Lingner-Werken”. Both doctoral theses can still be viewed today in the German National Library in Leipzig .

The aftershave of the same name, also developed in Dresden in 1927, contained, in addition to isopropanol , menthol , boric acid and other components of the precursor products developed and tested since 1919, also camphor (scientific notation; German notation: camphor). It had a very intense, “medicinal” and heavy odor. The aftershave was sold from 1927 to 1945 in a dark blue glass bottle with a black label with the white lettering “Pitralon” in a red circle .

In an advertisement in the Neue Bienen-Zeitung from 1943, an "illustrated monthly for the reform of beekeeping in the Greater German Reich ", the effect of "Pitralon" shaving water is advertised as follows: "The cause of the development of pimples , pustules and other blemishes lies in the deeper layers of the skin. A deep disinfection eliminates these phenomena. Pitralon works deeply even when used sparingly. It opens the pores and sebaceous glands outputs the skin, penetrate the two layers of the skin and destroy the invading into the subcutaneous tissue inflammation agents. "It is marked with the indication that the field equipment of the German army belong.

The medical use of "Pitralon", now mainly an established aftershave, can be documented for the last time in the textbook Die Wunde by the former concentration camp doctor Paul Rostock , which was published in 1950 by Walter de Gruyter in Berlin . It says on page 123 in the section for benzene derivatives : “Pitralon, a derivative of wood tar, has an antiseptic, astringent and drying effect to a considerable degree (Ihlefeldt). It is particularly indicated for wounds with greasy coated granulations and strong secretion . ”After 1950 the paradigm shift to pure care and cosmetic products for men took place.

Production after World War II and subsidiary lines

In the Federal Republic of Germany , from 1950 onwards, the company "Lingner und Fischer" - the legal successor of the Dresden "Lingner-Werke" after the Second World War , which was now in the GDR - had an aftershave under the name "Pitralon" at the new company headquarters in Düsseldorf. which was unchanged from the original recipe from 1927. An advertising poster for this “Pitralon” from 1951 is in the Austrian National Library . An advertisement from 1952 states with regard to the fragrance: "The Pitralon = smell [sic!] Is not flattering, it has a healthy, masculine note." At the same time, reference is made to the fact that there is the variant “Pitralon = Mild” [sic!] for sensitive skin. The advertisement, which was part of a series of eight different newspaper advertisements, also names the sales prices at the time: DM 1.70 for the 50 ml bottle, DM 2.75 for the 80 ml bottle and DM 4.50 for the 100 ml bottle.

The bitter, “medicinal” scent described in the previous section due to the two important components boric acid and camphor no longer corresponded to the zeitgeist from the mid-1970s (falling sales figures ), which is why only the modified product “Pitralon Classic”, which was included in 1964, was continued Cedar oil and a fresh citrus note was added and is still on the market today. As an in-house branch line to “Pitralon”, “Lingner und Fischer” developed the Pitrell brand . It was an aftershave with a stronger emphasis on the citrus note . It was sold from 1973 to 1989 under the name “Pitrell - After the Electric Shave” (100 ml) in a hexagonal clear glass bottle with a large brown plastic screw cap as an aftershave especially for users of electric razors . The introductory price was DM 5.20 and was therefore already in the middle price segment .

In the GDR in the " Leowerken " and "VEB Elbe-Chemie" in Dresden (the former "Lingner-Werken") from 1953 "Pitralon" was also produced according to the original recipe from 1927 to 1990. In the “VEB Gerana Cosmetics” in the “VEB Chemisches Kombinat Miltitzin”, also in Dresden, Pitralon 113 was produced in parallel in the 1970s as the only GDR new development. The obvious word mark conflict with the legal successor "Lingner and Fischer" in the West was ignored by both sides; there is no evidence of any correspondence in this regard in the Federal Archives .

In Czechoslovakia from 1954 an aftershave was produced with the name Pitralon F - voda po pickedí [ ˈpɪ.tɾa.ˌlɔn ˌɛf - ˈʋɔda ˈpɔ ˈɦɔ.lɛ.ɲiː ] ( listen ? / I ) (with the addition "F" in the product name A word mark conflict prevented ; voda po fetchí simply means “ aftershave ” in Czech and is part of the brand name), which is still available today with the same recipe in the Czech Republic from the manufacturer “ SpolPharma, sro ” from Ústí nad Labem as a liquid without coloring in 100 ml bottles is offered. It contains neither boric acid nor camphor, but its scent is similar to a medical product. This is due to the fragrant ingredients citronellol , geraniol and linalool , which were available during the development process of the recipe in Czechoslovakia in the mid-1950s and did not have to be imported for foreign currency : The recipe from "Lingner und Fischer" from the West was that Czech manufacturers and the GDR did not share their recipe, which they owned through the "Lingner-Werke". “Pitralon F - voda po Holení” is a new development that just happens to have a similar smell to the original recipe from 1927. The "Pitralon" brand was already known before the war and therefore served as the inspiration for this product, which was sold in large numbers throughout the Eastern Bloc for decades and ensured the progressive establishment of the "Pitralon" brand name in Eastern Europe as well. Audio file / audio sample

The then independent perfume manufacturer Jovan in Baden-Baden ("Jovan" is now part of " Unilever " as a cosmetics brand ) produced in the 1970s ( licensed by "Lingner und Fischer") an aftershave and an eau-de-toilette with the name " Pitralon Musk ”. In this side line of the product, the light lemon fragrance that became popular in the 1960s was replaced by a heavy musk fragrance , which was popular as a men's fragrance in the 1970s.

In 1990, "SmithKlineBeecham" (today " GlaxoSmithKline Deutschland"), based in Hamburg, took over the brand "Pitralon" and sold it in 1993 to the company " Sara Lee Deutschland GmbH " based in Mainz . From this change of ownership, a variant called "Pitralon fresh @ work" was briefly produced in Germany. At the same time, "Sara Lee Household and Body Care Switzerland AG" in Lupfig ( Canton Aargau ) began producing a variant that was modified in Form took up the recipe from "Lingner und Fischer" from the 1950s and 1927 respectively. For the Austrian market, “Sara Lee Household & Body Care Austria AG” produced the German “Pure” variant under the name “Pitralon Original” in an identical composition. In addition, eau-de-toilets, hand soaps and shower gels with the “Pitralon scent” were produced and sold during the “Sara Lee” era .

"Sara Lee" has not been the producer of Pitralon since 2010 because the entire body care division was sold to "Unilever" that year. With the exception of the “Pitralon fresh @ work” variant and the non-facial care products, all “Sara Lee” developments were retained when the owner changed hands; the location for the production of "Pitralon 160 ml" was relocated, but remained in Switzerland.

In July 2013, Unilever first published the basic proportionate composition of the two "Pitralon" standard variants at the time: According to this, the aftershave and the pre-shave consisted of a maximum of 90% alcohol and a maximum of 25% other ingredients such as skin care substances, solubilizers, plant extracts and moisturizers 10% from perfume oils, up to a maximum of 1% dyes and a water addition of 100% to complement this basic material, i.e. the amount of the sum of all the aforementioned substances. The exact composition was not disclosed and remained a company secret .

In 2014, “Unilever” parted ways with the “Pitralon” brand. Since then, all products in the “Pitralon” line have been manufactured by “ Labori International BV ” based in Breda in three variants in the Netherlands , with the “Unilver” production site in Switzerland for “Pitralon 160 ml” being taken over as the fourth variant. In terms of ownership, “Labori International BV” belongs to the investment company “ Glacier Bay Invest BVBA ”, which is based in Schilde near Antwerp , Belgium .

The aftershave Ralon [ ˈɾa.lɔn ] ( listen ? / I ), produced in Croatia by the company “ Atlantic Grupa DD ” based in Zagreb and offered there in 50 and 85 ml bottles, is the only product offered today after the German one Original recipe from 1927 and therefore also contains boric acid and camphor, on which the product name - which was shortened due to the existing brand protection until 2019 - and the historicized packaging design should provide information. For legal reasons, the producer avoids mentioning “Lingner und Fischer”, “Pitralon” and its recipe from 1927 on the homepage for the “Ralon” products. They are therefore not described as “medicinal” or “bitter”, but rather as a “scent of smoky leather , complemented by lilac , rosewood , rose and thyme scents and a note of cinnamon ”. Other products in the “Ralon” line are “Ralon Sport” (85 ml bottle) and “Ralon Shaving Cream”, a shaving cream in a 70 ml tube. Audio file / audio sample

Pitralon variants of the current word mark owner

The “Pitralon Classic” variant (green bottle cap, green label) is sold in Germany and the Netherlands. Today it is the "longest-serving" Pitralon variant, but it has only been on the market since 1964, although the packaging says "since 1927", which therefore only refers to the name and not to the recipe. In addition to the aftershave lotion , there has also been a preshave lotion under the same name and in the same packaging for use before an electric shave since the 1970s . The variant “Pitralon Pure” (black bottle cap, red label) is sold in Germany, Austria (there under the name “Pitralon Original”) and the Netherlands. The “Pitralon Polar” variant (black bottle cap, light blue label) is sold in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands.

The above three variants have nothing in common with the original recipe from 1927, but are new developments that are currently being produced in the Netherlands. This is characterized by the use of natural cedar oil, which makes up the typical fragrance of the “Pitralon” variants developed in the early 1960s and is not a historical component of “Pitralon”.

The product, which according to the manufacturer should be based on the original recipe, is sold under the name “Pitralon 160 ml” in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Switzerland. In contrast to the Croatian “ralon” mentioned in the previous section, it contains neither boric acid nor camphor, which means that two central components of the 1927 recipe are missing. It was launched in 1993, when the “Pitralon” brand belonged to the manufacturer “Sara Lee”. During the “Unilever phase” (2010/2011) this aftershave was continued to be produced by “ Unilever Switzerland ” in Thayngen ( Canton Schaffhausen ) and the previous production site in Lupfig ( Canton Aargau ) was abandoned. The current Dutch trademark holder and manufacturer “Labori International BV” has taken over the location in Switzerland from “Unilever” and continues the production there. A bottle of this "Pitralon" costs around four times more (as of 2018) than the aforementioned variants. It is by far the most expensive product of the brand and is sold in a historicizing, bulbous, brown bottle with a large, circular, red label and a black plastic screw cap . This variant is called "Schweizer Pitralon" ("Famous Swiss aftershave with a subtle scent.") Or "Original Schweizer Pitralon" ("[...] this original Swiss recipe of the world-famous PITRALON differs significantly from the modern German variant with cedar scent.", the product description ends with the Swiss-German final sentence: "Me gschpüürt how it works.") advertised. The addition "Original" is misleading because, as stated above, due to the lack of ingredients, this product is not the original formulation of the "Lingner-Werke" from 1927, but a new development from the 1990s by the then producer "Sara Lee" acts. The statement about the “modern German variant with cedar scent” should also be questioned, as this aftershave, available today as the “standard Pitralon” in Germany, has been on the market for more than 50 years in an unchanged recipe; it was brought onto the market 29 years before the “Pitralon” from Switzerland, which is why it cannot be described as “modern” in comparison with the product from Switzerland. In addition, the term "cedar scent" is wrong because the scent of the "standard pitralons" is created by citrus oil, the added cedar oil is odorless.

The current manufacturer "Labori International BV" offers within its Pitralon product range with "Pitrell by Pitralon - BEFORE the electric shave", another variant as a pre-shave, which will be sold in Austria and Switzerland. Its composition is based on the aftershave of the branch line to "Pitralon" introduced by "Lingner und Fischer" in 1973. The change in the application of highlight (a pre-shave instead of a aftershaves), the "before" is in capital letters written.

Trivia

Aftershave "Pitralon" is in various book-on-demand -Publications that does not matter quotable mentioned are well

The German RAF - terrorist Andreas Baader used "Pitralon" in the 1960s and 1970s as an aftershave. There is evidence that he bought it on the run in a drugstore in Frankfurt and later had it delivered several times to the Stuttgart- Stammheim correctional facility .

In 1982 the German national soccer player Paul Breitner trimmed his beard into a mustache before the soccer world championship as part of an advertising campaign for “Pitralon” and received 150,000 DM for it.

In addition, “Pitralon” is the name of a rock and country band that derives its name from the aftershave of the same name and is therefore presenting a historical advertising poster for “Pitralon” on its website .

In 2014, a car smuggling gang from the Czech Republic was convicted in Saxony , which for years has been referred to as the “Pitralon gang” in the media.

literature

Web links

Commons : Pitralon  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Swiss Monthly Journal of Dentistry (1925), Volume 35, Page 6: Dr. Jäger describes his successes in using “Pitralon” in dentistry (1921).
  2. ^ Trademark entry for “Pitralon” at the German Patent and Trademark Office , accessed on February 2, 2016.
  3. ↑ General medical Central newspaper , article Ueber Pitralon [sic!] By Prof. Dr. Hahn and assistant doctor F. Hahnemann, Bremen. Issue 8. Volume 90, 1927.
  4. ^ Catalog entry at the German National Library on the dissertation of Ernst Dilger from 1921 , accessed on November 26, 2017.
  5. ^ Catalog entry at the German National Library on Rudolf Mocker's dissertation from 1927 , accessed on November 26, 2017.
  6. ^ Neue Bienen-Zeitung , May 1943 edition, advertisement of the "Lingner-Werke" on page 32.
  7. ↑ GlaxoSmithKline company history , accessed on February 1, 2016.
  8. ^ Catalog entry for the poster from 1951 in the Austrian National Library , accessed on November 26, 2017.
  9. ^ Full-page advertisement for "Lingner und Fischer", 1952.
  10. ↑ Article "About Pitralon" from the current manufacturer , accessed on January 31, 2016.
  11. ↑ Data sheet for "Pitralon F" from SpolPharma (status: February 20, 2013), accessed on February 1, 2016.
  12. ↑ Information about the Czech Pitralon on the website of the current manufacturer , accessed on February 1, 2016.
  13. ↑ Illustration of a packaging and bottle of the variant “Pitralon fresh @ work” , accessed on February 3, 2016.
  14. ↑ Martina Chalupa: Motivation and loyalty of employees in Darwiportunism. Motivation and retention strategies for employees in a Darwiportunistic working environment. An empirical review of the DWP theses. Dissertation at Saarland University. Page 82.
  15. ↑ Group fact sheet for cosmetic articles 4.7 (Pitralon) ( Memento of the original from December 1, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. by Unilever (Denise Obermann), published July 5, 2013, accessed November 26, 2017. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / unilever-media.com
  16. ↑ a b Product overview of the "Ralon Line" from Atlantic Grupa DD , accessed on December 12, 2017.
  17. ↑ Description of “Schweizer Pitralon” on manufactum.de , accessed on February 1, 2016.
  18. ↑ Description "Original Schweizer Pitralon" on nassrasur.com, accessed on February 1, 2016.
  19. ↑ Information on "Pitrell by Pitralon" on the manufacturer's website , accessed on January 31, 2016.
  20. ↑ Gerd Koenen : Vesper, Ensslin, Baader: Urszenen des Deutschen Terrorismus . Kiepenheuer & Witsch , 2003. ISBN 9783462033137 .
  21. ^ Scan of the 1982 advertisement in a TV magazine , accessed January 31, 2016.
  22. ↑ "Footballers and advertising: Breitner, Kirsten and Gascoigne - We don't burp, we already puke!" , Article on lokalkompass.de from February 9, 2011, accessed on January 31, 2016.
  23. ^ Website of the band "Pitralon", accessed on November 26, 2017.
  24. ↑ Article in the Sächsische Zeitung of December 24, 2014 by Alexander Schneider: "The end of the Pitralon gang", accessed on November 23, 2018.