4711

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3rd Cologne Addressbook, 1797, page 179
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3rd Cologne Addressbook, 1797, page 179

4711 is the Eau de Cologne brand of Procter & Gamble and is produced in Cologne, Germany.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Overview

At the beginning of the 18th century, Italian expatriate Johann Maria Farina (1685-1766) created a new fragrance and named it after his hometown Cologne, Eau de Cologne (Water from Cologne). In the course of the 18th century the fragrance became increasingly popular. Eventually, Cologne merchant Wilhelm Mülhens secured the name Farina, which at that time had become a household name for Eau de Cologne, under contract and opened a small factory at Cologne's Glockengasse. In later years, and under pressure from court battles, his grandson Ferdinand Mülhens chose a new name for the firm and their product. It was the house number that was given to the factory at Glockengasse during French occupation of the Rhineland in the early 19th century, number 4711. In 1994, the Mülhens family sold their company to German Wella corporation. Today, original Eau de Cologne (German: Kölnisch Wasser) still is produced in Cologne by both the Farina family (Farina gegenüber since 1709), currently in the eighth generation, and by Procter & Gamble who took over Wella in 2003.

4711 is reportedly up for sale by The Procter and Gamble Company.

[edit] Historical facts

In 1803, Wilhelm Mülhens bought the license and company rights from a Farina, who had no connection with the Farina family of the perfume business. Mülhens sold this licence to more than 20 people but come 1835, this transaction was judged as invalid by the court and all of these pseudo 'Farina' companies were liquidated. Nevertheless, the son of Wilhelm Mülhens set out to find another untitled Farina in Italy, and yet again started a company under the name of Farina.

In 1881, the grandson of Wilhelm Mülhens, Ferdinand Mülhens, was ordered by a court not to use the company name Farina ever again. He then chose his house number, 4711, as a name for his brand and company.

Until 1990, the company name was: Eau de Cologne & Parfümerie Fabrik Glockengasse No. 4711 gegenüber der Pferdepost von Ferd. Mülhens in Köln am Rhein but was renamed Mülhens GmbH & Co. KG. See also the article on Eau de Cologne.

In 1994, the company of the Mülhens family was bought by Wella AG, Darmstadt, Germany. Since 1997, the cosmetics activities of Wella AG have operated under the name Cosmopolitan Cosmetics GmbH, but the name Mülhens GmbH & Co. KG is still used. In 2003, Wella AG was taken over by American cosmetics giant Procter & Gamble.

[edit] History of house number 4711 in Cologne

On October 3, 1794, in view the French troops standing just outside of Cologne, the city council approved of the plan of the guard-committee that all houses in the city were to be numbered without exception and that, depending on the location, appropriate lighting was to be put up. Order was given to install the lighting immediately, while the numbering was left to fate. Source: HAStK, Bestand 10 (Ratsprotokolle) Nr. 241 Bl. 216v.

On October 6, 1794, French troops occupy the city. On October 7, 1794, the city council decided that every local government official has to hand in an inventory of all citizens and non-citizens in his area within 48 hours and, furthermore, the guard-committee is given authority to number the houses accordingly. Source: HAStK, Bestand 10 (Ratsprotokolle) Nr. 241 Bl. 225v.

On October 20, 1794, senator Gottfried von Gall notes in his diary that the numeration and the written documentation of the houses which started eight days ago is continued. Source: HAStK, Bestand 7030 (Chron. u. Darst.) Nr. 175, Bl. 71v.

The printer Heinrich Josef Metternich (a member of the council) applies for the permission to publish an address-calendar, which should, amongst other things, include the house numbers, which had been put up in the meantime, and he seeks allowance to collect all relevant details. Source: HAStK, Bestand 350 (Franz. Verw.) Nr. 306, Blatt 3-6

In the second address-book of Cologne of 1797, the widow of Wilhelm von Lemmen seel. was still listed as the tenant of the house in the Glockengasse which had been given the number 4711. Source: RWWA Abt.33, 2. Adreßbuch: Gemeinnütziger Adresse-Kalender der Stadt Köllen, Cologne 1797, page 103

Wilhelm Mülhens is listed as the tenant of the house no sooner than in the 3rd edition of the address-book of Cologne; "in the speculation business" is given as his occupation; he is not yet listed under the manufacturers of Eau de Cologne in the branch directory. Source: RWWA Abt.33, 3. Adreßbuch: Verzeichnis der Stadt-Kölnischen Einwohner, Cologne 1797, page 179.

In 1811, the continuos numeration is changed into the system of numbering streets separately, as is done today.

In the preface to the 1813 French edition of the address-book, the editor Thiriart claims that there had not been any house numeration before the arrival of the French in the city (inconnu á Cologne avant l´arrivée des armées françaises au bord du Rhin) and that the order for the numbering of the houses had been given in 1795. That is where the legends begin. Source: RWWA Abt.33, Itinéraire de Cologne, 1813, page 12.

The picture of the French military officer, painting the house number 4711 on the facade of the house in the Glockengasse while sitting on his horse, is a product of advertising. A piece of tapestry, a gobelin, which had been ordered and made in the 1920s, served as a model. The scenic version of it spread widely in the 1965s and the 1960s. Source: RWWA Abt.33, 160 Jahre N° 4711 1752-1952, Cologne 1952, o. S.

[edit] References

  • Stiftung Rheinisch-Westfälisches Wirtschaftsarchiv (RWWA), Cologne: Genuine files 1803 u. Mülhens letters May 9, 1802 / June 22, 1819 / June 27, 1819 / October 31, 1824 / January 20, 1826 / February 3, 1826 / January 11, 1827
  • Abt.33, Stiftung Rheinisch-Westfälisches Wirtschaftsarchiv (RWWA), Cologne. [1]
  • Ulrich S. Soénius: Mülhens, Fabrikanten von Kölnisch Wasser. Familienartikel mit Einzelbiographien Wilhelm, Peter Joseph, Ferdinand und Peter Paul Mülhens. In: Neue Deutsche Biographie, Bd. 18, Berlin 1997, S. 299-303.

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