Many people use natural cosmetics because they want healthy, environmentally friendly and ethically harmless care. What many consumers do not know: Natural cosmetics and naturopathy were sometimes also popular among National Socialists. Well -known companies such as “Weleda” and “Wala” look back on an ambivalent company history between persecution and cooperation. What is known about it?
For thousands of years, people have been using plants for healing diseases and for personal hygiene. With industrialization, these traditional methods increasingly moved into the background. At the same time, a counter -movement emerged: conservative people wanted to preserve natural healing methods and cosmetics and protect nature from progressive modernity.
Anthroposophy according to Rudolf Steiner
During this time, new theories of naturopathy were created. For example, Rudolf Steiner founded a new worldview in anthroposophy. This is considered ambivalent today: on the one hand, there is no scientific evidence for the “supernatural” views of Steiner’s. In addition, from today’s perspective, parts of his explanations are to be classified as anti -Semitic and racist.
On the other hand, Steiner’s ideas for species-appropriate animal husbandry and the holistic cultivation of plants without chemical fertilizer laid the foundation for biodynamic agriculture in 1924. Farmers in the association “Demeter” still apply these principles to this day. The “Weleda” brand also founded itself on the basis of its anthroposophical ideas and started producing medicinal and personal care products in 1921.
Why were the National Socialists interested in naturopathy?
When the National Socialists took power a short time later, an ambivalent relationship between the Nazi regime and the supporters of anthroposophical teaching emerged. The production method of biodynamic agriculture did not match the interests of war preparation. In addition, some of Steiner’s followers of the Nazi ideology were openly opposed and were politically persecuted for this. In 1935, the regime finally banned anthroposophical society.
At the same time, some leading National Socialists such as Rudolf Heß promoted anthroposophical ideas. Some biodynamic associations decided in 1933 to integrate into the Nazi state to avoid the compulsory dissolution. Naturopathy also took the National Socialists for their purpose. This could be reconciled with the Nazi ideology, influencing the health of the population according to nature and landscape.
Blood and soil ideology
However, the National Socialists were less about health than the supposed superiority of the “German race” towards other “peoples”. The blood and soil ideology, which is closely associated with anthroposophical naturopathy, should legitimize Germans, to acquire areas and to destroy other societies. This racist “nature theory” was the basis for the German war crimes, the persecution and murder of more than six million Jews as well as hundreds of thousands of Sinti and Roma, political opponents, people with disabilities or illness, homosexuals and other minorities.
Heinrich Himmler, head of the National Socialist “Protection Squadition” (SS) and thus organizer of the Holocaust, was also a supporter of naturopathy. His goal: to grow healing and spice plants in Germany and become independent of abroad. After all, the supply of food and drugs during the war was essential.
Research and forced labor in concentration camps
Not all leading National Socialists agreed with this plan and so they banned the “Reich Association for Biodynamic Economic Economic in Agriculture and Horticulture” 1941. Some members of this association were then employed by the SS. In the concentration camps Ravensbrück and Dachau as well as in the occupied Ukraine, they experimented on test areas with biodynamic economic and naturopathy.
In the surrounding area of the Dachau concentration camp, prisoners had to create and cultivate biodynamic cultivation areas as early as 1938. The SS only supplied these forced laborers in poor food, clothing, work equipment and abused them. This died at least 800 people in the so -called German testing institution for meals and nutrition. In addition, the Nazis tested possible remedies on the prisoners, which meant a painful death for many of them.
Participation of German natural cosmetics companies
To what extent German natural cosmetics companies were involved in the cruel activities of the SS can only partially be understood from today’s perspective. In many cases, the processing is still missing. For example, the company “Kneipp” was founded in the 19th century and has survived the Nazi era to this day, but has not yet published any investigation into its own Nazi history. The companies “Weleda” and “Wala”, on the other hand, had their respective company history researched during the Nazi rule of historians and made it accessible to the public. In this course, companies distanced themselves from the ideology of the National Socialists. The studies did not provide any references to employee forced laborers or direct NSDAP membership of employees. Nevertheless, connections to the Nazi regime were found.
“Weleda” had two works in Germany during National Socialism. Like many others, the company suffered from the lack of raw materials during the war. In order to continue to exist, the company had to prove that its products are not “senseless” remedies, but is relevant to war. The Weleda directorate succeeded, so the sales continued to rise. Although the National Socialists continued to observe the company critically, “Weleda” went economically well during the war, especially until 1942.
Nazi relationships of “Weleda” and “Wala”
In terms of personnel, “Weleda” was at least not directly involved with the Nazis. Franz Lippert worked as chief gardener of the Weleda branch in Schwäbisch Gmünd until 1939. But it was only from 1941 that he worked as a senior gardener and SS shooter in the Dachau concentration camp. Hundreds of prisoners died on the herbs there. “Weleda” demonstrably ordered plants from the Dachau concentration camp for its products at least once. Other ingredients that were difficult to access during the war also referred to the Natural Canteen company from stocks of the SS.
In addition, doctors from the Dachau concentration camp carried out fatal hypothermia attempts on prisoners with the Weleda wind and weather balm. This product was developed before the war and it is unclear whether Weleda was informed about its misanthropic use in Dachau. However, there was demonstrably close contact between the Weleda management and the doctor Sigmund faster, who carried out the experiments.
Another well-known natural cosmetics company with Nazi history is “Wala remedies”. Its predecessors founded Rudolph Hauschka between 1935 and 1936. Later, the cosmetics brand “Dr. Hauschka” was created. Like “Weleda”, “Wala” as an anthroposophical company was critical during the war under critical observation, control and pressure of the Nazi regime. In 1941 the authorities Hauschka’s businesses in Germany quietly laid, whereupon the company settled in Vienna. During this time, Hauschka benefited from Nazi contacts. During the war, he developed fruit juices that were later delivered to the Lazarette of the Wehrmacht. This was done on behalf of Max Kaphahn, member of the NSDAP and the SS, at the time board of a Berlin beverage company and after the war Hauschka’s successor as managing director of “Wala”. It has also been proven that Rudolf Hauschka was personally known to the National Socialist and war criminal Otto Ohlendorf.
