The history of fragrance culture reaches back for more than 5.000 years. The oldest distilling device for manufacturing essential oils was discovered in a sovereign tomb, dated back to approximately 3.000 B.C.  

In antiquity, the use of fragrant substances was reserved for an exclusive segment of society: the priests, kings and upper nobility. Fragrance was the epitome of luxury.

In present-day Yemen, a legendary queen who possessed overwhelming exclusive trade rights once reigned over the prosperous Empire of Sheba. Her caravans, laden with precious cargo such as incense, myrrh and gold travelled in all directions throughout the Arabian Peninsula. The people owed their wealth to Frankincense, a fragrant tree resin.

Through trade routes like the Incense Route and the Spice Route , these valuable goods were brought from the Orient to the Occident.

In Germany, the history of fragrant essences started with Karl the Great, who was the first to decree a law around the year 800, which specified the medicinal plants which were to be planted in German convents and farmers‘ gardens.

These medicinal plants included specifically fragrant plants such as Rose, Iris, Basil, Fennel, Coriander and many more. In the course of the centuries, mainly the convent gardens guarded the secrets about medicinal plants.

European countries explore Essential Oils

In 1887, the English bacteriologist Chamberland discovered the antibacterial qualities of the essential oils of Angelica, Rose Geranium, Oregano and Cinnamon.

In 1920, the Frenchmen Morel and Rochaix discovered that Lemon Oil kills Typhus fever Diphtheria viruses.

In 1937, the French chemist Rene Maurice Gattefosse wrote the first book about aromatherapy and by doing so, shaped this designative term.

In 1986, Ute Leube und Kurt Nübling founded the first fragrance company in Germany, PRIMAVERA LIFE GmbH.