The first steps The company was founded in 1882 in
Hamburg by pharmacist
Paul Beiersdorf and was sold to
Oscar Troplowitz in 1890. Beiersdorf's patent for the manufacture of coated plasters, dated 28 March 1882, is generally regarded as the company's founding date. In 1909, the company introduced its first lip care product under the brand
Labello. During this period, Troplowitz collaborated with dermatologist
Paul Gerson Unna and chemist
Isaak Lifschütz on the development of skin care products. Lifschütz's discovery of the emulsifier
Eucerit enabled the formulation of a stable cream, leading to the market introduction of
Nivea Crème in December 1911. The company expanded during the early 20th century. Its workforce increased from 11 employees in 1890 to approximately 500 by 1918. In 1892, Troplowitz acquired a new headquarters in Hamburg-
Eimsbüttel, allowing for the mechanisation of production and an expansion of the product range. By this time, Beiersdorf products were distributed in multiple international markets. Following the deaths of Oscar Troplowitz and his business partner Otto Hanns Mankiewicz in 1918, the company underwent organisational restructuring. On 1 June 1922, it was incorporated as P. Beiersdorf & Co. AG. In the same year, the company introduced
Hansaplast. In 1925, the design of the
Nivea Crème tin was changed to the blue-and-white version that remains in use. In 1928, Beiersdorf shares were listed on the
Hamburg Stock Exchange. By the late 1920s, the company operated more than 20 production sites worldwide. During the 1930s, Beiersdorf expanded its portfolio to include products such as shaving cream and shampoo. In 1936,
Tesa was established as an umbrella brand for self-adhesive technologies, with the introduction of a transparent adhesive film later marketed as Tesa Film.
During the Second World War Due to the pressure of the
Nazis, in 1933
Jewish board members, such as the chairman Willy Jacobsohn, had to resign. Jacobsohn emigrated to
Amsterdam and managed the international subsidiaries up to the year 1938 when he left Amsterdam and went to the
US. During the
Nazi regime, Carl
Claussen was chairman and led the company through the difficult time.
Elly Heuss-Knapp, married to
Theodor Heuss and after the war the new First Lady of the
Federal Republic of Germany, was a freelancer at Beiersdorf and responsible for important parts of the
Nivea advertising. She took care of keeping the advertising messages free from Nazi
ideology. After the war, most of the production sites and the administration building in Hamburg lay ruined. Furthermore, most of the international subsidiaries had been expropriated and Beiersdorf lost the Nivea trademark rights. In 1949, Beiersdorf generated a turnover of 30 million
Deutsche Mark.
After the 1950s In 1951, Beiersdorf introduced its first deodorant soap, marking the origin of the 8x4 brand. By 1972, the company employed more than 10,000 people worldwide. In 1974, Beiersdorf adopted a divisional organizational structure, separating its operations into cosmetics, medical, pharmaceutical, and Tesa divisions. In the same period, the heirs of Max Herz, owners of
Tchibo, acquired a 25 percent stake in the company. In 1981, Beiersdorf reported a turnover of 2 billion
Deutsche Mark. During the late 1980s, the company revised its strategic orientation, concentrating on three core areas: skin care, adhesive technologies, and wound management. Production processes were standardized, international brand management was consolidated, and the product portfolio was aligned with these areas. The Nivea and Tesa product ranges were subsequently expanded. In 2003, a takeover attempt by
Procter & Gamble concluded without completion. At the time,
Allianz held 19.6% of Beiersdorf’s shares. Concerns were raised locally that the bid focused primarily on Beiersdorf's brands rather than the company as an integrated enterprise. In response, the City of Hamburg and its state-owned holding company HGV supported a restructuring of the shareholding. The Herz family, owners of
Tchibo, increased their stake to 49.9%. Allianz retained 3.6%, while Beiersdorf AG repurchased 7.4% of its own shares, including 3% allocated to the Beiersdorf pension fund. Another private family shareholder maintained its holding. This ownership structure resulted in Beiersdorf retaining its headquarters in Hamburg. In June 2009, Allianz further reduced its shareholding from 7.2% to 2.88%. Beiersdorf expanded its manufacturing presence in
India with the establishment of a production and research facility in
Sanand,
Gujarat, supplementing its long-standing market presence through the Nivea brand. In 2023, Nivea was recognized as "India's Most Desired Skincare Brand" as per the TRA's Most Desired Brands 2023 report, highlighting its continued success in the Indian market. In 2006, Beiersdorf opened the first Nivea Haus retail concept store in
Hamburg, followed by additional locations in other cities. Beiersdorf was fined by
Autorité de la concurrence in France in 2016 for price-fixing on personal hygiene products. In 2020, Beiersdorf acquired the natural cosmetics brand
Stop the Water While Using Me, which was later discontinued in 2023. In February 2022, the company completed the acquisition of the luxury skincare brand
Chantecaille. ==Stock exchange ==