Fragrance house

Gebrüder Kleiner

Founded in Berlin in 1928 by brothers Alfred and Richard Kleiner, Gebrüder Kleiner began as a wholesaler of hygienic rubber goods. Before 1936, it had moved into cosmetic articles and scented waters, taking the name Elite-Gummi Gebrüder Kleiner that year. After wartime damage and reconstruction, the company was renamed Gebrüder Kleiner in 1946 and shifted to manufacturing perfumes and cosmetics. Patra was developed between 1946 and 1948, inspired by French fragrances, and first sold in 1950 after raw-material shortages and the Berlin blockade delayed its release. In 1970, the business became Gebrüder Kleiner GmbH and was taken over by Henkel while continuing as an independent medium-sized company. Henkel’s chronology records its renaming as Columbia Cosmetics GmbH in 1986. The original Gebrüder Kleiner name ended with that change, and Henkel sold the company in 1995.