Fragrance house

Mare

Mare is a German media and publishing venture founded in the mid-1990s by Swiss marine biologist Nikolaus Gelpke. Its first magazine issue appeared in April 1997, establishing a publication devoted to examining politics, economics, science, life, and culture through the subject of the sea, using researched journalism, photography, and distinctive design. Mare expanded into television in 2001 and radio in 2004, while its book-publishing arm, founded as marebuchverlag in 2001, became mareverlag in 2008; in 2003, John Griesemer’s novel Rausch reached number one on the Spiegel bestseller list. In March 2025, after almost three decades as publisher and editorial figurehead, Gelpke began withdrawing from the company, and on 2 January 2026 employees formally took over mareverlag as founding cooperative members. Mare’s fragrance work follows the same maritime identity: its first scent, Eau du Levant, is an explicitly unisex chypre developed with perfumer Geza Schön to evoke the Mediterranean, alongside La Plage de Paris and L’air du Nord.