Fragrance house

Mystikum

Mystikum traces its history to Scherk, founded in Berlin by Ludwig Scherk in 1906. From 1911, Scherk emphasized its own production and included Mystikum among a small group of quality fragrance and powder products. During the 1920s, Mystikum was promoted internationally and associated with Berlin, Paris, and New York. Before the Second World War, the Scherk business was subjected to Nazi Aryanization and forced to sell to its main competitor. After Ludwig Scherk’s death in London in 1946, products from the successor company remained available into the 1980s; Unilever later acquired the rights to the Scherk brand but did not market products under that name. Entrepreneur Peter Henssen acquired the Scherk rights from Unilever and relaunched Mystikum in 2024, unveiling the revived brand at Pitti Fragranze in Florence. Its current identity connects the house to the glamour of the 1920s through Art Deco-inspired flacons and contemporary perfumery. The historical Mystikum fragrance is its defining example, described as a leading or highly popular perfume of the 1920s, particularly known in Berlin, Paris, and New York. Mystikum is currently a registered trademark of Scherk GmbH.