4711 Eau de Cologne bottle

During World War II, the Wehrmacht established fortifications on Vilnius Castle Hill. In 2016, archaeologists found personal belongings of German soldiers near the Castle Hill, among them a glass bottle of “4711” eau de cologne. The bottle is made of clear, colorless glass with a screw cap. The cap is quite worn, but some letters remain visible, suggesting it once bore the inscription “Blue & Gold Trade-Mark.” The paper label did not survive.

It is known that “4711” eau de cologne bottles were regularly issued to Wehrmacht soldiers, especially those serving in the submarine navy. Soldiers often gave these bottles as gifts to their mothers, wives, or girlfriends.

 

The history of “4711” eau de cologne began in the 18th century when merchant Johann (Giovanni) Maria Farina (1685–1766) moved from Italy to Cologne and started producing and successfully selling “eau de cologne” (French for “water of Cologne”).

 

This cologne was made from lemon oil, rosemary, lavender, alcohol, and water. According to legend, in 1792 Wilhelm Mülhens received a secret “aqua mirabilis” formula as a wedding gift from a Carthusian monk. This was a strong distilled pharmaceutical liquid containing sage, mint, balm, and other aromatic substances. Soon after, he founded a small factory in Cologne at Glockengass (Clock Tower Square), No. 4711. The building’s number became the company’s trademark.

 

In the 18th century, “4711” was sold for medicinal purposes. In 1810, after Napoleon decreed that medicine recipes be disclosed, the product was renamed toilet water. In the 19th century, the cologne won awards at world exhibitions in London, Porte, and Paris. In the late 19th century, Peter Heinrich Molanus designed a hexagonal, flatter glass bottle that was easier to carry, also adding a cap opener to the set. This bottle shape has remained unchanged to this day.

 

In 1875, Ferdinand Muelhens, Wilhelm Mülhens’s grandson, finalized the patent for the “4711” trademark and created the logo, which also remains unchanged.

 

In 1943, the main building and a factory in the suburbs were destroyed during American air raids on Cologne. In 1950, the new “Blue and Gold” building was erected at Cologne Cathedral Square. It was renovated and reopened on July 4, 2011 — a date symbolically linked to the cologne’s name (4/7/11).