Weleda, a natural cosmetics manufacturer, has initiated a study into its historical ties to Dachau, a Nazi concentration camp, amid allegations regarding its products being tested on prisoners. Historian Anne Sudrow’s recent report claims that Weleda sourced raw materials from a garden located at the Dachau camp and produced a cream intended to combat hypothermia, which was reportedly used in experiments by an SS doctor.
In response, Weleda stated that a separate investigation conducted in 2023 found no evidence that Dr. Sigmund Rascher used the cream on prisoners who were subjected to extreme cold conditions. The company condemned the actions of the Nazi regime and acknowledged that the new findings might not have been adequately explored in previous studies.
Dachau, established near Munich in 1933, was the first concentration camp initiated by the Nazis. Approximately 200,000 individuals were imprisoned there, with more than 40,000 deaths recorded prior to the camp’s liberation in 1945. Many of these deaths are linked to medical experimentation.
Sudrow’s commissioned work, part of the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site, details Weleda’s associations with the SS, a paramilitary organization founded by Adolf Hitler. It is claimed that between August 1942 and May 1943, Weleda’s cream was tested on approximately 300 prisoners as part of experiments intended to determine its effectiveness in delaying hypothermia in freezing temperatures.
Reports indicate that during these tests, up to 90 prisoners died due to exposure to icy water and blocks of ice. Weleda, established over a century ago and known for its Skin Food product line, emphasized its commitment to transparently researching its historical background. The findings from the ongoing investigation, conducted by the Society for Corporate History (GuG), are expected to be released in early 2027.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy7pgd5nkr6o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss