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Fabrik Fay’s Sodener Mineralpastillen

From 1927, Otto Frank was part of the management of Fabrik Fay's Sodener Mineral pastilles for several years.

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Vervaardiger onbekend. Fotocollectie Anne Frank Stichting Amsterdam

Briefkaart en verpakking Fabrik Fay’s Sodener Mineralpastillen

Vervaardiger onbekend. Fotocollectie Anne Frank Stichting Amsterdam Copyright: Publiek Domein

The exploitation of mineral springs in Bad Soden am Taunus, a suburb of Frankfurt, ran along several lines. These included the Sodener Mineral Produkte and the Brunnenverwaltung Bad Soden. Otto Frank's parents had interests in some of these enterprises. One of these was Fabrik Fay's Sodener Mineralpastillen, one of several producers of cough drops. Otto Frank was part of the management of this company for several years from 1927.

The pastilles were in great demand and formed a significant market. They were said to help against coughs, colds and phlegm. Manufacturers advertised and stunted their product heavily. In 1887, the German crown prince was given an "elegantly crafted box of Sodener mineral pastilles" for his birthday.[1]

Philipp Hermann Fay and Ruben Morgenstern leased various parts of the spring operation from 1887 onwards from the municipality of Bad Soden. One such component was the distribution of cough drops.[2] Otto Frank's father, Michael Frank, and Raphael Moses Kirchheim were Morgenstern's successors in 1891. Together with his wife Alice, Michael Frank additionally bought two of the mineral springs in Bad Soden.[3]

Frank and Kirchheim transferred the "Generaldepot" of Fay's Sodener Pastillen to their office at Hochstrasse 31 in Frankfurt in 1894. Fay's and Sodener Mineral Produkte was later located together with the Bankhaus Michael Frank at Börsenplatz 1. According to sources, there was at least one staff member who worked for both the Bankhaus, Mineral Produkte and the firm E. Schneider & Co at that address.[4] The first joint mention of these three companies is in the 1926 address book.[5] In 1933, all three - with a few other companies - are listed under 'Zwangsverwaltung', with the address Bockenheimer Anlage 20.[6] 'Zwangsverwaltung' indicates taking over the management of companies or institutions for legal or administrative reasons.

By his own account, Otto Frank took up a leading position in the company around 1927. His salary was initially 1500 marks per month, but dropped to 1000 marks as times worsened. Upon Otto's emigration to Amsterdam, his involvement came to an end and the lawyer Prof Dr (August) Saenger took over the liquidation of the G.m.b.H.[7] The municipality eventually continued the pastille business itself.[8]

As part of its marketing, the company distributed postcards with promotional texts such as: 'Fay's genuine Sodener Mineral Pastilles wirken gegen Husten, Heiserkeit, Verschleimung.' Edith Frank used one such card in her correspondence with former neighbour Gertrud Naumann.[9] That card has a tear-off edge, apparently they were in blocs.[10]

The pastilles remained on the market for a long time. In 2003, production came to a permanent end.[11]

Footnotes

  1. ^ “Duitschland”, Leidsche Courant, 25 oktober 1887, p. 4.
  2. ^ Konrad Schneider, ‘Bad Soden am Taunus und seine Heilquellen’. in: Zeitschrift des Vereins für hessiche Geschichte und Landeskunde, Band 122 (2017), p. 153-174, aldaar p. 169.
  3. ^ Schneider, Zeitschrift des Vereins für hessiche Geschichte und Landeskunde, p. 170.
  4. ^ Anne Frank Stichting (AFS), Anne Frank Collectie (AFC), Otto Frank Archief (OFA), reg. code OFA_85: W.H. Schneider aan Otto Frank, 24 januari 1955.
  5. ^ Amtliches Frankfurter Adressbuch 1926, Frankfurt am Main: August Scherl, 1926, deel II, p. 30.
  6. ^ Amtliches Frankfurter Adressbuch 1933, Frankfurt am Main: August Scherl, 1933, deel II, p. 32.
  7. ^ AFS, AFC, OFA_58: “Lebenslauf” Otto Frank (ongedateerd). 
  8. ^ Günter Menze, Ächte Sodener Mineral-Pastillen. Sole, Salz und Unternehmer, Bad Soden am Taunus: Selbstverlag, 2021, p. 70; AFS, AFC, inv. nr. OFA_58, 'Lebenslauf'.
  9. ^ AFS, AFC, reg. code AFS.00115: Briefkaart Edith Frank aan Gertrud Naumann (ongedateerd, omstreeks 1933, gepost in Frankfurt am Main).
  10. ^ Like a stamp.
  11. ^ Schneider, Zeitschrift des Vereins für hessiche Geschichte und Landeskunde, p. 174.

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