Weleda Investigates Possible Ties to Nazi Camp Skin Testing

Tue Sep 30 2025 11:03:24 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Weleda, the esteemed natural cosmetics company, has initiated an inquiry following claims that it may have had links to Nazi concentration camp experiments involving its anti-freeze cream.

Amidst allegations presented by historian Anne Sudrow regarding Weleda's involvement in Nazi human experiments, the company has committed to a detailed historical investigation. This inquiry follows claims that Weleda's products were tested on concentration camp prisoners during World War II, despite the firm denouncing these practices and asserting it was not aware of such use. The findings of the investigation are expected to be revealed by 2027.

Weleda, the natural cosmetics company, has launched a study into its links to a Nazi concentration camp following claims an anti-freeze cream it produced was tested on prisoners.

A report by historian Anne Sudrow alleges that the Swiss company ordered raw materials from a garden in the Dachau camp. It also made a cream intended for use against hypothermia which, an SS doctor allegedly tested on prisoners as part of cruel human experiments.

While Weleda recognizes the seriousness of these allegations, they pointed to a 2023 report which reportedly found no evidence that the cream was tested on prisoners kept in freezing conditions for long periods. In a statement, the company condemned the Nazi regime's atrocities and acknowledged that the new findings may not have been fully explored in past research.

Dachau, established in 1933, was the first concentration camp in Nazi Germany. More than 40,000 prisoners died there before its liberation in 1945, with many of those deaths attributed to medical experimentation.

Ms. Sudrow's book on this subject, commissioned by the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site, outlines a potential link between Weleda and SS experiments, suggesting that up to 300 prisoners were embroiled in these tests from 1942 to 1943.

Reports indicate that the cream, initially intended for German soldiers, was subjected to cruel testing under conditions meant to study hypothermia. Alleged experiments resulted in the deaths of numerous participants who were exposed to ice baths.

In light of the allegations, Weleda has pledged to transparently research its history. The company aims to publish the findings of its new investigation by early 2027, conducted by the Society for Corporate History (GuG). CEO Tina Müller emphasized a commitment to addressing historical atrocities and upholding a stance against fascism, anti-Semitism, and racism.

With a history dating back to 1921, Weleda has opened its archives for scrutiny to ensure a thorough examination. Previous research acknowledged some requested but undelivered raw materials from the nearby Dachau camp garden, while it also emphasized that there was no awareness of the use of their anti-freeze cream in such cruel experiments.

Founded by Rudolf Steiner, who is also known for the establishment of the anthroposophy doctrine, Weleda has faced scrutiny but pledges to work towards understanding and addressing its past while fostering a commitment to ethical standards.

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