Swiss cosmetics company Weleda has announced it will open an independent investigation into its historical ties to the Nazi regime following newly uncovered evidence linking the firm to human experiments conducted at the Dachau concentration camp during World War II.
The revelations, first reported by the BBC, stem from a new book by German historian Anne Sudrow, published with the support of the Dachau Memorial. According to her research, Nazi doctors—including SS physician Sigmund Rascher—used Weleda products in brutal experiments on some 300 prisoners, forcing them to undergo ice-water immersion tests to determine whether Weleda skin cream could prevent frostbite in German soldiers. Between 80 and 90 percent of the test subjects died during the experiments.
Sudrow also presented evidence that former Weleda employees were not only present during the experiments but reported the results directly to company leadership. Additionally, the company reportedly benefited from forced labor and purchased medicinal herbs from the SS at reduced prices.
These findings contradict the results of a prior internal review conducted by Weleda last year, which concluded there was no direct connection between the company and Nazi medical crimes. At the time, the company said researchers were given full access to its archives.
In response to the new allegations, Weleda CEO Tina Müller announced a broader independent review: “This new research gives us reason to thoroughly reexamine our history through a comprehensive independent study,” she said. Müller emphasized that the company “unequivocally condemns Nazism,” adding, “Fascism, antisemitism, racism, or any far-right ideology have no place in our company. ‘Never again’ reflects our stance.”
Weleda was founded in Germany in 1921 by Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner and has since grown into one of Europe’s leading natural cosmetics brands. Today, the company operates in around 50 countries and generates annual revenues exceeding 450 million euros. Its baby cream is a household staple in both the United States and Europe.
Dachau, located near Munich and established in 1933, was the first concentration camp set up by the Nazi regime. Approximately 200,000 people were imprisoned there, with more than 40,000 murdered or dying from abuse, starvation, disease, or medical experimentation.
Sudrow’s book, commissioned by the Dachau Memorial, outlines in detail the alleged collaboration between Weleda and the SS, painting a troubling picture of corporate complicity during the Nazi era.