Sometimes that ‘s the way things go: two things fit together like pieces of a jigsaw. In that case, it’s fate that has decided to bring two worlds, two life stories, two people together. That’s doubtless what happened when the paths of Marcus Niendorf and Dietlind Wolf crossed. He is a pharmacist and owner of Lübeck’s Löwen Pharmacy, she a multi-talented artist. And their common vision is their Löwenmanufaktur (Löwen hand-made production).

There is a smell of lavender, cardamom and sandalwood in the air. The starry sky on the high ceilings is hand-painted, the furnishings a harmonious blend of restrained modernity and antique treasures from the 18th century. A visit to the Löwen Pharmacy is like travelling through time. Essential oils are in the air and visitors are assailed from all sides by the history they transport. This proud patrician house is a jewel at the heart of the Old Town as it is Lübeck’s oldest town house. Built around 1230, it is even around 250 years older than our famous Holsten Gate. “The Empress Elisabeth, wife of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, resided here during a state visit in 1375”, Marcus Niendorf relates.

And there is much to relate for this Lübeck pharmacist as in fact he could equally well have become a historian or architect, such is his seemingly limitless knowledge of the history of this brick building which has been so closely linked to his family history since 1812, the year the Löwen Pharmacy was opened. The Hanseatic tradition, the age of the Buddenbrooks, the chronicles of Lübeck have left their mark and can still be felt in the rooms of the Löwen pharmacy. The concept with which Marcus Niendorf has forged his niche, fits well with this atmosphere so steeped in history. “I took over the pharmacy from my father as the youngest of four children in the fourth generation. After the war, he rebuilt the business and made it profitable. And, of course, it was expected of me that I would continue the tradition. That is a great source of pleasure to me, especially because I have found a strategy which I think has the potential to ensure the survival of the pharmacy in the way I envisage.”

We are talking about the hand-made Löwen production business. Since 2006, Marcus Niendorf has been developing traditional formulas based on sources from the family archives of his great grandfather. The idea of turning the clock back and creating a counter-movement to the rapidly automating world of the pharmacy had been going through his head for some time, and it took more definite shape on a visit to a convent pharmacy in Florence. He received support in the initial period from the nursing staff at Lübeck’s University Clinic. A calming oil with which to treat patients suffering from panic attacks was needed, and it brought success. The birth of a new product line: oils for the psyche. They bear expressive names such as “Löwenbändiger” (lion-tamer), “Balsam für die Seele” (balm for the soul) or “Löwenkraft” (strength of a lion), and they have proven their worth with customers of the Löwen manufactory. “It all fits together with perfect logic”, says Niendorf, “we have here this house steeped in history, I have this inexhaustible family archive and my specialist knowledge as well as my vision of the Löwen manufactory in the pursuit of which I have devoted all my efforts.”