Julius Fromm
Encyclopedia
Julius Fromm was a Polish-Jewish entrepreneur, chemist, and inventor of a process for making condom
s from liquified rubber.
, which was part of the Russian Empire
at the time. When he was ten years old his family left for Berlin
in search of a better life there. There, the family made a living by rolling cigarette
s as many Eastern European Jews of Berlin did at the time. Julius's parents died young, so he was forced to take care of himself and his six siblings from the age of fifteen. As mechanization gradually replaced manual production, Fromm started attending evening classes in chemistry
.
With World War I
, Germany experienced a rapid liberalization of sexual values and sexually transmitted disease
s spread rapidly. During this time, the majority of condoms were still made of "skin": chemically treated intestine or bladder. Rubber condoms were also available; they were made by wrapping raw rubber
sheets around molds, then dipping them in a solution to vulcanize
the rubber. In 1912, Fromm invented the cement dipping method, which made a thinner, seamless condom. Instead of working with rubber as a solid material, it was mixed with gasoline
or benzene
. This made it a liquid in which molds could be dipped. Fromm patented his invention in 1916. Mass production started in 1922 and was a great success—Fromms Act, as they were called, becoming the first brand-name condoms—which allowed the entrepreneur soon to open up branches in Denmark
, the United Kingdom
, Poland
, and the Netherlands
. Fromms became a synonym for condom in Germany. In 1928, the first condom vending machine
s were installed by Fromm's company, but the interior ministry only allowed it to advertise the hygienic
advantages of condoms, not the condom's use as a contraceptive, because it feared a further decrease of the birth rate
.
In 1938, however, under Nazi rule
, the government forced Fromm to sell his factories for 116,000 Reichsmark, a fraction of their real value, to Baroness Elisabeth von Epenstein, Hermann Göring
's godmother. In return Epenstein gave two castles, Veldenstein and Mauterndorf, to Göring. A year later he emigrated to London, where he died on May 12, 1945—four days after the Allied victory in Europe
—from a heart attack, possibly a result of his excitement at returning to Germany and getting back to his business. Fromm's estate, which was worth the equivalent of approximately 30 million Euro
s, had already been auctioned off on May 17, 1943 for 2,255 Reichsmark, though many items including a grand piano, plates, and his library had already been bought or stolen before.
After the war, Julius Fromm's son Herbert Fromm was forced to pay a cousin of Göring's 174,000 Marks for the rights to the name Fromm. He licensed a Bremen
company to produce Fromms condoms, which—now called Mapa—produces them to the present day.
In 2007, Götz Aly
and Michael Sontheimer published Fromms: How Julius F. Fell Prey to German Robbers retelling Fromm's story.
, and Michael Sontheimer. Fromms: wie der jüdische Kondomfabrikant Julius F. unter die deutschen Räuber fiel. Frankfurt am Main: S. Fischer
, 2007. ISBN 3100004221. Aly, Götz, and Michael Sontheimer. Fromms: How Julius Fromm's Condom Empire Fell to the Nazis. Shelly Frisch, trans. New York: Other Press, October 2009. ISBN 1590512960.
Condom
A condom is a barrier device most commonly used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy and spreading sexually transmitted diseases . It is put on a man's erect penis and physically blocks ejaculated semen from entering the body of a sexual partner...
s from liquified rubber.
Biography
Fromm was born as Israel From in Konin, PolandKonin, Poland
Konin is a town in central Poland on the Warta river. It is the capital of Konin County. Since 1999, it has been in the Greater Poland Voivodeship. Previously, it was the capital of Konin Voivodeship . In 2006, the population was 81,233....
, which was part of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
at the time. When he was ten years old his family left for Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
in search of a better life there. There, the family made a living by rolling cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
s as many Eastern European Jews of Berlin did at the time. Julius's parents died young, so he was forced to take care of himself and his six siblings from the age of fifteen. As mechanization gradually replaced manual production, Fromm started attending evening classes in chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
.
With World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Germany experienced a rapid liberalization of sexual values and sexually transmitted disease
Sexually transmitted disease
Sexually transmitted disease , also known as a sexually transmitted infection or venereal disease , is an illness that has a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of human sexual behavior, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex...
s spread rapidly. During this time, the majority of condoms were still made of "skin": chemically treated intestine or bladder. Rubber condoms were also available; they were made by wrapping raw rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
sheets around molds, then dipping them in a solution to vulcanize
Vulcanization
Vulcanization or vulcanisation is a chemical process for converting rubber or related polymers into more durable materials via the addition of sulfur or other equivalent "curatives." These additives modify the polymer by forming crosslinks between individual polymer chains. Vulcanized material is...
the rubber. In 1912, Fromm invented the cement dipping method, which made a thinner, seamless condom. Instead of working with rubber as a solid material, it was mixed with gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
or benzene
Benzene
Benzene is an organic chemical compound. It is composed of 6 carbon atoms in a ring, with 1 hydrogen atom attached to each carbon atom, with the molecular formula C6H6....
. This made it a liquid in which molds could be dipped. Fromm patented his invention in 1916. Mass production started in 1922 and was a great success—Fromms Act, as they were called, becoming the first brand-name condoms—which allowed the entrepreneur soon to open up branches in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Fromms became a synonym for condom in Germany. In 1928, the first condom vending machine
Condom machine
A condom machine is a vending machine for the sale of condoms. Condom machines are often placed in public toilets, subway stations and airports as a public health measure to promote safe sex. Many pharmacies also keep one outside, for after-hours access...
s were installed by Fromm's company, but the interior ministry only allowed it to advertise the hygienic
Hygiene
Hygiene refers to the set of practices perceived by a community to be associated with the preservation of health and healthy living. While in modern medical sciences there is a set of standards of hygiene recommended for different situations, what is considered hygienic or not can vary between...
advantages of condoms, not the condom's use as a contraceptive, because it feared a further decrease of the birth rate
Birth rate
Crude birth rate is the nativity or childbirths per 1,000 people per year . Another word used interchangeably with "birth rate" is "natality". When the crude birth rate is subtracted from the crude death rate, it reveals the rate of natural increase...
.
In 1938, however, under Nazi rule
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, the government forced Fromm to sell his factories for 116,000 Reichsmark, a fraction of their real value, to Baroness Elisabeth von Epenstein, Hermann Göring
Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring, was a German politician, military leader, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. He was a veteran of World War I as an ace fighter pilot, and a recipient of the coveted Pour le Mérite, also known as "The Blue Max"...
's godmother. In return Epenstein gave two castles, Veldenstein and Mauterndorf, to Göring. A year later he emigrated to London, where he died on May 12, 1945—four days after the Allied victory in Europe
Victory in Europe Day
Victory in Europe Day commemorates 8 May 1945 , the date when the World War II Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. The formal surrender of the occupying German forces in the Channel Islands was not...
—from a heart attack, possibly a result of his excitement at returning to Germany and getting back to his business. Fromm's estate, which was worth the equivalent of approximately 30 million Euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
s, had already been auctioned off on May 17, 1943 for 2,255 Reichsmark, though many items including a grand piano, plates, and his library had already been bought or stolen before.
After the war, Julius Fromm's son Herbert Fromm was forced to pay a cousin of Göring's 174,000 Marks for the rights to the name Fromm. He licensed a Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
company to produce Fromms condoms, which—now called Mapa—produces them to the present day.
In 2007, Götz Aly
Götz Aly
Götz Aly is a German journalist, historian and social scientist.-Biography:After attending the German School of Journalists, Aly studied history and political science in Berlin...
and Michael Sontheimer published Fromms: How Julius F. Fell Prey to German Robbers retelling Fromm's story.
Further reading
Aly, GötzGötz Aly
Götz Aly is a German journalist, historian and social scientist.-Biography:After attending the German School of Journalists, Aly studied history and political science in Berlin...
, and Michael Sontheimer. Fromms: wie der jüdische Kondomfabrikant Julius F. unter die deutschen Räuber fiel. Frankfurt am Main: S. Fischer
S. Fischer Verlag
The German publishing house S. Fischer Verlag was founded in 1886 by Samuel Fischer in Berlin and is a leading German address for literary publications and fiction.Originally, it was renowned for naturalism literature...
, 2007. ISBN 3100004221. Aly, Götz, and Michael Sontheimer. Fromms: How Julius Fromm's Condom Empire Fell to the Nazis. Shelly Frisch, trans. New York: Other Press, October 2009. ISBN 1590512960.