E. H. Bronner
Encyclopedia
Emanuel H. Bronner was the maker of Dr. Bronner's castile soap
, a concentrated liquid notable for the vast amount of lather produced from a few drops and the vast amount of tiny text on its packaging. Bronner, whose parents were killed in the Holocaust
, promoted a belief in the goodness and unity of humanity.
He was born in Heilbronn
, Germany
, to the Heilbronner family of soap makers. He emigrated to the United States
in 1929, dropping "Heil
" from his name. As his father was Jewish, he pleaded with his parents to emigrate with him for fear of the then-ascendant Nazi Party
, but they refused. His last contact with his parents was in the form of a postcard
saying, "You were right. —Your loving father."
and Christian
sources, such as the Shema and the Beatitudes
; others from poets such as Rudyard Kipling
. They became famous for their idiosyncratic style, including hyphens to join long strings of words and the liberal use of exclamation mark
s. In 1947, while promoting his "Moral ABC" at the University of Chicago
, Bronner was arrested and committed to a mental hospital in Elgin, Illinois
, from which he escaped after shock treatments
.
After moving his family several times, he settled in Escondido, California
, where eventually his soap-making operation grew into a small factory. At his death in 1997, it produced over a million bottles of soap and other products a year, but was still not mechanized. The firm has been the subject of many published articles and has supported many charitable causes.
in addition to jojoba oil
in the ingredients.
His life was the subject of a 2007 documentary film
, Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapbox.
Castile soap
Castile soap is a name used in English-speaking countries for olive oil based soap made in a style similar to that originating in the Castile region of Spain.-History:...
, a concentrated liquid notable for the vast amount of lather produced from a few drops and the vast amount of tiny text on its packaging. Bronner, whose parents were killed in the Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
, promoted a belief in the goodness and unity of humanity.
History
Heilbronn
Heilbronn is a city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is completely surrounded by Heilbronn County and with approximately 123.000 residents, it is the sixth-largest city in the state....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, to the Heilbronner family of soap makers. He emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1929, dropping "Heil
Heil
Heil may refer to one of the following:* An HVAC home equipment manufacturer based in Lewisburg Tennessee...
" from his name. As his father was Jewish, he pleaded with his parents to emigrate with him for fear of the then-ascendant Nazi Party
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
, but they refused. His last contact with his parents was in the form of a postcard
Postcard
A postcard or post card is a rectangular piece of thick paper or thin cardboard intended for writing and mailing without an envelope....
saying, "You were right. —Your loving father."
Career
He started his business making products by hand in his home. The product labels are crowded with statements of Bronner's philosophy, which he called "All-One-God-Faith" and the "Moral ABC". Many of Bronner's references came from JewishJudaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
and Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
sources, such as the Shema and the Beatitudes
Beatitudes
In Christianity, the Beatitudes are a set of teachings by Jesus that appear in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. The term Beatitude comes from the Latin adjective beatus which means happy, fortunate, or blissful....
; others from poets such as Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
. They became famous for their idiosyncratic style, including hyphens to join long strings of words and the liberal use of exclamation mark
Exclamation mark
The exclamation mark, exclamation point, or bang, or "dembanger" is a punctuation mark usually used after an interjection or exclamation to indicate strong feelings or high volume , and often marks the end of a sentence. Example: “Watch out!” The character is encoded in Unicode at...
s. In 1947, while promoting his "Moral ABC" at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, Bronner was arrested and committed to a mental hospital in Elgin, Illinois
Elgin, Illinois
Elgin is a city in northern Illinois located roughly northwest of Chicago on the Fox River. Most of Elgin lies within Kane County, Illinois, with a portion in Cook County, Illinois...
, from which he escaped after shock treatments
Electroconvulsive therapy
Electroconvulsive therapy , formerly known as electroshock, is a psychiatric treatment in which seizures are electrically induced in anesthetized patients for therapeutic effect. Its mode of action is unknown...
.
After moving his family several times, he settled in Escondido, California
Escondido, California
Escondido is a city occupying a shallow valley ringed by rocky hills, just north of the city of San Diego, California. Founded in 1888, it is one of the oldest cities in San Diego County. The city had a population of 143,911 at the 2010 census. Its municipal government set itself an operating...
, where eventually his soap-making operation grew into a small factory. At his death in 1997, it produced over a million bottles of soap and other products a year, but was still not mechanized. The firm has been the subject of many published articles and has supported many charitable causes.
Legacy
After Bronner's death, his family continued the business. They have said the labels he wrote will not change except when required by government regulations. As of 2009 the Bronner company still lists hemp oilHemp oil
Hempseed oil is pressed from the seed of the hemp plant irrespective of the strain of cannabis. Cold pressed, unrefined hemp oil is dark to clear light green in color, with a pleasant nutty flavor. The darker the color, the grassier the flavour....
in addition to jojoba oil
Jojoba oil
Jojoba oil is the liquid wax produced in the seed of the jojoba plant, a shrub native to southern Arizona, southern California, and northwestern Mexico. The oil makes up approximately 50% of the jojoba seed by weight....
in the ingredients.
His life was the subject of a 2007 documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
, Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapbox.