( Refer to article 270 for a more revised and update article.)

In the early 1800s cholera was spreading through Germany rampant. Dr. Carl Mampe was the medical practitioner and Royal Prussian Privy Medical Councilor. He was brewing with alcohol and healing herbs mixed together to make his brandy stomach Bitter Drop which he sold in pharmacies. He started making his medicine in the 1830s in the city of Stargard, Pomerania. It was said that his Bitter drops may even bring the dead back to life. Dr. Carl Mampe would soon stop making his cholera agent and donate his original recipe to his two step brothers Ferdinand Johnann and Carl Mampe. The company opened in 1835, in Stargard, Germany. The mark Ur-Mampe was created in 1835 and became as Stargader Mampe. Carl Mampe senior in 1852 would open a liquor factory in Koszalin, Pomeralin. Dr. Carl Mampe would die in 1857. Both Fredinand Johnann and Carl Mampe who ran two companies and were using the same recipe to produce there product. The two brothers had a disagreement, which started a family internal competition. In 1877 Carl Mampe moved his family business to Berlin where he founded the Carl Mampe A. G. Company. Carl Mampe factory which was now in Berlin and his step brother Ferdinand Johnann, FJ Mampe Factory still located in Stargard, which was rebuilt in Hamburg after World War 2. The family competition lasted till the 1960s. In 1894 Carl Mampe developed the famous Mampe Half and Half Liqueur. This liqueur due to its one hundred and thirty herbs was also known to give a stomachic effect.

Front label reads. Mampes Medical Bitters M.M.B. / Elephant (monogram of elephant) Brand / Trade Mark Berlin / Founded in 1852 in Berlin Germany. A preparation of Angostura bark and other herbs of medical value of agreeable flavor medical bitters are prescribed. Side label reads. Aromatic & delicate flavor. These bitters are free from harmful drugs and are composed of herbs of medical character. Dose half table spoonful in equal amount of water before meals. Sugar may be added to increase palatability; they may also be advantageously us as a flavoring for plum puddings, mock turtle soup, souses, grape fruit etc. The other side is in German.

Carl Mampe or in English Carl Gin. Died in February 10, 1899. Unfortunately he would not see the largest moment of his firms history. In April 30, 1904 The Worlds Exposition Fair was going on in St. Louis, Missouri. On this occasion liquor originating from Germany should attain worldwide reputation. The Orange bitter Likor Mampe Half & Half winning the distinguished grand prize. The Berliner Mampe-Kummel also being a gold medal winner in Buenous Aires 1910. This company lasted into the 1980s, making just a few products. The family business was sold and became Mampe Half and Half and Lufthansa cocktail under license by Berentzen Manufacture. Carl Mampes grave is to be found today in the Musician Cemetery, so called (The Sophiengemeinde Berlin) and represents the most important pilgrim place of the Mampejunger.

A letter seal mark stamp from 1910 to 1915 and a lithograph poster from 1910. The Mampe Company in the early days to there closure were big on marketing their products. They donated two dwarf elephants name Carl and the other Mampe to the Berlin Zoo. The business seemed to always flourish having new products on the market. In the 1930s over 70 different varieties were served on Zeppelin flights. In the 1960s and 1970s they were big sponsors of auto racing. The business also owned several restaurants all called Mampes Gutu Stube. The Most famous of which was at Kurfurstendamm 14/15 Berlin. The restaurant closed in 1986.

Most all of the embossed bottles had there famous trade mark of the Mampe Elephant. The early Carl Mampe bottles that were embossed had the street address of S.W. Halleschestrasse 17. This is the first bottle in the photograph above. This was the main factory address in Berlin. They might have had other factory sites in Berlin. We have two other embossed bottles with the address of Schutzmarke Veteranenstrasse 25 and also Veteranenstrasse 24. This address was six miles away from the main factory site.

We also have three bottle that is embossed with the words Berlin and Danzig. The city of Danzig and East Prussia were separated from Germany just after World War 1. The first bottle in the photograph does not have the Mampe Elephant embossed on it.

Otherwise on most of the other bottles just the city of Berlin is embossed.

Here is a bottle without Berlin embossed on it. The monogram of the elephant is embossed on the bottom.

There are some bottles that do not have the name Carl and just says Mampe Berlin.

There also is a Kummel figural bear bottle which has a Carl Mampe label around it. Also a ceramic figural elephant with UNSER MAMPE OUS BERLIN embossed on base. They used a pottery Jugendstil bottle manufactured by R. Hanke and designed by Albin Muller. This was a fancy pottery bottle with cobalt color marked on the base CARL MAMPE EIGEN-KRUG BERLIN. This dates around 1910.

My favorite is the little flask which the lid is also a drinking glass. You never know when you might have to be a gentlemen.

Three more Carl Mampe Stamps.



Here are some other pictures from our collection. Left upper picture is a photo of a lithograph print of a Mampe restaurant estimated time range is 1900. Right upper picture is a post card. Lower picture is the plastic Mampe elephants which was tide around the neck of some Mampe bottles. A picture of a ceramic figural of the Mampe elephant. The size is 42 cm. by 32 cm.

The first bottle is a Mampe Berlin with the elephant. The second bottle is a Carl Mampe A.G. Berlin with no Elephant. The third is a Carl Mampe A.G. Berlin with the elephant. The second photo are three more different size squares then above. The third photo is three more bottles. The first one is a Carl Mampe Berlin Danzig. The second bottle is a Carl Mampe Berlin Elefanten Korn S. W. Halleschestrasse 17. And the third is a Carl Mampe Berlin Danzig. The forth photo is a more modern label.

References:

Some pictures courtesy of ebay.

Frank & Frank Jr. (Wicker) Bottle Collection.

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