Forever young? An Economic History of Aging in the 20th Century using the Example of the German Market for Anti-Aging Products

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Stephan Lindner, since 10/2024
• Subject Area: Economic and Social History
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 513257106

Today, people become older than ever before. On the one hand, this is appreciated as an expansion of individual lifetime; on the other hand, the aging of entire populations is regarded as a problem. The modern perception of aging is characterized by the peculiar paradox of an increased life expectancy and a growing will to avoid the process of aging: The older we become, the more urgent our desire not to age. However, this is not an entirely new phenomenon. Since the end of the 19th century, the demand for vitamins, hormones, skincare, hair dye, or natural cosmetics has increased exponentially. The changing approach to aging was therefore closely connected to those products from companies like Merck, Schering, or Henkel, which are at the center of this research project: How, why, and when did such an ambivalent expectation turn into a mass market? What entrepreneurial considerations motivated firms to enter and extend that market? And finally: What role did companies play in this social change of aging? Did they actively shape conceptions of aging, or did they merely react to a change that was taking place anyway.At first glance, companies seem to have been powerful players that affected images and ideas of aging, especially in the wake of medical progress. However, when looking at the difficulties and pitgalls of marketing, it becomes clear that their value depended on the consumer’s individual and social long-term experience, which created a fundamental uncertainty of demand. This leads to the assumption, that such markets cannot be explained by technical possibilities or price incentives only.In focusing on anti-aging products, this project aims at an economic history of aging in Germany. In contrast to the dominant approaches in cultural history and the history of science, the topic will be addressed from the perspective of the suppliers. Using company archives, the project examines how vitamins (Merck), hormones (Schering) skincare (Beiersdorf; Wolff & Sohn), hair dye (Henkel), and natural cosmetics (Wala Heilmittel) were created and how a market for industrially manufacture products for old age was stabilized between 1900 and 1990.The overall objective is to reconstruct the possibilities and limitations of enterprises to shape the process and prospects of aging by economic means.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Ehemaliger Antragsteller: Professor Dr. Werner Plumpe, until 10/2024