Knox Incense Cones Large

The history of the company “Knox Räucherkerzen – Apotheker Hermann Zwetz” goes back to 1865, when Hermann Eduard Zwetz was trained as a pharmacist. In 1877 he took over the Löwen pharmacy not far from Halle and produced the first incense candles there.

Incense candles were initially produced mainly in pharmacies or drugstores and were sold as disinfectants or medicines because of their air-purifying effect. “Therapeutic smoking” was a well-known term in 18th century medicine, but smoking with aromatic substances can also be found in much older cultures as a cleansing, healing or mystical element. In addition, the image of ascending smoke is associated with the cosy warmth of a fireplace or the minutes of relaxation when smoking a pipe in the evening.

Due to the increasing sales of wood turned Smoker figurines, the demand for incense candles also rose steadily in the 20th century, so Herrmann Zwetz sold the pharmacy 10 years later and in 1888 acquired a plot of land for his future “smoking agent and glow material factory”, in order to devote himself entirely to the production of incense. In 1919, pharmacist Carl Bayer succeeded him as owner of the company for another generation. In 1952, Erich Koch – who also registered today’s brand name Knox in 1958 – bought the smoking agent factory and moved to Mohorn-Grund, where “Knox Incense Candles” is still located today. The idyllic village with many beautiful half-timbered buildings is nestled in the romantic hills of the Tharandt Forest and is a popular local recreation destination. In 1997 a modern, new production facility was built, which also includes a museum on the history of the company “Knox/Apotheker Hermann Zwetz” and on the smoking tradition, as well as a sales room and a craft workshop.