Tradition meets modernity: Klosterfrau inaugurates street art at its founding location in Cologne

Since 1826, the Cologne-based company Klosterfrau has been shaped by a culture of constantly combining tradition and innovation. The Klosterfrau Healthcare Group, which now operates internationally with around 60 brands, is particularly well known for the lemon balm spirit created by its founder, the nun Maria Clementine Martin. Her work and the 13 herbs in the lemon balm spirit inspired street artist Lilee Imperator to create an innovative design for the entire exterior of the Klosterfrau headquarters in Cologne. The work was unveiled to employees and the public on June 5 in the presence of the artist.

“MCM Klosterfrau will celebrate its 200th anniversary in two years,” said Dr. Stefan Koch, CEO of the Klosterfrau Group, summarizing the special occasion for the street art. “Those in the know are of course aware of what MCM stands for, namely Maria Clementine Martin. Over 200 years ago, this strong woman worked as a nurse on the battlefields of Europe and alleviated all kinds of suffering with her very special elixir, a herbal brandy made from 13 herbs, the world-famous Melissengeist.”

Mayor Dr. Ralf Heinen, who was one of the invited guests, was also delighted to finally be able to take a look behind the scenes at Klosterfrau: “I grew up in the Gereonsviertel district and walked along this street to school every day. I always wondered what it looked like behind the walls. Now I know.”

“It's all about finding the right flow,” says Lilee Imperator, summarizing her design approach. The artist, who comes from Austria and lives in France, interprets the history of Klosterfrau with sweeping lines and delicate color gradations in typical green-blue tones. Imperator strikingly combines the company's guiding principles of tradition and innovation, creating an artwork that shapes the urban space over a length of almost 80 meters. Lilee Imperator's work stands for sensitivity, attentiveness, and the strengthening of one's own consciousness. Anyone who looks at the new mural on Klingelpütz and in Gereonsmühlengasse can experience for themselves the figurative clarity and floral positivity of her work in public spaces.

From today's perspective, Maria Clementine Martin was a “founder” and thus Klosterfrau was a start-up at the time. Her mission: to help people through the healing power of plants. After almost 200 years, this entrepreneurial spirit remains at the heart of the Klosterfrau Group. Like Maria Clementine Martin back then, Klosterfrau puts people at the center of everything the company does. Maria Clementine Martin's work and mission have been reimagined in a work of art by Lilee Imperator: the artwork depicts the 13 herbs used in the famous Klosterfrau Melissengeist. If you look closely, you can also see figurative representations of a nun.