Harry Lehmann
Founded 1926
Harry Lehmann and his father Eduard opened this Berlin perfumery on 19 March 1926, and for decades it sold its own scents by weight. It still mixes more than 70 house perfumes in its basement lab on Kantstraße, such as Eau de Berlin, and new owners reopened it after the death of Lutz Lehmann in 2022.
Hours and prices change, so check with the shop before you go.
Harry Lehmann, where Marlene Dietrich bought her violet scent
Harry Lehmann founded his Berlin perfumery with his father Eduard on 19 March 1926, on Potsdamer Straße. Eduard had left Silesia at 15 and trained as a perfumer near Grasse, taz reports. Marlene Dietrich came in for its violet scent. The Nazis' plans for a north-south axis forced a move in 1939, the wartime shop on Friedrichstraße was bombed, and in 1958 the business settled at Kantstraße 106 in Charlottenburg, under the neon sign that still hangs there.
Harry ran the shop until his death in 1967, then his widow and his son Lutz. After Lutz died in 2022 it stood empty for about 18 months, until Jannis Lucian Groh and Vianney Lancres took over in March 2024. The house offers more than 70 scents made in-house, mixed in a basement lab closed to visitors. Perfume was once sold by weight; EU rules now mean it is measured by volume. Packaging stays simple to keep prices low, and the Tropfer, a device that releases a drop of the scent of the day, is back.
In Berlin, smell the range at its own shop at Kantstraße 106 in Charlottenburg, or at the second shop at Gipsstraße 13 near Hackescher Markt. The house's site lists opening hours from Tuesday to Saturday. An eau de toilette such as Eau de Berlin costs €85 for 100 ml or €40 for 30 ml. Try Veilchen first: it is the violet Marlene Dietrich bought here.
- VeilchenThe violet Marlene Dietrich bought at the shop, with raspberry and liquorice in the spirit of 1920s Berlin.
- Eau de BerlinThe house's Berlin scent since 1987: lavender, lemon and mandarin over coriander, juniper, cedar and vetiver.
- LindenblüteInspired by the linden trees on Berlin's boulevards, with linden blossom, herbal honey and green leaves.
- WüstenwindDesert wind, where hot grains of sand meet cool night air.
Where to buy
- Own shop, Kantstraße 106, 10627 Berlin
- Own shop, Gipsstraße 13, 10119 Berlin
In our city guides
- Harry Lehmann (Kantstraße) (Boutique, Berlin)