Felina — One of Germany's oldest corsetry factories
The beginnings in the capital of swimwear - Bad Rappenau
In 1885, Eugen Herbst began producing corsetry and corsets in Bad Rappenau. 10 women found work here before the company was moved to Mannheim in 1889. There, the Herbst corset factory moved into its first factory building at the turn of the century and was renamed “Felina” in 1917. In the 1930s, Felina expanded with corsets and bras and founded manufacturing branches in Milan, Paris, Zurich and London. A few years later, Felina was the second-largest corset factory in Germany.
Seizure of power by the National Socialists — Aryanization and disenfranchisement of the founding family Herbst
The seizure of power by the National Socialists in 1933 meant massive restrictions for the Jewish founding family Herbst, such as the refusal of export permits and the ban on attending trade fairs. Although a trustee was appointed for the company during this time, Eugen Herbst managed the business until 1936 before the family fled into exile under political pressure. The manufacturer Richard Greiling finally acquired Felina well below market value. After Aryanization, the company was called “Corsetfabrik FELINA Mannheim” and produced corsetry as well as so-called war-important articles. In the summer of 1944, large parts of the factory were destroyed by an air mine. The majority of the machines had already been outsourced at this time.
Restructuring and internationalization — The rebirth of a war-torn company
Reconstruction began after the end of the war. With the opening of another branch in Kaiserslautern in 1955, Felina was the second-largest corset company in Germany and represented at the Brussels World Fair in 1958. At the end of the 1950s, the products were already sold in over 50 countries. From 1969, Felina produced swimwear, which has since been characterised by a high level of comfort, figure-shaping fabrics and elegant designs. This introduction was achieved primarily through innovative developments, such as the use of elastic Lycra fiber as a manufacturing agent. This enabled the company to offer its customers well over 250 models to choose from. This expansive and customer-oriented course was continued in the following decades.
Felina in the present: high quality, innovation and the European Lingerie Group
In over 130 years, Felina has developed from a small corset manufacturer into a globally active lingerie and swimwear company. Working throughout Europe, Felina continues to create collections for women from all over the world at the design center in Mannheim. With its high-quality designs and products, the company has been part of the European Lingerie Group since 2017. Together, the strengths will be expanded, innovative highlights developed and the Felina success story continued.
Visitors to the BikiniARTmuseum can look forward to around ten pieces of swimwear from the early days of Felina swimwear production.
