The 4711 brand storybegins in 1792 when merchant Wilhelm Mülhens received a secret recipe for "aqua mirabilis" (miracle water) as a wedding gift from a Carthusian monk, which he began selling as an invigorating health elixir.

After French troops occupied Cologne in 1796 and introduced house numbering, Mülhens's manufactory in Glockengasse was assigned the number 4711.

He soon began marketing the product as 4711 Echt Kölnisch Wasser (Original Eau de Cologne), adopting the memorable house number to distinguish his fragrance.

The distinctive Molanus bottle was introduced in 1820, and the brand achieved global recognition and is still produced today by Mäurer & Wirtz, maintaining its iconic citrus-floral scent.