Braun GmbH 1921

Founded in Frankfurt am Main in 1921 by Max Braun, a mechanical engineer. In 1923, he produced components for radio sets and by 1929 he was producing entire radio sets. Braun became one of Germany's leading radio manufacturers.

During the Second World War, Braun had to abandon products for the civilian sector and then, in 1944, their factories in Frankfurt were destroyed. Braun had to start rebuilding his company.

After the war, the company continued to produce audio equipment and soon became known for their hi-fi audio and record players. During the 1950s, the company started producing their electric shavers and kitchen appliances.

In 1967, the company became a wholly owned subsiduary of Gillette. By the 1970s, Braun stopped producing film slide projectors and its line of hi-fi products to focus on home consumer appliances. The hi-fi products were picked up by a legally-independent subsidiary, Braun Electronic GmbH which continued until 1990.

During the 1990s, the company started to see losses and struggled to turn things around. In 2005, Gillette was acquired by Procter & Gamble which turned Braun into a wholly owned subsidiary of P&G.