Else Kröner: The modest medicine woman

In 1944, Else Fernau lost almost everything she cared about. Her foster father, Eduard Fresenius's Hirsch Pharmacy on Frankfurt's Zeil district was hit by bombs shortly before the almost 19-year-old high school graduate was about to begin an internship there. Two years of professional experience were required to begin studying pharmacy. Else's home in Sachsenhausen was also destroyed by the air raids. At the end of 1944, Else learned that the man she loved was missing in Russia. She had met him in a dance class – and would never see him again. Shortly before, she had sent him a letter to the front. In it, the young woman wrote: "I want to work with all the dedication I am capable of and finally see how far I can stand up to my husband."

This is how the biography "Who, if not us" by the Else Kröner-Fresenius Foundation quotes the entrepreneur and founder Else would become over the next decades. In 1944, she had no idea that 20 years later she would marry another man named Hans Kröner. Little did the young woman know that a career as a successful businesswoman lay ahead of her. Together with Kröner, she would manage the fortunes of the Fresenius company, which had only a few dozen employees toward the end of World War II.

The name Fresenius, however, has been familiar to Else for as long as she can remember. The young woman grew up in the house of pharmacist Eduard Fresenius—the very villa that would be bombed in 1944. Else's mother had been a housekeeper at Fresenius since before Else's birth on May 15, 1925, 100 years ago this Thursday. The Fernau family lived in the house on Forsthausstraße, today's Kennedyallee.

Else's father died when she was still a child. The Freseniuses considered the girl their foster daughter. Else Fresenius was the godmother, and the child thus received her first name. Eduard Fresenius nicknamed her "Knöpfchen" (Little Button).

After the destruction, Else helped her foster father rebuild the pharmacy . The "Dr. Eduard Fresenius Chemisch-pharmazeutische Industrie KG" in Bad Homburg also had to compete in the market when orders from the Wehrmacht dried up after the war. When Fresenius died in 1946, Else, her mother, and a third wife inherited the pharmacy and pharmaceutical factory in Bad Homburg according to his will. That same year, the young woman began studying pharmacy in Mainz. She soon transferred to Erlangen. "Longing for love or for a man in general," the student noted. "Then, again, strict career aspirations. One is a mystery to oneself."

After graduating, she returned to Frankfurt in 1950 and set about consolidating the company. At the time, it was operating at a loss. In early 1952, Else Fernau took over management. She expanded the business, which supplied many hospitals, expanded the product range, and built a new building. She is said to have often worked a good twelve hours, and employees are credited with saying, "Elschen is here, it's running." She studied business administration in evening classes.

During those years, she met the lawyer Hans Kröner, initially as an advisor. As they grew closer, Else commissioned a graphologist to conduct a character study in 1957. Kröner's handwriting allegedly revealed that he was intelligent, open-minded, and active. However, the two did not marry until 1964. At that time, Else was 38 years old, and Hans was already 54. After a few years, they adopted five children from difficult backgrounds.

The company has grown immensely since the mid-1960s, with sales increasing, thanks in part to dialysis machines. As during the war, Fresenius continues to produce infusion solutions and cold remedies. New factories are built in St. Wendel and Schweinfurt, and in 1978, the headquarters moves to Oberursel. International business also becomes increasingly important.

Else Kröner remains modest. She buys clothes at the department store and serves Hawaiian toast to guests. At the same time, she's under enormous pressure – as a mother of five adopted children, but above all as an entrepreneur who ultimately manages around 3,000 employees.

In 1988, investigations were launched into Fresenius AG executives. The allegations involved payments made by employees to hospital staff to influence contracts. The proceedings were dropped in return for a fine. Else Kröner, a heavy smoker, died unexpectedly of a heart attack that same year at the age of 63.

Five years earlier, she established a foundation that annually supports medical research and humanitarian projects with more than 70 million euros. She bequeathed her fortune to the foundation. The Hirsch Pharmacy on Zeil also still belongs to the Else Kröner Fresenius Foundation, based in Bad Homburg.

Its CEO, Michael Madeja, calls Kröner an impressive, likeable founder – and one of the most important entrepreneurial figures in Germany. Kröner always acted with heart and courage. "She had the talent to recognize opportunities and dedicated her life to the company."

The foundation recently renovated Else Kröner's retreat in the forest near Schmitten: Eduard Fresenius's hunting lodge. Soon, scientists will be able to reflect, write, and hold meetings there in peace.

For Michael Sen, CEO of Fresenius, Else Kröner has made economic history. The 176,000 employees have taken over from her the task of successfully developing the global company.

On Thursday evening, the company and the foundation will celebrate Else Kröner's 100th birthday in Frankfurt. The program includes the premiere of a film about the entrepreneur and an awards ceremony: With €2.5 million, the Else Kröner Fresenius Prize is arguably the world's most highly endowed award for medical research. Russian-born award winner Anastasia Khvorova is researching RNA therapies in the United States. She plans to use the prize money to develop molecules that can prevent the production of toxic proteins in the brain.