Tempo is the first German brand for paper handkerchiefs.[1] [2] Today, the brand belongs to Essity.
The brand name became independent in Germany in the course of time as a generic name and in colloquial language, paper handkerchiefs of other brands were often referred to as "Tempo handkerchief" or "Tempo" for short.[3] [4]
The disposable paper handkerchief made of cellulose was the product idea of two Jewish leading owners of Vereinigte Papierwerke AG, Oskar Rosenfelder (1878–1950) and his brother Emil Rosenfelder (1861–1945/1946). Oskar registered the Tempo brand on January 29, 1929[5] at the Reichspatentamt in Berlin.[6] The nazis forced the two to sell their firm.
In 1935, 150 million products were produced by Tempo. This number rose to 1 billion in 1955 and more than 4 billion in 1962.
In 2001, the brand was sold to SCA. Since a secession, Tempo has been part of Essity.