Acca Kappa

Two words and one date that sum up the history of one of the premier Italian companies renowned around the world for its fine fragrances, hairbrushes, toothbrushes, bath, and beauty care products.

The words Acca Kappa are in fact the two initials of the company’s founder, Herman Krüll (in Italian “H” is read Acca and “K” is read Kappa), a German merchant of Prussian descent who in 1869, found himself in charge of a small brush factory in Treviso, Italy. 

Mr. Krüll proved himself a skillful entrepreneur and it was not long until the marriage of German precision and Italian mastery gave life to a perfect mixture of superior quality, true refinement, and pure luxury which quickly afforded Mr. Krüll an enviable reputation in the brush industry. He subsequently gained numerous high-profile customers, including royalty.

Under Mr. Krüll’s innovative oversight, the business took flight and he soon had over five hundred employees and agents working for the company. But this fasttrack to new and prosperous heights was abruptly disrupted during the First World War in 1917, when all production was forcibly stopped, and Mr. Krull suffered the expropriation of the company by local authorities.

In 1923, Mr. Krüll accomplished the monumental feat of buying back the company by sacrificing his prized collection of postage stamps, a lifelong passion, and securing a loan of two million liras.  

In 1936 after Mr. Krüll’s passing, Walter Carlo Antonio, the fourth born son of Herman Krüll, assumed leadership and formally named the company Acca Kappa in honor of his father.

Unfortunately, in 1943 during the Second World War Acca Kappa was again taken away from the family, despite the Krülls being an integral part of Italian society and many records indicating the heroic acts of Herman Krüll Jr. during the conflict, including the rescue of six Italian patriots who had been captured by the Germans.

By this time, Acca Kappa had become more than a business. Over the years, it had become an essential part of the Krüll’s family identity. After several years and lots of hard work, Walter finally was able to reclaim the company and assumed leadership once again, preparing for the next journey into a prosperous age of success.

After the end of the World Wars, a new era of peace and prosperity ensued. By the 1950s, an innovative wave of marketing had emerged depicting colorful images of everyday life with ingenious, attention-grabbing titles and taglines. Acca Kappa adapted to this new era beautifully, enabling the company to achieve rapid growth over the next several years.  

Upon Walter’s passing in 1984, the company was passed to the third and fourth generation of Krülls. And in 1990, Elisa Gera, great-granddaughter of Herman Krüll, decided to follow in Mr. Krüll’s footsteps, assuming control of the company. She transformed Acca Kappa into a new era of strong, woman-owned leadership and brought a wave of fresh and inventive ideas. Acca Kappa soon launched its signature fragrance, White Moss, which quickly became an international phenomenon and it was not long before a complete line of body care products followed.

Today, Acca Kappa offers fragrances for men, women, and home, and luxurious soaps and body washes, as well as rich and velvety body and hand lotions, skin care, home candles and a complete line of fine grooming products for men, and of course, the company’s signature and world-renowned hair brushes and toothbrushes.