History

When the unknown chemist Carl Hornemann started producing and selling colours in 1838,he could have hardly anticipated that it would eventually lead to a business that would remind generation upon generation of their unforgettable school experiences...

How a "Pelikan" became famous, as to what else happened within those other 170 years of company history can be revisited here:

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1838

The beginning: Carl Hornemann's first ink factory

In 1832 chemist Carl Hornemann founded his own colour and ink factory in Hanover Germany. Here at Pelikan though we tend to consider the 28th of April 1838 as the founding date, as it was the date on the very first price list. All company anniversaries are therefore based on this date.

The beginning: Carl Hornemann's first ink factory