Cologne, May 2026

It all began in 1826, when Maria Clementine Martin, a nun, nurse and expert in medicinal plants, founded her company at the foot of Cologne Cathedral.

With Klosterfrau Lemon Balm Spirit, she laid the foundation for a success story that would endure for two centuries. Since then, the Klosterfrau Group has weathered wars and crises, constantly reinventing itself whilst remaining true to its roots.

Martin Oehlen and Petra Pluwatsch have written a book about the inspiring story of the nun Maria Clementine Martin, which was published by Greven Verlag on 21 May 2026 to mark the 200th anniversary of Klosterfrau.

In the book Klosterfrau: A Nun Conquers the World, they paint the first portrait of Klosterfrau’s founder, Maria Clementine Martin, based on meticulous archival research. In 1826, with determination and perseverance, the nun laid the foundation for the successful product, Klosterfrau Lemon Balm Spirit, and as a female entrepreneur was far ahead of the prevailing ideas of her time.

This large-format illustrated book combines the biography of Maria Clementine Martin with the history of the Klosterfrau brand. It pays tribute to an impressive historical achievement and highlights how its legacy continues to this day.

Petra Pluwatsch and Martin Oehlen work as journalists and authors respectively in Cologne, the city where Klosterfrau was founded and which remains the home of the brand to this day.

On 27 May, we had the pleasure of attending the book launch organised by Greven-Verlag, at which Petra Pluwatsch and Martin Oehlen shared fascinating insights into the writing process behind the book. The discussion, which also featured Sister Jordana Schmidt, was moderated by Helmut Frangenberg (journalist and editor at the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger). It was an extremely successful event, offering fascinating insights into the book, attended by a large number of interested guests and featuring many great conversations that rounded off the evening.

Martin Oehlen studied history, German language and literature, and theatre studies, and was head of the culture section at the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger. Petra Pluwatsch studied history, German language and literature and was chief reporter at the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger. Her most recent book is “Auf der Spur der Stolpersteine – Elf Wege der Erinnerung durch Köln” (Following the stumbling blocks: Eleven Routes of Remembrance through Cologne).