Chewing Gum
Since the end of World War II, chewing gum has had an important place in the collective memory of Germans. It is a symbol of the new beginning after the war and a result of the U.S.
occupation of parts of western Germany. Americanization of West German society during the 1950s brought Coca-Cola, chewing gum, and rock 'n roll to a young generation that was starving for entertainment and willing to experiment with new and unusual cultural imports. The history of chewing gum in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) is the history of the product developed by the Wrigley’s Company, which was founded in 1891 in Chicago. Wrigley’s established its first German production facility in 1925 in Frankfurt am Main, where it produced the PK gumball. However, in 1932 Wrigley’s had to close its German outlet because of increasing difficulties importing necessary raw materials and the financial problems related to Germany’s obligations under the Treaty of Versailles and the Great Depression. After 1933, Wrigley’s chewing gum could still be distributed and purchased inside Germany. However, it was no longer produced there and had to be imported. Wrigley’s opened an import and distribution bureau at Berlin’s famous Unter den Linden Boulevard for marketing purposes. In contrast to Coca-Cola, however, Wrigley’s renamed its product: chewing gum became Kaubonbon (chewable candy).The image of the American GI chewing Wrigley’s gum became an icon in European culture during and after World War II. For some time, Wrigley’s decided to send its entire production to the U.S. soldiers engaged in the European and Asiatic theatres of World War II. As well as CocaCola, chewing gum became symbolic of U.S. resolve to win the war. It was to give the U.S. soldier psychological support during combat. Scientific studies had proven that chewing helped to decrease stress.
Furthermore, chewing gum became important in winning the trust of the defeated civilian population. U.S. soldiers who handed chewing gum to German children were no longer seen as enemies but as sympathetic
German Wrigley’s gum advertisement. (Wrigley Germany)
men. For the Germans, chewing gum and American cigarettes functioned as currency on the black market.
Gum-chewing U.S. soldiers provided Wrigley’s with an invaluable opportunity to advertise and market its product. The GIs became, involuntarily, pioneers for the advertisement of Wrigley’s spearmint gum. In later years, Wrigley’s sold twice as much chewing gum in the southern part of Germany, the former American Occupation Zone, than in the northern part where the British had been in charge of administration. However, chewing gum was a luxury product for most people in postwar West German society. No worker could afford Wrigley’s chewing gum, sold at ten Pfenning a piece and fifty Pfenning a package. Because it was treated as a luxury product, it was subject to certain import limitations. In the long run Wrigley’s conquered the German market, and its chewing gum became a staple among young children after the economic recovery of West Germany. It quickly rose to the top of chewing gum producers in West Germany (Unterhachin- gen, near Munich, became the German headquarters) and continued to dominate the market. To correctly pronounce the product name was certainly a challenge for West Germans. In the 1950s, an analysis among customers revealed that there were at least twelve different pronunciations. Subsequently, Wrigley’s engaged in an advertising campaign focused on its product name. In these advertisements, consumers could read the shortened version “Rigley’s” instead of “Wrigley’s,” and spearmint was rewritten as “Speer”-mint. Since 1959, Wrigley’s has printed on its product’s wrapping the German term Kaugummi (chewing gum).
Since chewing gum was identified with Americanization as much as Coca-Cola, blue jeans, and rock 'n roll, it became the target of protest and resistance by conservative cultural critics.
Their opposition toward the gum-chewing younger generation combined traditional cultural stereotypes about American society with the fear of a degeneration of culture caused and symbolized by chewing gum. The chewing of gum has been used by generations of youngsters to silently protest traditional norms of behavior and paternalistic limitations of freedom. Nevertheless, conservative critics did not succeed in their endeavor to rid Germany of chewing gum. Today, it is part of a multi-billion-dollar health and cosmetics industry. Chewing Wrigley’s spearmint gum is said to provide fresh breath and clean teeth and even to help fight the desire to smoke.Hilmar Sack
See also American Occupation Zone; Americanization; Coca-Cola; Consumerism; McDonald’s Restaurant
References and Further Reading
Aaseng, Nathan. Business Builders in Sweets and Treats. Minneapolis: Oliver Press, 2004.
Davies, Henry. “Deutsche Wrigley.” All around Wrigley (Fall 1985): 8—11; (Winter 1985): 9-11; (Spring 1986): 6-9.
Lee, Norma E. Chewing Gum. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1976.