Herbol
Product brand
UnclaimedHerbol is a long-established German professional coatings brand originating in Cologne in 1844 and now operated within AkzoNobel's decorative coatings business.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Herbol is a German professional coatings brand with roots in the Lackfabrik Herbig-Haarhaus, established in Cologne in 1844 by Robert Friedrich Haarhaus. The brand developed from a regional paint and lacquer manufacturer into a broad architectural-coatings business serving renovation, maintenance and new construction. Its portfolio includes exterior and façade paints, interior wall paints, lacquers, stains and glazes, crack-reinforcement systems, concrete coatings and floor systems. The company's early development was closely associated with the Haarhaus and Herbig families. After a family connection joined the business in 1871, the company expanded its coatings activities and was renamed Deutsch-Englische Lackfabrik following Haarhaus's death in 1874. Arthur Herbig and Adolf Herbig junior joined in 1899, reinforcing the Herbig name that later became central to the Herbol identity. Production moved in 1903 to a larger facility on Vitalisstraße in Cologne-Bickendorf, a site that remained the brand's principal German base. The trademark Herbolin Flüssiges Porzellan was registered in 1904 and became an important early white-lacquer product. By 1910 the company employed approximately 80 people and had begun manufacturing outside Cologne under licence in Vienna and Paris. Under Arthur Herbig's leadership from 1912, the business continued to broaden its manufacturing footprint. A new colour factory opened in Cologne in 1923, and by 1930 the operation reportedly employed about 180 people and produced roughly 330 products. During the Second World War, the factory was classified as strategically important because it produced protective camouflage coatings. Air attacks destroyed most of the Cologne plant, but production restarted in August 1945. The company's branches in Vienna, Berlin and Milan were expropriated after the war. Post-war development included the introduction of dispersion paints in 1952 and the production of synthetic resin from a newly built resin plant beginning in 1945. The business expanded through branches in Würzburg and Switzerland. In 1957 the Herbol logo was redesigned by American industrial designer Raymond Loewy, using the Herbol wordmark within a paintbrush motif. Ownership changed substantially in the late 1960s: the Herbig family sold the company to BASF and Bayer in 1968, BASF assumed complete control of the Cologne and Würzburg operations in 1970, and the brand subsequently underwent organizational restructuring and international expansion. Herbol became part of the newly established Deco GmbH in 1997. In 1999 AkzoNobel acquired BASF's European coatings business, bringing Herbol into the AkzoNobel group through Akzo Nobel Deco GmbH. The brand has since been distributed through independent wholesalers, specialist trade channels and AkzoNobel's Farbe & Heimtex distribution organization. It is recognized in several European markets, including Austria, Switzerland, France and Belgium, and was introduced or further developed in Italy and the Netherlands. In the twenty-first century, Herbol has remained positioned around professional and trade-oriented coating systems rather than mass-market consumer paint alone. Its offer addresses complete building-surface requirements, from primers and façade protection to interior decoration, wood and metal coatings, crack treatment, concrete protection and floor finishing. A notable product-development event was the 2007 introduction of Herbol-Symbiotec, presented as a nano-based façade paint developed with BASF. Since 2010, the brand's coatings have been produced in accordance with applicable volatile-organic-compound regulations. Herbol therefore combines a nineteenth-century German manufacturing heritage with the distribution, research and market infrastructure of AkzoNobel's international decorative paints organization.
History
Herbol traces its origins to 1844, when Robert Friedrich Haarhaus founded a coatings company in Cologne. The business expanded after his son-in-law joined in 1871 and was renamed Deutsch-Englische Lackfabrik after Haarhaus died in 1874. Arthur Herbig and Adolf Herbig junior entered the company in 1899, establishing the Herbig association that later shaped the Herbol brand. In 1903 the company moved to a modern production site on Vitalisstraße in Cologne-Bickendorf. The following year it registered Herbolin Flüssiges Porzellan, an early major German white-lacquer trademark. By 1910 the company employed around 80 workers and had begun licensing production in Vienna and Paris. Arthur Herbig took over leadership in 1912. A new colour factory opened in Cologne in 1923, and by 1930 the company had about 180 employees and a catalogue of approximately 330 products. The Second World War severely damaged the business. The Cologne plant produced protective camouflage coatings and was treated as strategically important, but air raids destroyed roughly 80 percent of the factory. Branches in Vienna, Berlin and Milan were expropriated after Germany's surrender. Production resumed in Cologne in August 1945, allowing the company to rebuild. Synthetic-resin production began in a new resin plant from 1945, and dispersion paints were added in 1952. Expansion followed through operations in Würzburg and Switzerland. A significant branding milestone came in 1957, when Raymond Loewy redesigned the Herbol logo around a paintbrush motif. Ownership changed in 1968, when the Herbig family sold the company to BASF and Bayer. BASF took full control of the Cologne and Würzburg branches in 1970. Subsequent restructuring and internationalization led to Herbol becoming part of Deco GmbH in 1997. In 1999 AkzoNobel acquired BASF's European coatings business. Herbol consequently became part of Akzo Nobel Deco GmbH and was managed from Cologne within AkzoNobel's decorative coatings structure. The brand's European distribution used independent wholesalers, specialist trade outlets and AkzoNobel Farbe & Heimtex. Herbol established or strengthened its presence in markets such as Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands. Modern Herbol focuses on professional coatings for building exteriors and interiors. Its systems cover façades, interior walls, wood and metal finishes, cracks, concrete and floors. The 2007 launch of Herbol-Symbiotec marked a technology-oriented façade-paint development associated with BASF. From 2010, Herbol coatings followed applicable VOC regulations. The brand remains an AkzoNobel architectural-coatings label with a long Cologne manufacturing and professional-trade heritage.
- 2011
Netherlands market introduction
[1]Herbol was officially introduced in the Netherlands.
- 2010
VOC-regulated coatings range
[1]Herbol coatings followed applicable VOC regulations.
- 2007
Herbol-Symbiotec launched
[1]Herbol and BASF introduced Herbol-Symbiotec, described as a nano-based façade paint.
- 1999
AkzoNobel acquires European coatings business
[1]AkzoNobel acquired BASF's European coatings business, bringing Herbol into its decorative-coatings group.
- 1997
Herbol joins Deco GmbH
[1]Following restructuring and greater international orientation, Herbol became part of the newly established Deco GmbH.
- 1970
BASF assumes full control of key operations
[1]BASF took complete control of the Cologne and Würzburg branches.
- 1968
Herbig family sells the company
[1]The Herbig family sold the company to BASF and Bayer.
- 1957
Logo redesigned by Raymond Loewy
[1]The Herbol logo was redesigned around a paintbrush motif by Raymond Loewy.
- 1952
Dispersion paints added
[1]Herbol began producing dispersion paints.
- 1945
Post-war production resumes
[1]After severe wartime damage, production restarted in Cologne in August 1945.
Products and positioning
Professional architectural-coatings brand focused on durable systems for renovation, maintenance and new construction, distributed primarily through specialist and trade channels.
Architectural coatings
Façade paints
Exterior coatings designed for façade renovation, maintenance and new construction. The range is positioned as part of broader system solutions for protecting and finishing building exteriors.
Architectural coatings
Interior wall paints
Interior decorative and protective wall coatings intended for professional use in refurbishment and new-build environments.
Decorative and protective coatings · 1904
Lacquers and glazes
Coatings for finishing and protecting relevant building and furnishing surfaces. Herbol's historical portfolio included white lacquers, while its contemporary offer includes lacquers and glazing products for trade applications.
Building renovation systems
Crack-reinforcement systems
System products intended to reinforce or bridge cracks during building-surface renovation, complementing primers and finishing coats.
Industrial and architectural coatings
Concrete and floor systems
Coating systems for concrete and floors, serving maintenance, refurbishment and construction projects that require surface protection and a finished appearance.
Façade paint · 2007
Herbol-Symbiotec
A façade-paint product introduced in 2007 in cooperation with BASF and presented as a nano-based coating development.
Brand decisions
2010
Alignment with VOC requirementsStrategyBackground
European coatings markets were subject to tighter requirements concerning volatile organic compounds.
Action taken
Herbol aligned its coatings with applicable VOC regulations.
Aftermath
Regulatory compliance became an established feature of the brand's coatings portfolio.
2007
Launch of Herbol-SymbiotecProduct launchBackground
The brand sought to extend its façade-coatings offer through technology-oriented product development.
Action taken
Herbol introduced Herbol-Symbiotec together with BASF and presented it as a nano-based façade paint.
Aftermath
The launch became a notable example of Herbol's product innovation in exterior coatings.
1999
Transfer into AkzoNobel's coatings groupM&ABackground
BASF's European coatings business was acquired as part of a broader coatings-industry consolidation.
Action taken
AkzoNobel acquired the European coatings business and managed Herbol through Akzo Nobel Deco GmbH.
Aftermath
Herbol gained access to AkzoNobel's international decorative-coatings organization and continued European distribution under the AkzoNobel group.
1968
Sale of the company to BASF and BayerM&ABackground
The Herbig family ended its direct ownership of the coatings business after more than a century of family association.
Action taken
The company was sold to BASF and Bayer, with BASF later taking complete control of the Cologne and Würzburg branches.
Aftermath
The transaction initiated a period of corporate ownership, restructuring and increased international orientation for Herbol.
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