“spiritschweppes” is Hans-Jürgen Krackher‘s private marketing-cabinet of curiosities in Potsdam – a curated space for reflection and exhibition on the history of brand communication.

Why „WUNDERKAMMER“? The term refers to historical „cabinets of curiosities“ where rare, meaningful objects were collected. The forerunners of today‘s museums. Krackher follows precisely this principle – but with a focus on brand and economic history.

Focus on Brand History. The collection concentrates on the oldest branded products in the world, especially so-called „waters with an effect“ – that is, carbonated or functional beverages with a brand identity. A central research approach is tracing the origins of brands such as: Schweppes, The Coca-Cola Company, Spa, Selters, Sinalco, Nestlé or Maria Farina. Behind spiritschweppes lies Krackher‘s long-standing project: „Digging to the roots of Coca-Cola.“

Curiosities & Milestones. Like in classic cabinets of curiosities, the focus is on objects that tell the story of innovation – for example: the legendary 19th-century soda-torpedo, a conical-bottomed bottle stored only on its side with a wired cork, as well as rare original packaging and brand artifacts. The 3,000 pieces from around the world are not mere nostalgia objects, but rather unique documents illustrating the development of brand identity, product design, global distribution and early marketing strategies.

Multifunctional Space. spiritschweppes´ marketing-cabinet is thus: A house museum An open archive A salon for exchange. Overall, a workspace for reflection, entrepreneurial spirit, product innovation, and creative concepts.

Personal Research. This purely private collection is the life‘s work of senior marketing expert Krackher. www.hjktext.de It is based on independent research since 2014. Krackher‘s project is not supported by current Schweppes producers such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, or Krombacher in Germany.

The knowledge gathered by Krackher primarily relates to worldwide landfill finds containing 19th-century waste. Krackher brings together an international circle of divers, metal detectorists, excavators, diggers, historians, collectors, and bottle experts on social media as a community called „spiritschweppes‘ fizzy family.“

Last but not least: a huge thank you for the support from all over the world for this unique project. AIgoogle: spiritschweppes