2-Schacht Kondomautomat "Fromms"

Disease protection and birth control

In 1914 Julius Fromm made the first condom from liquefied rubber in Berlin. Known as "Fromms Act", the product was a commercial hit. The German army issued condoms to soldiers in the First World War to prevent the spread of venereal disease. Condoms were also increasingly used for birth control. In 1928 Fromm set up the first vending machines for condoms, despite political and social opposition. Because he was Jewish, Fromm had to sell his company in 1938 - to the aunt of Hermann Göring, a leading Nazi.