In 1930, high on the panoramic Alpine slopes of Walzenhausen in Canton Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Ulrich Jüstrich converted his family’s embroidery workshop into a botanical manufacture. Facing the global collapse of the textile market during the Great Depression, he formulated natural bristled brushes and medicinal plant ointments, founding JUST—a globally revered Swiss phytotherapy institution renowned for its alpine herb remedies and essential oils.
From St. Gallen Embroidery to Natural Bristles on Lake Constance
The Eastern Swiss canton of Appenzell had long flourished as a global capital of fine embroidery and delicate lace, but the Wall Street crash of 1929 devastated export orders overnight. Ulrich Jüstrich (1903–1985), having returned home to Walzenhausen after years working in Argentina, refused to surrender to industrial despair. In 1930, in his father’s shuttered embroidery atelier overlooking Lake Constance, he began manufacturing high-grade natural bristle wooden brushes for hygiene and household care.
By listening closely to rural housewives and mountain farmers, Jüstrich recognized an urgent desire for natural wellness. In the late 1930s, he established a specialized laboratory to extract active botanicals from native Alpine flora—arnica, thyme, mountain pine, and St. John’s wort.
The Herbal Alchemy of Walzenhausen: Ointments and Olio 31
Drawing on centuries of Appenzeller folk medicine and rigorous Swiss pharmaceutical purity, JUST developed foundational phytocosmetic remedies that achieved international cult status: the legendary Thyme Cream, Tea Tree Balm, and its iconic *Olio 31* (31 Herbal Oil), a synergistic distillation of thirty-one pure essential oils designed to invigorate the body and soothe respiratory ailments.
Still entirely owned and directed by the third generation of the Jüstrich family, JUST manufactures all its therapeutic cosmetics at its modern, eco-certified production campus in Walzenhausen. Approaching its 2030 centennial, JUST remains a luminous symbol of Swiss botanical sovereignty, harmonizing pristine Alpine ecology with sustainable family enterprise.
Che caldo!, 1959: acque minerali, erbe alpine e benessere naturale
Immagini d'archivio storico dell'Istituto Luce che celebrano il potere rigenerante della natura alpina, delle fonti termali e delle erbe officinali di montagna. (Fonte: Archivio Storico Istituto Luce Cinecittà)
Interactive 360° Heritage View: JUST Global Headquarters & Alpine Botanical Center
Historical Location: Dorf 62, 9428 Walzenhausen, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Switzerland (Coordinates: 47.4522, 9.6015)
