In 1868 in Lübbecke in the Westphalia region of Germany, the pharmacist Eduard Gerlach took over his father's colonial goods store and expanded it with a drugstore. With his drugstore, which was the first of its kind at that time, Gerlach laid the foundation for a prospering family business, which, with the brand name Gehwol, has obtained international recognition and has become a synonym for foot-care.

Gelach is rightly regarded as the pioneer of modern foot-care. As a soldier he was able to find out for himself how unbearably painful sore feet can be. As a pharmacist he was able to successfully mix fundamental substances such as potassium carbonate, unsaturated fatty-acids, mineral based lubricants and disinfecting essential oils in such a way that he was able to market "E.Gerlach's Preservative Cream" in 1882.

Thanks to the unique properties of his special cream and the modern manufacturing methods used, Gerlach was the first person to succeed with the large scale production of a foot-care preparation that was reasonably priced and of consistent high-quality. His brand quickly found a ready market, and received many international awards.