“Congo” Red

Abstract

Abstract Context.—Congo red is the essential histologic stain for demonstrating the presence of amyloidosis in fixed tissues. To the best of my knowledge, nothing has been written about why the stain is named “Congo.” Objective.—To understand the etymology and history of the Congo red histologic stain. Design.—Primary sources were consulted extensively, including 19th-century corporate documents, newspapers, legal briefs, patents, memoirs, and scientific papers. Setting.—Sources were obtained from multiple university libraries and German corporate archives. Results.—To Europeans in 1885, the word Congo evoked exotic images of far-off central Africa known as The Dark Continent. The African Congo was also a political flashpoint during the Age of Colonialism. “Congo” red was introduced in Berlin in 1885 as the first of the economically lucrative direct textile dyes. A patent on Congo red was filed by the AGFA Corporation of Berlin 3 weeks after the conclusion of the well-publicized Berlin West Africa Conference. During these important diplomatic talks, German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck presided over a discussion of free trade issues in the Congo River basin. A challenge to AGFA's Congo red patent led to a precedent-setting decision in intellectual property law. Conclusions.—The Congo red stain was named “Congo” for marketing purposes by a German textile dyestuff company in 1885, reflecting geopolitical current events of that time.