Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is not a real historical figure. He is the fictional protagonist of Patrick Süskind’s 1985 novel Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (original German title: Das Parfum ).
The enduring fascination with whether Grenouille was "real" stems from Süskind's use of authentic historical details and potential real-life inspirations for the character’s more macabre traits. Real-Life Inspirations and Parallels jean baptiste grenouille real