Margarete Steiff GmbH

Steiff is the brand name of Margarete Steiff GmbH in Giengen, a manufacturer of world vertriebenem toys, especially teddy bears and stuffed animals ( " Steiff animal ").

Products

Main products of the company are stuffed animals. Until the late 1970s, also wooden toys were made ​​, as well as other products such as carts or dragon. The most famous was a specially developed by Steiff Kites, the Roloplan. In recent years, children's clothing was increasingly produced. Special manufacturing specifications are the different colored flags and various buttons in the ear. Older Steiff toys has become a coveted collector's item and achieved partial high prices.

The hallmark of Steiff animals is the most metal button in the ear, invented in 1904 by Franz Steiff, and the associated flag, and a mostly befindliches on the breastplate. Over time, the button changes (introduced on November 1, 1904) in shape and size greatly. Flag and shield (probably from 1897) also changed. Connoisseurs can open up very accurately from these features, the emergence of an animal many times.

After a CFI judgment ( Court of the European Union, Luxembourg ) on 16 January 2014, the manufacturer Steiff no longer a Europe-wide protection of the trademark " button in ear " claim (case T-433/12 and T-434/12 ). It is now also other producers possible to use that name. The court justified its decision by stating that it lacked this hallmark of distinctiveness as buttons and small signs " common design elements " for stuffed animals are. If only depends on a button in the ear with loop at a stuffed animal, it was not apparent to the consumer that it constituted a special product from Steiff and not from any other manufacturer.

Austria - Bear 1995

Young shepherd

Roloplan Dragon

Shorcut

History

In 1877, Margarete Steiff opened a Filzkonfektionswarengeschäft in which they sold self-made garments and household items in her home. This evolved over the years to a small company with several tenured seamstresses. Shortly thereafter (1880 ) the official establishment of Margarete Steiff GmbH, in which the first textile soft, stuffed toy animal is developed: Based on the pattern of a fashion magazine Margarete Steiff made ​​a small elephant made ​​of felt. This originally designed as a pincushion " Elefäntle " enjoys but within a very short period of great popularity as children's toys.

The first factory building is built in 1890 in the Mill Road, in which a disabled apartment is for Margaret. The illustrated catalog will be published shortly thereafter Steiff in 1892 to give customers an overview of the resulting range now. A year later the company in Leipzig presented for the first time at a trade show. The company is registered as a toy factory in the commercial register. Early (1895 ) will be included on foreign activities to Harrods in London.

Richard Steiff, the nephew of Margarete, occurs in 1897 in the company. He developed a 1902 game bears from shaggy mohair coat with the name Bear 55PB (55 cm standing, P = plush, B = move ). In March of the following year, this bear is first introduced at the Leipzig Spring Fair. To start with, the interest of visitors keeps within limits, towards the end of the show can be found, however, an avid American buyers, who ordered 3000 bears right away. Just one year later sold already Steiff 12000 piece of it. Thanks to the American president Theodore Roosevelt, the first unnamed bear gets its name known to date Teddy. This refused on a hunting trip to shoot a tethered bear and will always be shown because of this incident by the cartoonist Clifford K. Berryman in the Washington Post with a bear. This is the best advertising that begins Teddy boom and the Steiff brand achieved a worldwide recognition status for the teddy bear. In the same year also popularly known as " Mermaid Aquarium" designated Ostbau built a double-glass - steel construction. Later other buildings of this type, all of which are listed buildings today follow.

Franz Steiff developed in 1904 to early 2014, the protected trademark, the famous " Button in Ear" to protect the Steiff animals from imitation. This button is first provided with an elephant, but is replaced by the word " Steiff " over the years. Richard Steiff revised at this time, the design principle, it created the still valid base design. The Margarete Steiff GmbH in 1906 launched and asked Margaret a year later under the management of five nephews. This year, 400 employees and 1,800 home workers produce 1,700,000 game items as well as 973 999 teddy bears.

Margarete Steiff died on 9 May 1909 aged 61 years, surrounded by her family from the effects of pneumonia. The Company will continue in their favor and further expanded the toys and stuffed animal assortment. Well-known examples from the historical Steiff assortment:

• Flight Roloplan Dragon (1909 )
• Teddy Clown (1926 )
• Comic character shorcut and Teddy Zotty (1951 )
• Jackie Teddy Bear Teddy Bear 50th Birthday (1953 )
• Kuschelteddy Petsy (1984 )

After the end of World War II, the company ventured a restart. 1948, employs nearly 1,000 people, five years later already twice as many. The design of the teddy bear is changed, they continue to evolve to a droll bear children. Steiff began in 1980 to manufacture for the Steiff lovers replicas in a limited number. For the 100th anniversary, the Steiff museum will open in Giengen. The company establishes in 1992 the Steiff Club for enthusiasts and collectors.

On the 150th anniversary of company founder Margarete Steiff in 1997, the first Steiff Festival for fans and collectors will be held. As part of the Steiff franchise concept opened the first Steiff Gallery in Hamburg in February 1999. The 100th anniversary of the teddy bear in 2002 is celebrated with the world premiere of the musical "Teddy a musical dream " by Uli Brée in Giengen. The birthplace of the founder of the company Margarete Steiff can be visited shortly thereafter by the public in 2003.

On the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the company opened in 2005 " Steiff ", a museum experience with character and drama production. A year later, found for the first time instead of the Steiff Summer for employees and friends of Margarete Steiff GmbH. As part of the fourth Steiff Teddy Bear Clinic and summer, the spa will open in 2009, will be repaired in the Steiff animals.

Organization

The structure of the Steiff group - with the Steiff mbH as a holding company of Margarete Steiff GmbH - founded in 1981 Margarete Steiff GmbH is a 100 % - owned subsidiary of Steiff mbH. . In addition, the alligator valve GmbH in Giengen / Brenz and the Steiff Schulte Webmanufaktur in Duisburg belong to the Steiff group. The Steiff group is a family.

Trivia

The name Mermaid Aquarium was the vernacular for the then state of the art, constructed of steel and glass factories of the company, which offered well-ventilated rooms with natural daylight - then probably still a rarity. This factory buildings have been preserved and are listed buildings. The architecture critic Falk Jaeger wrote in 1985: The under listed building " let Walter Gropius ' famous shoe last factory in Alfeld far behind ."