Hans Beck (6 May 1929 – 30 January 2009) was the German inventor of Playmobil toys. He is often described as "The Father of Playmobil". He began to make toys at an early age and trained as a cabinet maker, before being recruited by toy company Geobra Brandstätter in 1958. Beck is responsible for developing the Playmobil figure, which, in 1971, was distinctive from existing toy figures by its movable parts. The Playmobil toy line was launched in 1974 and in 1975 became a global success.
Early years
Born in Greiz, Thuringia, Beck grew up in the small town of Zirndorf, which had a history of toy manufacture. While he was still at an early age, his parents got divorced and remarried. As a result, Beck and his sister had eight half-brothers and half-sisters. He recalled, "When I was about 10, I started making toys for them", including, "little cars and trucks, little figures, dolls, some furniture for the dolls", but he didn't imagine becoming a toy designer. At the end of World War II, when he was a teenager, he trained as a cabinet maker and also began to make model airplanes.[1] In 1958, he presented his model airplanes to Horst Brandstätter, owner of local toy company Geobra Brandstätter. He was selected from 20 candidates and recruited as a product designer.[2]