Playmobil

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Playmobil
The Playmobil logo

Owner / user geobra Brandstätter Stiftung & Co. KG
Introductory year 1974
Products Toys
Website www.playmobil.de
Headquarters in Zirndorf

Playmobil is a system toy and a brand of the German geobra Brandstätter Stiftung & Co. KG (or simply Brandstätter Group ) based in Zirndorf near Nuremberg . The main element is a 7.5 cm plastic toy figure. In addition, since 1981 there have also been 5.5 cm figures depicting children. Hands, arms, legs and the head can be moved. Various parts, such as tools or weapons, can be attached to the hands. 100 million figures are made every year. The Federal Court of Justice certified the 7.5 cm tall Playmobil figures that they have the "effect of a child, nice and still insecure on their feet" for the viewer or the player, even though they represent adults.

The market launch took place in 1974 with the first figures of knights, Indians and construction workers. The inventor of Playmobil is the pattern maker and then chief developer Hans Beck , who implemented the idea of ​​a new game system at the request of company owner Horst Brandstätter . The brand name “Playmobil” also goes back to Hans Beck and Horst Brandstätter. The characteristic blue lettering was designed by the artist and graphic designer Rainer Willingstorfer . In addition to Playmobil, the Lechuza brand has also been part of the Brandstätter Group since 2000 .

Categorization

Industrial product

Playmobil figures and objects are industrially manufactured mass-produced goods of the type stand-up figures and, in terms of their function, successors to children's toys in the manner of tin soldiers . The so-called “clickies” are technical artifacts that are produced in large series with injection molding machines from an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS). Playmobil figures representing human beings are produced in Malta . They consist of a head, a wig, two arms and a torso with an inner part and a pair of legs. Put together in the right order, all you need to do is apply force to the skull and everything clicks together firmly.

Artwork

In a judgment of October 28, 1994, the Regional Court of Nuremberg-Fürth determined that Playmobil figures as "works of applied art " have a " copyrighted work quality". In them "artistic individuality" is expressed. Quote: “The 'playmobil' basic figure is just not a naturalistic representation of a person or type of person. The human shape, its proportions and its 'normal' appearance were abstracted in many ways and a combination of features was created that is not given in nature. […] Accordingly, the creator of the 'playmobil' basic figure […] created a human figure that was reduced to its essential elements, but still seemed natural, in the realization of independent ideas. The creator of the lamentation model has succeeded in creating models which, with the partial use of technically conditioned and / or already known combination elements, create an overall aesthetic impression that is not yet available in the previously known treasure trove of shapes. "

scale

The size of the classic Playmobil figure, at 7.5 cm, corresponds to the nominal model size 2 , which corresponds to a scale of 1: 22.5. The railway models are also compatible with the corresponding model railway gauge IIm (G). Some sets such as B. the loading crane are also advertised as suitable for the garden railway and used accordingly, especially since they are also weatherproof.

history

Playmobil was launched on the market in 1974. Hans Beck began developing the system toy as early as 1970, but it wasn't until the rising price of oil increased the price of plastics tenfold in 1973 that Horst Brandstätter dared to launch it, because the large plastic items produced by Geobra at the time (ceiling paneling, children's furniture etc.) became unprofitable and much less of the expensive raw material was used for the small figures.

The company Geobra Brandstätter presented the newly developed toy for the first time in 1974 at the Nuremberg Toy Fair . The first themes of the construction site, the Wild West and the age of knights have been followed by around 40 different themes with extensive accessories. Female figures were added in 1976, and children's and baby figures were first sold in 1981 and 1983, respectively. The figures were only slightly modified over the years - moving hands and various "hairdresses" were added - but they always remained aligned with the original, unmistakable forms. From 1976 the Greek company Lyra manufactured the Playmobil range under license from Geobra Brandstätter for the local market and also developed its own products for the system. The company probably also exported to the Middle East, but production stopped in 1986. From 1982 the Schaper company manufactured the products under license in the USA.

Just a few years after Playmobil was launched, Geobra Brandstätter became the German toy manufacturer with the highest turnover and has been at the top ever since. The company employs more than 4,400 people worldwide.

In 1975 the BIG company brought out the competing product Play-BIG . Geobra Brandstätter was defeated in a lawsuit that lasted for years due to the market launch, but Playmobil was ultimately able to assert itself on the market; BIG - also known for their Bobby-Car - stopped the production of Play-BIG in 1979.

In 1999 the Playmobil characters celebrated their 25th anniversary. With the special exhibition "Tiny World Power - 25 Years of Playmobil" in the Nuremberg Toy Museum , the cult toy came to the museum for the first time from May 20 to October 10, 1999. One year later, an exhibition in the municipal museum in the neighboring Playmobil "capital" Zirndorf followed from June 8th to October 1st, 2000.

Playmobil FunPark in Malta

Since 1991 there has also been a Playmobil amusement park in Zirndorf, the Playmobil FunPark , the outdoor area of ​​which has been steadily expanding since 2000. More Playmobil FunParks have now opened in Paris , Malta , Athens and Palm Beach . There was also a FunPark in Orlando , but it was closed in January 2007.

In 2004 the Playmobil characters celebrated their 30th birthday. In the Historisches Museum der Pfalz Speyer from November 30, 2003 to April 18, 2004 not only many figures but also their often unusual uses by collectors and artists were on view. The exhibition entitled " 30 Years Playmobil - Discover the World " toured Germany until 2007 and was in Maximilianpark Hamm from May 15 to August 7, 2005, and in the Niederrheinisches Museum Memoria-Haus Kevelaer from August 22 to November 6, 2005 , in the picture book museum Burg Wissem Troisdorf from November 20, 2005 to February 19, 2006, in the Roemer and Pelizaeus Museum Hildesheim from March 4 to June 6, 2006 and in the Magdeburg Cultural History Museum from July 7 to October 21, 2007 . In addition to this exhibition, there was also a Playmobil exhibition in the Zirndorf Municipal Museum called 30 Years of Playmobil - Toy Stories from Zirndorf, which was on display from July 3rd to September 5th, 2004. For the anniversary year 2004, a Germany-wide anniversary campaign called “The Big Birthday Tour” was carried out.

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary in 2014, the special exhibition 40 Years of Playmobil - An Adventure Journey through Time took place from December 1, 2013 to November 2, 2014 in the Historisches Museum der Pfalz in Speyer . This, like the previous exhibition, was passed on to other locations after its end in Speyer. From March 29 to October 25, 2015, she was in the Landesmuseum Fortress Ehrenbreitstein Koblenz and from November 21, 2015 to February 21, 2016 in the Braunschweigisches Landesmuseum Vieweg-Haus / Staatliches Naturhistorisches Museum Braunschweig and from March 18 or 19 to 25. September 2016 in Maximilianpark Hamm . The last stop of the exhibition will take place from October 15, 2016 to August 27, 2017 in Limburgsmuseum Venlo ( Netherlands ). In addition to this exhibition, two other exhibitions were held for the 40th anniversary: The world in play - 40 years of Playmobil in the Nuremberg Toy Museum from April 19 to October 19, 2014 and Happy Birthday! - 40 years of Playmobil in the Zirndorf Municipal Museum from June 28, 2014 to February 22, 2015. In September 2014, the 40 Years of Playmobil - 40,000 Figures - "Share the smile!" Campaign took place in selected cities around the world. In another Around the World campaign , Playmobil sent members of the Playmobil Collectors Club a Playmobil figure as a traveler named Tim the Traveler all over the world.

On June 3, 2015, the Playmobil company owner Horst Brandstätter died . After his death, the company became a dual foundation: a non-profit foundation and a corporate foundation in which the most important employees are represented. The company's business policy has not changed significantly since June 2015 and there has been a power vacuum and leadership problem since then : In the Süddeutsche Zeitung it was said "None of the three new board members can decide alone, one observes." In March 2016, Judith left Weingart, one of the chairmen, stopped the company because of problems with its chairman partners. On December 1, 2016, Steffen Höpfner succeeded the deceased Brandstätter as CEO.

From November 12, 2018 to February 17, 2019, the special exhibition Playmobil story (s) took place in the Heimatmuseum Reutlingen .

Product development

Playmobil system (1974–1980)

Logo Playmobil System (1974–1980)

The first figures produced were relatively simple and monochrome. The heads had a tapered connector at the bottom, were not reinforced on the inside and had no notches that were only introduced later for accessories such as beards, glasses and earrings. There was only one type of hairstyle in the colors black, brown and blonde (shade of yellow). Hands and arms were a coherent figure element, whereby the hands were immobile. Movable wrists were only added later, allowing objects to be grasped and moved.

The first hand samples for product presentations and the first series productions initially had smooth soles with a small hole. After that, the figures had the “b” marking on the soles of their feet for a short time - the trademark for “brandstätter”, which in the first few years was also printed on the packaging in white, black and red, directly below the Playmobil logo. This was also a consequence of the legal dispute with the Big company (see above) that was being conducted at that time. From mid-1975 these brand and copyright markings were expanded on the soles of the feet. On the left sole of the foot was written b geobra on the right (C) opyright 1974. This marking existed until the figures with the designed footwear were introduced.

In addition, the different generations of figures can be recognized by the inner connecting element, which in the first few years was designed to match the color of the figure, but was later incorporated into all figures in a uniformly undyed manner. This connecting element was regularly developed further after the introduction of the first series figures for a more stable cohesion and better mobility of the figures.

At the beginning there were three game worlds and no uniform packaging. The packs were produced in blisters and cardboard boxes in three different colors each until 1975.

Basic theme world Initial introduction New edition Remarks
Construction (blue) 1974 1983, 1986, 2003, 2009, 2013
Indian (red) 1974 1975
Knight (green) 1974 1976, 1977, 1983, 1986, 1993, 1997, 2004, 2010, 2014, 2019

The knight figures were therefore also the first figures that were designed in two colors with their chrome-colored upper body. The Indian figures were mostly pastel colors until 1975 and the construction workers' figures were cast in bold colors, as they were common until the 1980s.

With the Indian set 3255, the knight set 3265 and the set 3270, the first horse figures were introduced at the same time.

From 1975 the packaging color was blue. The name of the figures was Klicky and was printed on the packaging in the form of a stamp symbol from 1976 to 1980/81 with the respective number of figures.

The following extensions to the range followed:

Theme world Initial introduction New edition Remarks
Western film 1975 1976, 1983, 1987, 1994, 2012 Special edition 2011,2019
police 1975 1976, 1984, 1987, 1997, 2008, 2016 From 1997 with pistols and real paint scheme, changed to blue in 2008
fire Department 1976 1983, 1996, 2002, 2009, 2014, 2018
Present (city) 1977 1982, 1988, 1997, 2000, 2005, 2019
Rescue services 1977 1984, 1988, 2000, 2006, 2014, 2015, 2019
Leisure / camping 1977 1990, 1993, 1996, 2013, 2016, 2019
Pirates / Guard soldiers 1978 1983, 1986, 1990, 1996, 2000, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019 Until 1996 early 19th century, 2007 (16th century), currently 18th century
farm 1978 1982, 2005, 2011, 2015, 2019
Winter sports 1978 1984, 1992, 2017
circus 1978 1982, 1986, 1991, 2007, 2016 2016 Several sets for the 40th anniversary of Circus Roncalli exclusively at Galeria Kaufhof

Playmobil Color (1978-1993)

Logo Playmobil Color (1978–1982)

In 1978, Playmobil introduced the playmobil that can be painted in parallel to the basic range, which also included pens in two different numbers. There were sets for every theme world at that time (see above). In France, for example, there were also the so-called Color Supersets, which are very popular with collectors. The largest on the German market was the 3660 merchant train with twelve figures and six horses, as well as flags and accessories. It is also the synonym for the Color Middle Ages.

The last of these products were animal models such as giraffes, penguins and zebras until 1993.

Playmo Space (1980-1994)

Logo Playmo Space until 1988

In the wake of the science fiction boom caused by the movie Star Wars , Playmobil introduced some astronauts and spaceship sets with their own logo. After the last products in the series, which had long had the normal company logo on the packaging, Playmobil only revived the space sector with similar worlds at the beginning of the 21st century.

Playmobil (1981-1989)

Playmobil logo (1980–1990)

With the greater popularity of Playmobil, a new era began from 1981, which brought with it the rotating hands, first in the new children's models (from 1981) and then the normal figures (from 1982). This was necessary in order to be able to design objects more simply without providing them with additional handles (which do not exist in reality). In addition, from 1983 attachable beards and punched glasses appeared on the figures. From 1986, fat men and women with long skirts were introduced. The glasses were replaced by interchangeable models.

year Theme world particularities Remarks
1980 Safari world New editions: 2009, 2013 ( WWF ), 2016
1980 Electric railway Rails from LGB , new edition from 1997
1980 Playmo Space New editions from 1999
1981 Kindergarten / school Introducing children with rotating hands
1983 seafaring Introduction of hanging beards
1985 Arctic and Eskimos New editions: 2004, 2017

Playmobil dollhouse (from 1989)

Logo Playmobil Dollhouse

The introduction of the dollhouse series was initially set in the Victorian / Wilhelmine era. From 2004 the game world was changed to the 1970s / 1980s and from 2010 to the present . The packaging is pink in order to specifically address girls as a target group. Another floor can be purchased from the spare parts catalog.

Playmobil (since 1990)

Playmobil logo since 1991

Around 1990 the logo was rounded off and the innovations in the dollhouse world were also applied to other worlds. Since then, new worlds have been added or replaced by others every year. The figures were given new clothes such as vests, hairstyles or new suit models, which, unlike in the past, are usually no longer removable. The printing on the figures has increased so much that it is difficult to create other variants.

Published topics:

year Themed worlds particularities
1993 Wilderness / outdoor, special figures
1995 Fairy tale world
1996 Christmas
1997 Magic world
1998 Adventure world New edition 2009
1999 Fairytale castle, space (blue)
2000 Space (red)
2001 Extraterrestrials
2002 Vikings and supermarket
2003 Zoo and wildlife park
2004 Dinosaur, arctic
2006 Romans , football ( 2006 World Cup ) New edition: Römer (2016), football (for EM / World Cup)
2007 Oceanium New edition 2017
2008 Sea expedition, veterinary clinic, ancient Egyptians , wedding New edition Ancient Egypt (2016)
2009 House and school
2010 Top agents
2011 Stone Age, Farm, Future Planet, Ghost Pirates and the Playmobil Figures collection series
2012 Top Agents 2, hotel, riding stables, harbor and introduction of the small packages Special Plus
2013 Sports and action, racing karts, mountains, fairy world, camping, shopping center, Asia Drachenland
2014 Amusement park, coast guard, Alps
2015 Super 4
2016 Forester's house
2017 Ghostbusters , How to Train Your Dragon , RC Racer, Family Fun (Winter Alps), Play Map
2018 Ghostbusters 2 , The Real Ghostbusters , 3D Playmogaph, Spirit Riding Free , Tierhotel
2019 PLAYMOBIL: THE MOVIE
Playmobil 1.2.3 (from 1990)

In order to open up the Playmobil world to children under four years of age, a series in yellow packaging began to be produced in 1990. The products are greatly simplified. Only the head and the connected legs can be rotated. The items are reduced to the bare essentials to prevent swallowing.

Playmobil Special (from 1993)

After some worlds already had single figure packs, an independent single figure series called Playmobil Special was introduced in 1993 . The figures are exchanged regularly and usually also serve as a test for new worlds that were introduced on a larger scale a few years later. This series has been continued as Playmobil Special Plus since 2012 , with the contents of the pack being expanded compared to the old special sets. In 2016 a new edition with a new design and again more content than before was published.

Playmobil Christmas (since 1995)

Christmas items and advent calendars have been produced every year since 1995 . In the beginning they were only shown as a Christmas world, later other Playmobil game worlds followed such as knights, fairy world, police, etc. Special Christmas products are also made such as reindeer sleighs, tree decorations, Christmas cribs, etc.

Advent calendar theme worlds

Initial introduction theme
1997 Christmas
1998 Christmas workshop
1999 Christmas Market
2000 Christmas baking
2001 Forest
2002 Lantern parade
2003 Santa claus
2004 Nicholas Eve
2005 Animal christmas
2006 City park , knight , fairytale castle
2007 Animal feeding, pirates
2008 Police , fairy land
2009 Riding school , dragon knight
2010 Dinos , knights , Christmas post office
2011 Pirates, feeding animals, princess castle
2012 Police , riding stables
2013 Fairyland , elves workshop, Asian Dragon Land
2014 1.2.3, fire department , Christmas Eve
2015 Pirates, fashion boutique, farm
2016 1.2.3, police , palace gardens
2017 Top agents , riding stables , gnome workshop
2018 Fire department, crystal castle
2019 Knight, toy shop, farm
Playmobil Easter (since 1997/2004)

Easter eggs have been produced since 1997, most of which are only available in the range at Easter. From 2004 Easter items with rabbit-headed Playmobil figures were added to the range. From 2009 the Easter eggs were completely redesigned because at the beginning the Easter eggs were small and there was only one figure in the eggs. There has also been an Easter calendar since 2013.

Playmobil RC Train (1997-2012)

Playmobil has been producing its own Playmobil rails and RC-capable railroad trains since 1997 . From 1980 to 1996 the rails came from the Lehmann-Groß-Bahn .

Playmobil-Space (1999-2003)

In 1999 Playmobil-Space came onto the market, a space game world with electronic game effects and alien-headed figures. Because of the great sales success, the extensions "Alien Toxiplant" and 2001 "Dark Scorpions" followed. This game world was discontinued in 2003.

Playmobil First Smile (2000-2004)

In addition to Playmobil 1.2.3, which is suitable for ages one and a half to three years, Playmobil produced another play world from 2000 to 2004 that was specially designed for children under three years of age. The parts from this game world were even larger than the parts from the Playmobil 1.2.3, for example there were stacking figures, hand rims and dance balls. This game world was discontinued in 2004.

Playmobil RC module (since 2001)

In 2001 the RC module articles came onto the market. Since then, most Playmobil vehicles can be combined with RC module sets and controlled remotely.

Playmobil Top Agents (since 2010)

Top Agents from Playmobil is another fantasy game world. In 2010 the first Top Agents series came on the market, in which it was about the fight for world domination between Spy Team and Robo Gangster. It contained special game effects such as a spy camera set, a multifunctional UV flashlight, an agent alarm system or a metal detector. Because of its great success, the second series, Top Agents 2, was produced in 2012. It was also about world domination, this time between Spy Team and Mega Masters. Again there were special game effects, for example reflective surfaces of vehicles that could be made to glow with a UV and white light torch.

Playmobil Future Planet (since 2011)

In 2011 another game world was produced that takes up the theme of space. The accessories range from KO light cannons and turbo jets to energy stones and solar cells. It is unclear whether the series was discontinued in 2013 or a sequel is planned.

Playmobil RC underwater motor (since 2013)

In addition to the RC module and RC train, there has also been an RC underwater motor since 2013, with which the drive direction can be controlled. Initially, the RC underwater motor was only available as a limited edition on the pirate sailor (5258); The RC underwater motor has also been available individually since 2014.

Playmobil license worlds (selection)

Playmobil Super 4 (2015-2018)

Super 4 is an animated series that airs on Disney Channel Germany . It is about four friends who come from different worlds (knights, pirates, future and mythical creatures, fairies).

Playmobil PORSCHE (since 2015)

This is a license series in cooperation with Porsche , of which a new set is released every year:

number description year
3911 Porsche 911 Carrera S. 2015
5991 Porsche 911 Targa 4S 2016
9225 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup 2017
9376 Porsche Macan GTS 2018
70067 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S 2019
70078 Porsche Mission E (Playmobil: The Movie) 2019
70277 Porsche Macan S 2020
Ghostbusters - The Ghostbusters (since 2017)

In June 2016, Playmobil announced that it had entered into a licensing cooperation with Sony Pictures Entertainment . Starting in 2017, new products such as figures (ghost hunters, Slimer ) or vehicles ( ECTO-1 ) were brought onto the market every year .

Playmobil: The Movie (2019-2020)

Just in time for the cinema release of the animated film "Playmobil: Der Film ( Playmobil: The Movie )", Playmobil released special sets for the film.

Back to the Future (since 2020)

This license cooperation was created in cooperation between Playmobil and Universal Pictures . In addition to the famous DeLorean , characters Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett Brown Brown made.

Playmobil franchise brands

Novelmore (since 2019)

For Playmobil's 45th birthday, the manufacturer brought a completely redesigned Playmobil knight world onto the market. A TV series on the subject is also planned from autumn 2020.

EverDreamerz (since 2020)

EverDreamerz is also a Playmobil franchise brand aimed specifically at girls.

Playmobil pro. (since 2019)

"Playmobil pro." was developed for the areas of education, science and business. They are intended to serve as an “intuitive tool for creative role play and adult education”.

Sales development

business
year 		Sales (in € million)
Number of employees		 source
Brandstätter
Group 		Playmobil
worldwide 		Lechuza
2017 741 679 - 4,443
2016 - - - -
2015 616 558 - -
2014 595 535 46.4 4.166
2013 612 552 47.5 4,069
2012 591 531 46.9 3,701
2011 564 505 45.6 3,520
2010 560 507 33 3,250
2009 518 474 39 3,060
2008 496 452 22nd 3,000
2007 459 427 20th 2,861
2006 402 379 12 2,721
2005 377 361 2,591
2004 370 359 2,500
2003 331.4 324 2,428
2002 301 260 2,267
2001 292.9 268 2,318

Around 70 percent of sales are achieved abroad. There are Playmobil sales offices in many European countries and in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

In 2013, “Spiegel” presented the company geobra Brandstätter Stiftung & Co. KG as a prime example of the success of the German economy. Her sole owner refuses to “have his toy figures produced in Asia. Because he and his men prefer to conquer country after country with their own money, instead of going public, looking for a merger partner or whatever else wild investment bankers demanded at the turn of the millennium. A Lehman crash , a debt crisis and a European recession later, Brandstätter's entrepreneurs suddenly stand for the future. "

Product range and company philosophy

Unlike the competition, such as B. Lego , there were deliberately no licensed merchandising products at Playmobil , i.e. sets that are offered as part of joint marketing with films or other media. For this, however, there were special brand-oriented sets, such as aircraft with the airline logo, which are only sold on the flights of the respective airline, as well as a replica of the Porsche 991 Carrera S as a regular set since 2015. In the past there were already exclusive sets in Cooperation with the ADAC or the technical relief organization .

It was not until 2016 that Playmobil announced a collaboration with the US figure manufacturer Funko . This is how licensed collector's figurines were created, for example for Back to the Future , Doctor Who , Supernatural , Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , The Walking Dead or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory . However, these figures have a different scale.

Also announced in 2016 and presented for the first time at the Nuremberg Toy Fair 2017, licensed themed worlds on how to train your dragon and the Ghostbusters were made easy .

Playmobil tried for a long time to follow neutral media trends, so that the western world and circus world (no longer in the program since 2009) disappeared from the program for years, as there were hardly any current role models with mass media. The world of pirates, on the other hand, got a boost from the Pirates of the Caribbean series , so that even ghost pirate sets were offered. The rediscovery of the dinosaurs was owed to films like Jurassic Park .

Another aspect is the depiction of weapons, which until 1997 was limited to historical worlds. Until then, police officers of the contemporary world were only given clubs and trowels. The only modern rifle was found in the safari world (1980–1988). It was only with the introduction of the new realistic police figures in 1997 that a modern handgun was introduced.

Merchandise and accessories

Playmobil has numerous merchandising articles produced by other manufacturers, such as school bags , children's dishes, posters, bags and sacks, buttons , original catalogs, FunCards, key rings, etc.

Promotion packs

In addition to the individual packs and set packs for the various theme worlds, Playmobil has been introducing new versions of different promotional packs since 1980. There was a regular “super set”, “starter set” and “anniversary sets”. In addition, “Playmobil-Micro” sets, play case sets and “Duo-Packs” were introduced.

Every year there were also articles with a limited edition.

Playmobil advertising figures (selection)

For some years now, Playmobil has been producing formats of people from the fields of art, culture and history. Advertising figures were also produced for special occasions by Playmobil and other companies such as Sparkasse , BASF , Lechuza (sister brand of Playmobil), Porsche , Lebkuchen-Schmidt (2017) and Maggi .

year figure particularities
2006 Magdeburg rider For the 29th exhibition of the Council of Europe and the State Exhibition Saxony-Anhalt Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation (2006) of the Historisches Museum Berlin , as well as for the traveling exhibition 30 Years Playmobil - Discover the World (2007) of the Historisches Museum der Pfalz Speyer , Playmobil received a Figure developed based on the Magdeburg rider. Since the color design of the original Magdeburg rider can no longer be reconstructed, the manufacturer based itself on the depiction of Emperor Heinrich VI. from the Codex Manesse .
2010 Götz von Berlichingen On behalf of the Germanisches Nationalmuseum for its exhibition “Mythos Burg”, Götz von Berlichingen.
2011 Albrecht Dürer On behalf of the Germanisches Nationalmuseum for the exhibition “The early Dürer” at the time. 100,000 pieces of the figure were sold.
2012 Bamberg rider As part of the 1000th anniversary of the cathedral in 2012, the Diocesan Museum of Bamberg commissioned a Bamberg rider who is based on the medieval painting.
2015 Prussian soldier The Landesmuseum Koblenz sold the special figure of a Prussian soldier with a spiked hat and a Prussian flag on the occasion of the exhibition 40 Years of Playmobil - An Adventure Journey through Time and the topic of "200 Years of Prussia on the Rhine".
2015 Henry the Lion On the occasion of the exhibition 40 Years of Playmobil - An Adventure Journey through Time in the Braunschweigisches Landesmuseum , a replica of Henry the Lion was created for Braunschweig Stadtmarketing GmbH. The set includes a lion originally from the 1980 Safari series.
2015 Martin Luther A Luther figure launched in February 2015 as a commissioned production for the EKD and the German National Tourist Board (DZT) was intended to serve as a “Reformation ambassador” in preparation for the 2017 Reformation anniversary. The first edition of 34,000 was sold out within 72 hours, and by June 2017 more than a million figures had been sold. The Playmobil Luther is thus the most successful individual figure in Playmobil history.
2016 Frederick the Great A figure of Friedrich on horseback was created for the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg , accompanied by his favorite dog. Elements come from the pirate / knight series. It is available in the Foundation's museum shops in Berlin.
2016 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe In the summer of 2016, a Goethe figure was designed for the Thuringia Tourism Information Center . It also honors the figure creator Hans Beck , who came from Greiz in Thuringia .
2018 Ludwig Erhard Special figure of the Ludwig-Erhard-Zentrum
2018 Levi Strauss Special figure from the Levi Strauss Museum in Buttenheim , the birthplace of the inventor of jeans .
2018 Theodor Fontane Special figure of the Kulturkirche Neuruppin
2019 Johann Sebastian Bach Special figure of the Tourism Information Center Thuringia
2019 Friedrich III. (Brandenburg-Bayreuth) Special figure of the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg
2019 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Special figure from the Mozarteum Foundation

sustainability

Playmobil enables its customers to identify and reorder spare parts on the company website (even the smallest parts, such as the hubcap of a fire engine). Playmobil toys can be easily repaired. However, the figures themselves and parts of the figure (e.g. hair) are not offered as spare parts.

watch TV

In 2014, the Franco-German co-production Super 4 was the first TV series based on Playmobil toys to be produced. The German-language broadcast began in 2015 on the Disney Channel .

design

Playmobil rocket on road.jpg

Original design

In 1971, Hans Beck drew the first sketches of the later “clickies”. In the original version, the figures had small bulbous noses that later disappeared. The figures are all seven and a half centimeters tall so that they fit perfectly in the hand of children aged four and over. Right from the start, they had a standardized smile and a standardized face and a standardized hairstyle. Movable heads, arms, hands and legs, even attachable beards and punched glasses were added later.

Playmobil figures always have hands with which objects can be gripped universally. In this way, figures can be used across sets. In addition, the figures in Playmobil sets are usually nameless, which should give the players the opportunity to give the figures their own names. However, this principle has been increasingly broken for a few years. The characters in the game "Hype: The Time Quest", which appeared in 1999, were the first exception. Since 2017, Playmobil has also been producing some sets for film series under license, such as B. Spirit: wild and free , Dreamworks Dragons or Ghostbusters , whose characters then also appear in the Playmobil sets. In 2019, sets with named characters for Playmobil: The Film or the Playmobil theme Novelmore were also released .

The figures are designed in such a way that they correspond to the perception of the child users. Hans Beck made the heads of the figures large and spherical, because when children draw people, they paint heads as the most prominent physical feature. He wanted the children to identify with the characters.

Individual design of Playmobil figures (customizing)

Many collectors of Playmobil figures design individual figures that are not available in stores, e.g. B. for models or cartoons.

This so-called " customizing " is divided into four stages:

1st stage: Original figures and accessories from different theme worlds but from the same Playmobil era are combined.

Example: A red and black Klicky figure from 1976 becomes an Indian with feather ribbon, feather, hand and foot jewelry.

2nd stage: Original figures and accessories from different theme worlds and Playmobil times are combined.

Example: A pirate figure with a wooden leg becomes a war disabled figure with clothing from soldiers. Playmobil would never produce such a figure, as it would be incompatible with its own game and product philosophy.

3rd stage: Original figures are dismantled and combined with other figure parts (head, body, arms, legs) of other original figures and additionally equipped with accessories from different theme worlds and Playmobil times.

4th level: similar to level 3; The figures and accessories are still changed by hand or individually painted.

In the same way, collectors also change plants, vehicles, ships and buildings, sometimes with an enormous amount of material and manual work. In addition, to represent the various Playmobil worlds and staging the corresponding figures, very large backdrops with landscapes and buildings are sometimes created, which are almost exclusively made from "foreign materials" such as commercially available handicraft and model building materials. The boundary between customizing and classic model making is fluid. Above all , collectors exchange information and tips on special customizing techniques on national Playmobil file exchanges or in Internet forums (e.g. Klickywelt, Playmo-Treff ).

How the company Geobra Brandstätter dealt with changed Playmobil articles

The company Geobra Brandstätter uses the creativity of the Playmobil customizers for new product ideas. Among other things, System X was developed from this for the individual design and expansion of buildings. In terms of product liability, Geobra Brandstätter rejects material claims for safety reasons if Playmobil items have been modified by hand (e.g. by heating, bending or painting). However, the company reserves the right to take legal action in the event of copyright infringement. This applies in particular if there is a risk that children could be harmed by the changed parts or if the appearance or use of the (changed) parts is in line with the philosophy of the company (especially the requirement that no current wars and violence with Playmobil equipment acting out conflicts and not doing political advertising).

The Mia L - "Playmobil for adults"?

Reception of the Playmobil design

The use of the Playmobil design has developed a momentum of its own: Artists like Men Rabe or Ralf Gemein use the dot-dot-dash faces in their works. The magazine Spiegel Online rated the electric car “Mia L” from Mia electric as a “Playmobil for adults” because of its appearance and design. Google has developed a self-driving car in the Playmobil look.

Use of Playmobil figures and the reaction of Geobra Brandstätter

Playmobil figures are seen and used as "toy icons". For example, Harald Schmidt had Greek sagas, Offenbach operettas or fascist fantasies re-enacted in his broadcasts with Playmobil characters .

In 2005 the filmmaker Armin Maiwald recreated the Varus Battle with 16,000 specially produced Playmobil figures for the show with the mouse . The figures were also used in the 2009 Empire Conflict Myth exhibition . 2000 years of the Varus Battle in the LWL Roman Museum in Haltern . The Roman legionaries are permanently exhibited there at around 220 meters.

The state education server Baden-Württemberg recommends playing the Constance Council with Playmobil figures in the state's school lessons .

In general, the company Geobra Brandstätter tolerates the public use of Playmobil articles. Above all, however, she wants to take action against the use of Playmobil articles to depict ideological, political, discriminatory, warlike, violence-glorifying and not child-friendly content, topics and scenes if "these become public or otherwise acquire a relevant meaning". According to trademark lawyer Michael Terhaag , "[m] trademark-protected products such as Playmobil figures [...] must not be misused."

Since some themes (e.g. Romans, knights, pirates, westerns), which from a historical point of view are often associated with the use of weapons and acts of war, were produced and published by the Geobra company as Playmobil theme worlds, there is a discrepancy in this regard on the claim of the Geobra Brandstätter company to produce a “non-violent children's toy”.

The company Geobra Brandstätter argues that it is more about not using the Playmobil articles to depict brutal battle scenes or bloody wounds, mutilations or beheadings.

In addition, the design of military scenes, which shows armed forces from the period after 1900 and their equipment, weapons and military vehicles (“modern military”), is the subject of controversial discussion.

Political neutrality

In April 2012 Geobra Brandstätter asked the Pirate Party Germany not to use any Playmobil pirate figures as a symbol or advertising medium for the party, as Playmobil was " a politically neutral toy ". Anita Möllering, Federal Press Spokeswoman for the Pirate Party, replied that it was not the Pirate Party but the reporting media who were responsible for these portrayals and that the Pirate Party would not find it " great " if it were portrayed with toys.

Legal dispute over the "Playmo Bible"

In 2007 a pastor from Steinbach im Taunus began to recreate scenes from the Old and New Testament with Playmobil figures. He photographed the individual scenes and published the images on his own website under the name “ Playmo Bible ”. Due to the originality of this translation of the Bible, the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau (EKHN) awarded the project an innovation prize in the same year. After initial support for this project, Geobra Brandstätter took increasing influence on the implementation and publication and wanted to enforce various restrictions. On the one hand it was about the representation of naked and modeled Adam and Eve figures and on the other hand about a Jesus figure hanging on the cross with outstretched arms, whose arms were bent by heating with a hairdryer. In addition, the company Geobra Brandstätter has asked the pastor to stop using the term “ Playmo Bible ”. After failed attempts at mediation by the Evangelical Church in Hesse and Nassau (EKHN) in this legal dispute, the pastor ended his "Playmobil Bible Project" in May 2009, closed his website and, at the instigation of the Waldenbuch Museum for Everyday Culture, sold the entire work of art to the State Museum Württemberg. In the fall of 2011, the Waldenbuch Museum of Everyday Culture opened a Playmobil exhibition with identical content ( “Adam, Eva + Co - The Bible in Play Figures ” ), which also contained the controversial scenes, under the name “ The Klicky Bible ” . Here, however, an appeal by the company Geobra Brandstätter failed because “ the deadline for objections to the exhibition was not met ”.

Grimme Online Award 2018 for "Summer's world literature to go"

Michael Sommer received the Grimme Online Award 2018 in the “Culture and Entertainment” category for “ Sommers Weltliteratur to go ”. On his YouTube channel, Sommer compresses complex literary works to a few minutes and re-enacts them with Playmobil characters. In a press release from the Brandstätter Group on the award it was said that Sommer would accept the "invitation to creative role-play in an entertaining and challenging way that is second to none. We agree with the verdict of the Grimme jury:" Intelligent online entertainment, simple und genial. ”By the time he received the award, Sommer said he had prepared over 150 novels, dramas and fairy tales in an understandable way for all age groups. His channel has over 91,500 subscribers (as of October 2019).

criticism

Reality of the sets

Playmobil figures have already been certified as having educational added value several times. However, customers or educators also regularly criticize certain scenes or characters in Playmobil sets, to which the manufacturer usually reacts.

Inappropriate realism, not child-friendly or politically incorrect

  • According to Horst Brandstätter, bricklayers “already drink their bottle of beer today”. Nevertheless, the plastic beer crate disappeared from the construction workers' set, because drinking beer while at work no longer corresponds to today's ideas of occupational safety and re-enacting the scene accustomed children to the idea that regular alcohol consumption, even during work, is "normal".
  • Although dancing bears were often displayed in the Middle Ages , a dancing bear was taken from a Middle Ages sentence after protests from animal rights activists.
  • In the USA , parents protested against the “security gate” set.
  • In 2015, customers in the US protested a pirate kit that contained a black pirate with a slave collar.

Too little realism

On the other hand, Playmobil is accused of the fact that the sets that are supposed to depict everyday reality do not do justice to this claim. Among the characters there is “not one that is difficult to educate. Not an alcoholic. Not even a bare bum. The penetrating smile annoys even many children. "

It is also part of the reality that there were pirates in the past and that there are now bank robbers. In response to this objection, Geobra Brandstätter created a female bank robber figure, also so that children learn that women and men have the ability to “be mean and sly”, and thus girls who do not always want (and should) be “good” Identity figure received. In addition, "Spiegel Online" notes critically that bank robbers form a negligibly small social group in that only five percent of all bank robberies are carried out by women.

"Stale" conception

The former Geobra managing director Andrea Schauer regretted the company's relatively low turnover in the USA in 2006. Playmobil figures were mainly considered to be "too good" and "old-fashioned". Parents in the USA mostly preferred stimulating toys with “flashing lights” and “voice from the computer”.

Others

Playmobil forums and clubs

There are various forums and clubs for Playmobil fans, including a. Klickywelt since 2003 (predecessor Playmo portal ), PlaymoFriends since 2005, Playmo-Treff since 2008, and Klicky Island since 2017.

engagement

  • Playmobil Children's Fund , since 1996
  • Action Play and Help, since 2005
  • Astraia Foundation, since 2012
  • WWF and Playmobil - an animal cooperation since 2013

See also

literature

  • Felicitas Bachmann: 30 years of Playmobil. Heel, Königswinter 2004, ISBN 3-89880-251-5 .
  • Axel Hennel: Playmobil Collector 2006. Catalog for Playmobil toys. 2nd Edition. Fantasia, Dreieich 2006, ISBN 3-935976-40-2 (detailed, illustrated, chronological product catalog for collectors)
  • Hannah Köpper, Sacha Szabo (ed.): Playmobil x-rayed. Scientific analysis and diagnosis of the world famous toy. Tectum, Marburg 2014, ISBN 978-3-8288-3022-6 .
  • Richard Unglik: Playmobil - Adventure of World History. Heel, Königswinter April 2005, ISBN 3-89880-429-1 .
  • Richard Unglik: Playmobil - Wildlife Adventure. Heel, Königswinter May 2009, ISBN 978-3-86852-005-7 .

Web links

Commons : Playmobil  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ 40 years of Playmobil: From tin figures to plastic. In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung . April 8, 2014.
  2. ↑ 30 years of Playmobil - Population Plastik on Sueddeutsche.de, May 17, 2010.
  3. ^ Judgment of the Nuremberg-Fürth Regional Court of October 28, 1994 (AZ 3 O 3342/93, PDF).
  4. ↑ About PLAYMOBIL and the geobra Brandstätter Stiftung & Co. KG | Company. Retrieved on July 12, 2018 (German).
  5. ↑ Greek toy museum: Playmobil Greek Lyra. Retrieved August 27, 2014 .
  6. ↑ collectobil.com: The Schaper license. February 9, 2005, accessed August 27, 2014 .
  7. ↑ a b Playmobil: Brandstätter Group - the most important data. January 29, 2014, accessed August 27, 2014 .
  8. ↑ kunst-und-kultur.de
  9. ↑ 40 years of Playmobil. (No longer available online.) Historisches Museum der Pfalz , archived from the original on March 8, 2014 ; accessed on March 7, 2014 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.museum.speyer.de
  10. ↑ Maxipark
  11. ↑ 40 years of Playmobil 19.3. - 25.9.2016 - An adventure journey through time. (PDF).
  12. ↑ Limburgsmuseum Venlo ( Memento of the original from July 23, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.limburgsmuseum.nl
  13. ↑ playmobil.de
  14. ↑ download.playmobil.com
  15. ↑ Uwe Ritzer: Chaos in the toy store. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung . November 27, 2015, accessed November 22, 2018 .
  16. ↑ Timo Kotowski: Bickering in the Playmobil country. (No longer available online.) In: FAZ . March 1, 2016, formerly in the original ; accessed on November 22, 2018 .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.faz.net  
  17. ↑ New boss Playmobil ends his leadership crisis. December 1, 2016, accessed May 13, 2020 .
  18. ↑ 1974: The first Playmobil sets enter the market. collectobil, accessed December 19, 2014
  19. ↑ download.playmobil.com
  20. ↑ download.playmobil.com
  21. ↑ Paranormal fun: PLAYMOBIL brings Ghostbusters sets onto the market. Retrieved May 13, 2020 .
  22. ↑ Haunted Alert! With the PLAYMOBIL Ghostbusters on the ghost hunt. Retrieved May 13, 2020 .
  23. ↑ Virtual ghost hunt with the Ghostbusters ™ II PLAYMOGRAM 3D. Retrieved May 13, 2020 .
  24. ↑ Happy Birthday, ghost hunters! 35 years of Ghostbusters ™ with PLAYMOBIL. Retrieved May 13, 2020 .
  25. ↑ The Movie PLAYMOBIL® Germany. Retrieved May 13, 2020 .
  26. ↑ Back to the Future PLAYMOBIL® Germany. Retrieved May 13, 2020 .
  27. ↑ PLAYMOBIL® Novelmore. Retrieved May 13, 2020 .
  28. ↑ The Knights of Novelmore: PLAYMOBIL presents Special at TOGGO on SUPER RTL. Retrieved May 13, 2020 .
  29. ↑ PLAYMOBIL® EverDreamerz. Retrieved May 13, 2020 .
  30. ↑ Creative Business Support: PLAYMOBIL pro available from August. Retrieved May 13, 2020 .
  31. ↑ Playmobil pro. The concept behind the character , playmobilpro.play-serious.org, accessed on May 13, 2020
  32. ↑ Brandstätter Group Figures and Dates | Company. Retrieved on August 7, 2018 (German).
  33. ↑ a b Brandstätter Group Figures and Data , company.playmobil.com, accessed on January 31, 2018.
  34. ↑ geobra Brandstätter: Playmobil sales again over half a billion - record investments of 81.5 million planned , especially in Germany , k-online.de, accessed on February 25, 2018
  35. ↑ Playmobil on the triumphant advance in children's rooms ( Memento from January 28, 2011 in the Internet Archive ), tagesschau.de, accessed on February 25, 2018
  36. ↑ Playmobil again achieves record sales
  37. ↑ Playmobil facts 2007
  38. ↑ Brandstätter Group - the most important data ( MS Word ; 23 kB)
  39. ↑ IHK Nürnberg: High investments in Germany , accessed on February 25, 2018
  40. ^ IHK Nürnberg: Brandstätter Group: New jobs through capacity expansion , accessed on February 25, 2018
  41. ↑ IHK Nürnberg: Double-digit sales increase with Playmobil , accessed on February 25, 2018
  42. ↑ IHK Nürnberg: Record results again , accessed on February 25, 2018
  43. ^ Christian Rickens: Mittelstand. The possessed . The mirror . Issue 39/2013, September 21, 2013
  44. ↑ Christian Jeß: The fire-red Playmobil. In: Autobild . February 13, 2015, accessed November 22, 2018 .
  45. ↑ Mini-Götz storms the museum on abendzeitung-muenchen.de
  46. ^ Nuremberg celebrates Dürer: The Franconian genius In: Süddeutsche Zeitung. May 22, 2012.
  47. ↑ Jakob Stadler: Martin Luther is the most successful Playmobil figure of all time. Augsburger Allgemeine , April 6, 2017, accessed on April 14, 2017 .
  48. ↑ The Bamberg rider for the children's room. ( Memento of the original from August 14, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Münchner Kirchenradio from July 14, 2012. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.muenchner-kirchenradio.de
  49. ↑ - ( Memento of the original from December 10, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.braunschweig.de
  50. ^ Reformer Luther as a Playmobil figure. pro - Christian media magazine, February 6, 2015, accessed on October 18, 2017.
  51. ↑ Heinrich Bedford-Strohm is happy about a million Luther figures. EKD website, June 20, 2017, accessed on October 18, 2017.
  52. ↑ http://www.museumsshop-im-schloss.de/playmobil-sonderfigur-friedrich-grosse
  53. ↑ - ( Memento of the original from September 30, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / presse.thueringen-tourismus.de
  54. ↑ Ludwig Erhard special figure on klickypedia
  55. ↑ Levi Strauss is now available as a special PLAYMOBIL figure! Market mirror , May 2018
  56. ↑ PLAYMOBIL exhibition & exclusive PLAYMOBIL special figure Theodor Fontane
  57. ↑ Bach PLAYMOBIL figure near Thuringia - discover.de
  58. ↑ University founder as a special PLAYMOBIL figure , FAU, September 2019
  59. ↑ Mozart is now also available as a Playmobil figure , Hitradio Ö3, October 2019
  60. ↑ Oliver Zelt: We just want to play: 40 years of Playmobil. In: The Standard . February 13, 2014.
  61. ↑ In this world there are different laws. Interview with Christian Haug . Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung . October 24, 2004.
  62. ↑ Playmobil customizing
  63. ↑ Geobra Brandstätter: Statement on changing Playmobil figures and parts . Press release
  64. ↑ Men raven. The raven's smile. Exhibition in the German Leather Museum / Shoe Museum Offenbach. February 24 to May 6, 2002 ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.ledermuseum.de
  65. ^ City of Neuss: Ralf Gemein
  66. ↑ Tom Grünweg: Mia L electric car: Playmobil for adults . mirror online. September 12, 2011
  67. ↑ Google Car - Self-driving car in the Playmobil look . Video, 2'52 minutes  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / webtv.mittelstand-die-macher.de
  68. ↑ Land of Smiles. A German success story: 30 years of Playmobil ( memento of the original from December 25, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . subway. May 2004 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.subway.de
  69. ↑ Martin Zips: Children, how time flies. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung . May 11, 2010.
  70. ↑ Sendung mit der Maus Special: Varus Battle , accessed on November 7, 2014.
  71. ↑ Varus Battle in the Haltern LWL Museum with 15,000 Playmobil legionaries. ( Memento of the original from November 7, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Ruhrnachrichten, accessed on November 7, 2014. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.ruhrnachrichten.de
  72. ^ State education server Baden-Württemberg: The Council of Constance - translated into Playmobil. school-bw.de
  73. ↑ Gerrit Dorn: Playmobilgate. Playmobil doesn't want to see its characters in pirate photos. In: Westfälische Allgemeine Zeitung . April 20, 2012.
  74. ↑ Playmobil wants nothing to do with the pirate party. at golem.de, accessed on April 20, 2012.
  75. ↑ rp-online.de
  76. ↑ blog.pro-medienmagazin.de
  77. ↑ stuttgarter-zeitung.de
  78. ↑ museum-der-alltagskultur.de
  79. ↑ Summer's world literature to go . ( grimme-online-award.de [accessed on July 12, 2018]).
  80. ↑ Michael Sommer: Summer's world literature to go. In: YouTube. Retrieved August 8, 2018 .
  81. ↑ Game: "In this world there are different laws" . In: FAZ.NET . ISSN  0174-4909 ( faz.net [accessed July 12, 2018]).
  82. ↑ "Not cool, but good and successful". Interview with Horst Brandstätter . Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. June 15, 2013
  83. ↑ Playmobil construction workers no longer drink beer . n-tv .de. April 8, 2014.
  84. ↑ Bizarre online uprising against Playmobil . Computer week. February 16, 2009.
  85. ^ Racism allegations against Playmobil , SZ on October 9, 2015.
  86. ↑ Alex Rühle: Population plastic. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung . May 17, 2010, accessed November 20, 2018 .
  87. ↑ Daniel Haas: Emancipation at Playmobil: Girls, now it's getting criminal! mirror online. 20th February 2013.
  88. ↑ Inga Michler: How Playmobil earns money with simple characters and simple concepts. The world. April 29, 2006.
  89. ↑ Bastei Lübbe: The Playmos - Episode 41. Retrieved on August 27, 2014 .
  90. ↑ playmobil.blue-ocean.de
  91. ↑ Christian Rickens: Playmobil boss Brandstätter: "The children want it that way". spiegel.de, October 20, 2013, accessed on October 22, 2013 .
  92. ↑ Playmobil: Playmobil Foundation for the Promotion of Children. Retrieved August 27, 2014 .
  93. ↑ Playmobil: Action Play and Help. Retrieved August 27, 2014 .
  94. ↑ Playmobil: Playmobil supports street children in India with Aqua Astraia. Retrieved August 27, 2014 .
  95. ↑ Playmobil: WWF and Playmobil - an animal cooperation. Retrieved August 27, 2014 .