The Brandstätter family founded the German toy company whose best-known product is Playmobil; the firm began in 1876.
Andreas Brandstätter established the company in Fürth, Bavaria, as a manufacturer of metal goods. Over time, the business moved into toys and plastics. In the 1970s, company designer Hans Beck developed the small articulated figures that became Playmobil, and the product was launched in 1974.
The company is commonly identified by the Playmobil brand, which can obscure the family business behind it. Playmobil is not the company’s original name: the corporate business is Geobra Brandstätter Stiftung & Co. KG. The Brandstätter name therefore refers to the founding family and company history, while Playmobil refers to the toy system and brand sold internationally.