STEIFF - Key Persons

Richard Steiff, Margarete's creative favourite nephew, entered the company in 1897. He attended the school of applied arts in Stuttgart and studied in England. His animal sketches were the basis for many Steiff creations. In 1902 he designed the "Bear 55PB" bears, the worldwide first stuffed bears with moveable arms and legs. When searching for a suitable covering, Richard found the cuddly and good for colouring mohair plush, produced by the Schulte pile weaving mill in Duisburg. Margarete herself remained sceptical, but Richard was allowed to present his bears at the Leipzig toy trade fair.

Then - finally- on 1st April 1992 the Steiff club was founded for lovers and collectors of all Steiff animals, with exclusive club advantages and own club editions. In order to be able to present own products in the cities in an appropriate surrounding, the first Steiff gallery was opened in Hamburg in 1997 on the anniversary of Margarete Steiff's 150th birthday. Three years later Cologne, Munich and Dusseldorf followed with Steiff galleries, and then Berlin, Vienna, Nuremburg and Stuttgart. In 2003 there were openings in Kiel, Hanover, Wiesbaden, Zurich and a second Steiff gallery in Hamburg. In 2004 a Steiff gallery opened in Bromley (London).