1876 Andreas Brandstätter founds the company bearing his name in Fürth in Bavaria for the production of ornamental casket fittings and locks.

1908 His son Georg takes over from him, changing the name into geobra, an acronym made up from his name, Georg Brandstätter.

1921 Later, the company moves to Zirndorf, the next-door village, where the company's headquarters are still located today. Mainly piggy banks, telephones, cash registers and scales for toy shops, all made of sheet metal, are sold successfully in Europe and overseas.

1954 When Horst Brandstätter joins the company he starts a new era. The young and dynamic man makes plastics his favorite material, changes the production facilities and the product palette accordingly and looks for further sales opportunities and new markets.

1958 A first sensational success comes with the hula hoop. The company then expands with several toys and leisure-products - all made out of plastic.

Early 1970's The oil crises and the cost pressure from low-cost countries catch up with the company. Horst Brandstätter realizes that this situation is the right moment for a completely new play idea of Hans Beck. Mr. Beck is the company's sample maker - a position that would be called developer or designer today.

1974 PLAYMOBIL is introduced. Among other tasks Hans Beck had been working on the small, moveable figures as well as fitting accessories since 1971. Thus, geobra has been successful with PLAYMOBIL since 1975, a unique success story without precedent in the German toy industry's history. Only a few years after the first introduction of the product, its producer becomes the German toy manufacturer with the highest turnover and has been in this position ever since.

2004 PLAYMOBIL celebrates its 30th Anniversary. About 1.8 billion figures have been produced and can be found in children’s bedrooms around the world.

2008 The Brandstätter Group had 2,973 employees and achieved a group turnover of 496 Mio €. The group includes a production site on the island of Malta, in Spain and Czech Republic. Additionally, there are PLAYMOBIL subsidiaries in twelve other countries.

January 2009