Margarete Steiff

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Margarete Steiff

Memorial stone in front of the factory

German toymaker Margarete Steiff (July 24, 1847 - May 9, 1909), born in Giengen, started creating toy stuffed animals in 1880 in the town of Giengen an der Brenz, Germany.

Margarete was a seamstress and confined to a wheelchair, due to polio she contracted as a baby, she started making stuffed animals as a hobby.

These toys began as elephants, which were originally a design Steiff found in a magazine and originally sold as pincushions to her friends. However, children began playing with them, and in the years following she went on to design many other successful animal-themed toys for children, such as dogs, cats and pigs. She designed and made most of the prototypes herself.

In 1902, her nephew Richard Steiff designed their renowned teddy bear, which many people believe was one of the first. Today, the Steiff name is still well-known for quality but extremely expensive toys. She died in Giengen on May 9, 1909.