Horst Brandstätter (June 27, 1933 – June 3, 2015) was the owner of the German company Brandstätter Group. The company was founded by Andreas Brandstätter in 1876.[1] At the age of 19, Horst Brandstätter followed in his father's footsteps by joining the family business and successfully modernised it. One of his major successes was the production of hula hoops in 1958. In the early 1970s he commissioned inventor and employee Hans Beck to produce a toy system that would eventually become known as Playmobil. Brandstätter retired from the company in 2000, but regularly visited the company offices until his death in 2015.
Early life
Horst Brandstätter was born on June 27, 1933, in Zirndorf, Germany. He lost his father when he was seven years old and was told by his mother that he would eventually take his father's place in the family toy company at the age of 21.[2] Before joining the business, Brandstätter trained as an apprentice in a mold and die manufacturing company, at his mother's request.[3]