Nestled in the northern Bavarian town of Eschenbach in der Oberpfalz and only four miles away from the U.S. Army's mammoth training area in Grafenwöhr is a truly unique toy manufacturer by the name of Hugo Koch Spielwarenfabrik. The Hugo Koch company has operated in Eschenbach i.d.O. since 1953. What makes this company so unique is its history prior to 1953 and a teddy bear they produced for American soldiers during World War II.
I recently had the opportunity to visit with the current owners, Wolfgang and Evelyn (Koch) Geisbauer. Evelyn is the great granddaughter of the company's founder, Marcus Koch. They were anxious to tell me the history of the Hugo Koch company, and I was equally anxious to hear it. I talked with the Geisbauers for five very informative hours and can honestly say that it was one of the most interesting conversations I've ever had. From the beginning of the company in 1894 till today, it's history is as amazing as it is interesting.
My reason for visiting the Hugo Koch toy company was to get information about the G.I. Teddy that is currently being produced. However, after hearing the history of the company, I feel compelled to give the entire story in order to give this family owned business the recognition it deserves.
The company traces its origin back to 1894 when Marcus Koch started his company in the city of Steinach. At that time, the area surrounding Steinach flourished due to the amount of toy making businesses operating there. The majority of Koch's business came from the production of wooden horses. As his business continued, he found it necessary to expand, and in 1902 he decided to set up operations in Wildstein, Czechoslovakia. After completing all the necessary actions with the Czechoslovakian Department of Economic Affairs, Marcus started the production of various high quality toys in 1903 at his new factory. This was also the year when he added teddy bears to his inventory. Marcus displayed his wares at the international trade fairs in Leipzig and Prague, and his business thrived. After his death in 1931, his son Hugo took over the business and successfully managed it much in the same way as his father.
As with the rest of Europe, World War II brought turmoil to Wildstein. The government of Czechoslovakia ordered all Germans out of the country in 1945. This included Hugo Koch and his employees. They were told they could take a suitcase and a maximum of twenty pounds of personal belongings. Everything else was to remain behind. Luckily, the American Army had advanced to Wildstein and was taking refugees across the border into Germany. Befriended by an American Major, Hugo was able to load the majority of his sewing machines onto the Army trucks and had them transported into Germany as well. Many of Hugo's employees who had been with the business for years remained with him.
Upon fleeing to Pressath, Germany, Hugo immediately rented some rooms and once again began production. He didn't forget what the American soldiers had done for him and his company. He wanted to repay them, but since he was starting anew he had nothing to give them. That is, until he saw the green blankets in the Army trucks. In late 1945, he started making teddy bears from these blankets and presented them to the soldiers in January of 1946 as a heartfelt "thank you" for what they did. Hence, the G.I. Teddy was born. The American Major informed Hugo that one of the blankets had actually been used by General Patton who had a field office in the town of Weiden, not far from here. While this rumor has never been confirmed, it definitely adds to the story's interest.
Since Hugo's equipment had been saved and the majority of his employees stayed with him, it didn't take long for the company to recover. Aiding in the company's successful reestablishment was the founding of the international toy fair in Nürnberg. Hugo was one of the original founders of this fair that still brings in thousands of international visitors and potential business deals today. At the first fair in 1949, Hugo, along with his wife and son Bruno, set up his small display and hoped to make a few transactions. Much to their delight, several former business partners also attended the fair and submitted new orders with Hugo. His company had been saved from financial ruin.
In 1953, the Koch family moved to Eschenbach i.d.O. where they built a house as well as a manufacturing building that's still in use today by Wolfgang and Evelyn. This was a prosperous time for Hugo Koch as he was filling orders for companies in Germany, Switzerland, and Lebanon. However, starting in 1969, the business started to falter. Orders weren't coming in as frequently, and the items being produced weren't enough to cover the production costs. That same year, Hugo's son Bruno took over the business, but the name of the company remained the same. Bruno and his wife survived these trying times and turned the company into a profitable one again with the introduction of new designs for plush toys.
The hard times weren't over yet though. Starting in 1980, high quality toys being imported from the Far East started taking over the market. They were being mass-produced, and their prices couldn't be beat. The local toy companies simply couldn't compete with them. At this point, the Hugo Koch company took another direction. They focused their efforts primarily on manufacturing specialty toys used by companies for promotional advertising. This included plush animals and a variety of wooden toys, with the most popular being antique cars and trucks. They continue producing promotional items today.
The business changed owners once again in 1993 when Bruno's daughter Evelyn took over. Realizing that their more expensive handmade toys couldn't compete anymore with the cheaper imported ones, they joined forces with a plush toy manufacturer in Hangzhou, China in 1994. Here, the Hugo Koch designs are made into high quality toys.
In 1999, the Hugo Koch company recollected some of its wondrous history. Once again, they produced an original G.I. Teddy and donated it to the Smithsonian Museum. The teddy is prominently displayed with other items of the Political History Collection in the Smithsonian. A letter of appreciation from the museum is proudly displayed on Wolfgang's and Evelyn's wall for all to see. Keeping the military market in mind, replicas of the original G.I. Teddies started being manufactured in 2001. Until recently, these bears were only being sold on U.S. military bases here in Germany, but they are now being sold at bases in Italy too. The G.I. Teddies are also available for purchase at their factory store as well as on-line along with many other types of plush toys. The Geisbauers hope to market these collectible bears in America as well. Having now seen the outstanding quality of the G.I. Teddy up close and knowing the full story behind it, I personally think it would be a huge success in the States.
Of particular interest to me during my visit was the newly arrived sample of an Air Force bear they're producing. This Air Force bear is a replica of one that was specially made at the request of a Korean War veteran. He had the Hugo Koch company make his bear from an original USAF blanket as a memento for his grandchildren. The reason that I take a personal interest in this bear, other than being in the Air Force myself, is because I've had a small input in this project. After I contacted the Geisbauers about the G.I. Teddy, I was asked to provide assistance with the wording of the historical information that will appear on the box of the USAF bear. This bear should be available for purchase in the coming months.
Although the majority of the Hugo Koch toy company's products are now made in China, they still have some local employees making plush toys for them. No matter where they're made though, their quality is superb. They're constructed of soft, durable materials, and they're built to last. If you'd like to see a large selection of their products, simply log on to www.hugokoch.de/eng/.
The Geisbauers extended their thanks and gratitude to the thousands of American military personnel and family members who have visited their factory store over the decades and hope that their relationship with them continues for a long time. I'd like to personally thank both Wolfgang and Evelyn for their genuine hospitality during my very rewarding visit and wish them both the best of luck with the future of the Hugo Koch toy company!
