Shaping Tomorrow's World with Toys

"We shape the world of tomorrow to a certain extent with our toys. Therefore, we bear responsibility and we want to live up to it," opens Managing Director Dennis Gies. This applies not only to the Käthe Kruse Manufaktur, which he leads, but to the entire Hape group, to which the company has belonged since 2013. Käthe Kruse itself can look back on a long company history.

The first doll was created in 1905. "Käthe Kruse wanted to make a doll for her own child. Back then, there were no dolls specifically made for children's hands. So, she filled a cuddle cloth with sand and improvised," outlines Dennis Gies the early days of the manufactory. Since 1954, the company has been located in Donauwörth, employs 150 staff members with a turnover of six million EUR per year. "Käthe Kruse created a lot back then as an independent entrepreneur. This must be considered particularly in the context of that time. We are proud to carry on this legacy," says Dennis Gies, paying a great compliment to the founder.

Mission Empowerment

That this legacy can be lived with innovations in the present is evident in a special line of play dolls. The Kruselings are five doll characters, for which a children's book author has written two corresponding stories. 'At night, the four girls transform into superheroines,' reveals Dennis Gies, 'and thus we provide a platform for the theme of `Woman Empowerment´. At the same time, we counteract the flawed transmission of values associated with the ideal body of a Barbie.' The aspect of `Edutainment´ is seen by the managing director as an important factor. 'Children should engage with our dolls and also be able to empathize with them: learn through play. This can, for example, improve cognitive abilities.'

Legacy of Toy Makers

Dennis Gies sees Germany as a market where the legacy of toy makers continues to be carried forward. In many countries, this special spirit has either disappeared or never existed: "Käthe Kruse is a manufacturing company where manual labor is common, and we have maintained this fundamental orientation in the market." However, the market has become more sensitive, especially when it comes to pricing. "We have responded to consumer behavior. We have outsourced the production of play dolls for children to Latvia. The collector's dolls are still made 100% in Donauwörth. However, it must be conceded that here a single doll costs between 600 and 1,000 EUR."

The dolls are delivered to over 60 countries, and exports account for 50% of total sales. Käthe Kruse is especially appreciated in China, as Dennis Gies reveals: "Products from Germany are highly regarded in Asia. Especially when it comes to toys for children. Children are simply the highest good and with educationally valuable toys, many doors are really open to us."