Hans Beck Hans Beck Hans Beck (6 May 1929, Greiz – 30 January 2009, Markdorf) was the German inventor of Playmobil toys. He is thus often called "The Father of Playmobil". Born in Greiz, Thuringia, Beck grew up in the town of Zirndorf. He trained as a cabinet maker and made small toy vehicles and figures for his younger siblings. He presented his model airplanes to Horst Brandstätter, owner of local toy company Geobra Brandstätter, who took him on, and asked him to develop toy figures for children. As a hobby Beck built ultra-lightweight model aircraft for flying indoors. He competed in
Pia Bech Mathiesen Pia Bech Mathiesen Pia Bech Mathiesen (31 January 1962 – 20 February 2016) was a Danish designer and entrepreneur. She headed the Danish Design Council and was CEO of the Universe science amusement park on the island of Als. Born in 1962, Bech Mathiesen studied design at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, graduating in 1987. Thereafter she studied design and economics at California Polytechnic State (1988) and economics, organization and working sociology at Copenhagen Business School (1994). Bech Mathiesen was head of design at the Danish national railway company DSB (1996–2010) before she joined Universe in 2013. In