Hans Beck Playmobil. During the World Expo 2000 in Hannover, Beck was among the 100 German personalities who were honored with a statue within the German Pavilion. He died at the age of 79 on 30 January 2009 after a serious illness. 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
Jerome Bech his career his talent was noticed by Lucebert, who saw one of Bech's first pieces and commented that whoever created it had talent which could be developed further as an independent artist. As an autodidactive artist, he developed his own style which has incorporated various objects — a brush, a chain — anything he can think of with his creative mind. In 2003, Bech had an exposition in the Art Calvia Grand Casino at Mallorca, Spain. From October 2006 to June 2007 Bech was one of the artists involved in the "Taste of art" project where diners at the "'t