Cheese squirrel

Winners of many awards, the Kösen stuffed animals have become items for the display case. However, they are intended to live their lives in children’s company. The first Kösen puppet factory was founded in 1912 by Käthe Kruse. She left the GDR in 1949, but the more than four decades of specialized experience in puppet making remained. Changing gears and concentrating on plush companions, the new orientation of the company resulted in a range of natural and not just “sweet” looking stuffed animals from Bad Kösen.

Genuine stuffed animals made in Bad Kösen are collector’s items, but what they are actually made for is life in a nursery. Up to 100 parts are necessary to make a Kösen animal with securely fastened safety eyes and stuffing of non-flammable silicone hollow fibre (in case of the teddy bears and the larger specimen, they also add some plastic granulate for anatomic accuracy). Unlike many other manufacturers, who mostly use materials made in Asia, they stick to plush that comes from weaving mills in Germany, Belgium and France. It has a firmer quality and can thus be sewn more tightly – ultimately the reason for the animals’ durability. Besides, this plush fabric is resistant to hair loss. The Kösen animals are among the finest you can find, not only in craft but also in design. For every model, thorough studies of anatomy and movement are conducted in the animals’ natural environment or at the zoo; blueprints and clay models follow. Thanks to the co-operation with the neighbouring Burg Giebichenstein, a well-known training centre for product design in Germany since the beginning of the 20th century, the Kösen stuffed animals have won several design prizes.