From the workbench to a global brand – BRUDER Toys: 100 years of the Fürth-based company’s history

From 7 October 2026 to 4 April 2027, the Fürth City Museum will be hosting the special exhibition ‘From the Workbench to a Global Brand – BRUDER Toys: 100 Years of Fürth’s Corporate History’.
For a century, BRUDER has been making toy history – whilst remaining loyal to its home town of Fürth. To mark this special anniversary, the Fürth City Museum, in collaboration with BRUDER Spielwaren GmbH + Co. KG, is presenting an exhibition on the company’s history and its products.
Original exhibits, fascinating stories and numerous models provide insights into the brand’s development. There is plenty to discover for museum visitors of all ages – a large play area invites visitors to try things out and join in the fun.
In 1926, Paul Bruder, an electrician from the Burgfarrnbach district of Fürth, found himself out of work. Using a hand-operated punch press he received from an uncle, he began manufacturing metal tuning plates for the toy industry. He quickly gained customers amongst manufacturers in Fürth and Zirndorf, who used his metal plates in toys such as toy trumpets.
In the 1950s, his son Heinz, a master toolmaker, joined the company. He recognised the potential of the new material, plastic, at an early stage, invested in injection moulding machines and converted production. In addition to various pitch variants, Heinz Bruder developed his first own-brand toys. These sold very well to fairground operators and in the confectionery industry. In 1975, the family-run company BRUDER presented itself for the first time as an independent brand at the Nuremberg Toy Fair – with great success. Small toys, water pistols, harmonicas, tractors and cranes delighted children both at home and abroad at that time.
In 1987, Paul Heinz Bruder, a graduate engineer, joins the family business as the third generation. He further develops the successful concept of model toy vehicles on a 1:16 scale and expands it through licensing partnerships. The company grew steadily: in 2000, BRUDER opened a sales office in the USA, followed in 2014 by a further production site in Pilsen (Czech Republic).
Today, BRUDER toys are found all over the world. Around 500 employees at the headquarters in Burgfarrnbach develop and produce toys that have been delighting children for generations.

Last edited on 08.09.2026