Teddy bears are the dearest friends of German children. Parents undertake this trouble when something happens to the soft toys.
There are different versions of how the teddy bear came into being at the beginning of the 20th century. Both have in common that the then US President Theodor "Teddy" Roosevelt (1858-1919) is considered to be the namesake. In Germany the stuffed animal brand Steiff claims the invention of the plush bear, in the USA the toy manufacturer Ideal Novelty. Both produced the bears from 1902 onwards, and September 9th, starting in North America, became the international teddy bear day. On the occasion of this, FeWo-direkt carried out a stuffed animal study among 1,000 German parents, which unearthed curiosities.
Not without my plush toy!
98% of those surveyed stated that it is important to have the children's favorite soft toy on board when going on vacation. Around half of the respondents said that lost plush friends had already ruined their vacation, 43% of those surveyed were even before the decision to end a vacation prematurely. If they had the choice between lost cuddly toys and bad weather, 41% of those surveyed would therefore prefer continuous rain.
Teddies are the favorite companions
Teddy bears are the favorite cuddly toy for almost 20% of children. This means that the teddy bear is still number one of the most popular soft toys over a hundred years after its invention. Dogs (14%) and rabbits (11%) are also very popular with the little ones. Often the children do not choose their best friends themselves: More than half of the parents surveyed attribute the strong bond to the fact that they have had the animal by their side since they were born. It is not without reason that the holiday home broker has launched its own service for Teddy Memorial Day: the "FeWo-direkt Teddy Express" sends holidaymakers home the stuffed animal that has been forgotten in the holiday home for free.
Teddies and criminal cases
Despite – or perhaps because of – their great popularity, teddy bears are repeatedly involved in criminal cases and the target of attacks and kidnappings. Especially large specimens are often stolen when they are displayed in front of shops or company premises. At the beginning of the year, for example, the Greifswald police had to do with such a case, which they then made public on Facebook. A similar incident occurred in September in Bavaria, where people are still looking for the "teddy bear molesters".
Teddies on the big screen
The Hollywood dream company has also brought teddy bears prominently to the screen. Whether Meg Ryan (58) in "Sleepless in Seattle" (1992), who found her happy ending with Tom Hanks (64) thanks to the cuddly toy on the Empire State Building, or the robot teddy in Steven Spielberg (73) and Stanley Kubricks (1928-1999) collaboration "AI" (2001) – the teddy bear always symbolizes a good friend and a comfortable feeling. Pixar turned this emotion on its head in "Toy Story 3" – the pink cuddly bear Lotso rules the kindergarten in the style of a tyrant.
The plush toy received its own film in 2012 in the film "Ted" – even if the teddy bear does not show the typical cuddly bear side there. The teddy classics also include book series such as "Pooh the Bear" (since 1926) or "Paddington Bear" (since 1958), which can now be seen in numerous TV and cinema adaptations.
Incidentally, those who cannot part with their companions since childhood, even in adulthood, are not alone in this. In Germany alone there are several trade fairs where teddy enthusiasts meet every year to exchange ideas. Even after almost 120 years, the teddy bear has not lost its popularity.