Steiff Immortalizes Bruno The Bear

Bruno, the errant brown bear who wandered into Germany a short while back, has been finally laid to rest. Bruno was shot to death by Bavarian hunters on the 27th of June, 2006. The death of Bruno has evoked mixed feelings worldwide. While the Bavarian government saw this event as a necessity due to Bruno posing a threat to human life, environmentalists are up in arms against the shooting.

Steiff, the world famous inventor of the first plush animal and now a major name in the collectibles market, has decided to immortalize Bruno the bear in the form of a teddy bear. Speaking of Steiff, the Steiff museum in Germany has on display a fascinating line-up of teddy bears and stuffed toys produced through the years. You can get a personalized teddy bear made at the Steiff Museum and actually walk through the process of creating a teddy bear from scratch. Michele Hartley, our guide to Germany For Visitors, has this wonderful article on the Steiff Museum.