Maker record
Wilhelm Krauss
Wilhelm Krauss was a Nuremberg maker of tin toys and mechanical playthings. Its production began under the name Krauss, Mohr & Co. in 1895, continued as Mohr & Krauss, and used the Wilhelm Krauss name from 1923. The firm specialized in toy steam engines, hot-air engines and accessories, including products made for other manufacturers. In its later years, its range shifted toward simpler, lower-cost steam accessories. Keim & Co. took over the firm in 1938.
- Founded
- 1873
- Countries
- Germany
- Locations
- Nuremberg, Germany · 1895 · Nuremberg, Germany
- Founders
- Wilhelm Krauss
The story of Wilhelm Krauss
Wilhelm Krauss’s toy-making business began in Nuremberg in 1895 as Krauss, Mohr & Co., founded by plumbers Wilhelm Krauss, Johann Mohr, Emil Bell and Mathias Lechner. Its first recorded address was Nunnenbeckstraße 18. The firm made tin toys, concentrating on simple steam engines, hot-air engines and steam accessories. Its products were distributed by toy businesses including Ullmann & Engelmann and A. Wahnschaffe; it also supplied steam engines, some hot-air engine types and accessories to Bing.
Around 1901, disagreements among the partners led Krauss, Mohr and Lechner to leave. Mohr and Krauss then established a new company, Mohr & Krauss, at Hochstraße 23. Wilhelm Krauss became its sole owner in 1917, and tin-toy production continued under the M&K name after the war. On 19 April 1923 the firm adopted the name Wilhelm Krauss, retaining its headquarters and its emphasis on steam accessories while moving toward simpler, less expensive products. From 1925 it supplied accessories offered in J. Falk catalogues. Keim & Co. took over the Nuremberg firm in 1938.
