Merkur (toy)

Merkur (toy)
A locomotive built from Merkur construction set

Merkur refers to a metal construction set built in Czechoslovakia (later the Czech Republic). It was also referred to as Constructo or Build-o in English-speaking countries and Tecc in the Netherlands.

Unlike Erector, Meccano, Märklin, and Temsi, which were based on Imperial measurements, Merkur used metric.

It was begun in 1920 and ran until 1940 when World War II put a halt to production. It was resumed in 1947. The private company was closed down and its assets nationalised by the Communist Czechoslovak state in 1953. The Merkur toys were made throughout the communist period and were exported all over Europe. The company was privatized by some of the former employees after 1989, but went into insolvency in 1993. Later on, Jaromír Kříž bought out the company and spent the next three years getting it back into full production.[1]

In 1961, Otto Wichterle used Merkur based apparatus for experimental production of first soft contact lenses.

Merkur also produces metal O scale model trains.


References

  1. ^ MERKUR Toys homepage, brief history of the company.

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Merkur (disambiguation) — Merkur is an automobile brand. Merkur can also mean: Merkur (toy) Merkur (spacecraft) Merkur (planet), German/Scandinavian spelling for Mercury Merkur Department Store, a building in early twentieth century Stuttgart Operation Merkur, during… …   Wikipedia

  • Rail transport modelling — Rail transport Operations Track Maintenance High speed Gauge Stations …   Wikipedia

  • Meccano — For the Spanish musical group, see Mecano. Meccano Type Construction set Inventor Frank Hornby …   Wikipedia

  • Erector Set — is the trade name of a toy construction set that was wildly popular in the United States during much of the 20th century. Like Meccano, it consists of collections of small metal beams with regular holes for nuts, bolts, screws, and mechanical… …   Wikipedia

  • Sexy Cora — Naissance 2 mai 1987 Berlin, Allemagne Nationalité(s) …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Construction set — This article is about toys and building systems. For video games, see level editor. Lego bricks encourage learning through play …   Wikipedia

  • Criticism of advertising — Advertising is a form of communication intended to persuade an audience to purchase or take some action upon products, ideals, or services. While advertising can be seen as necessary for economic growth, it is not without social costs.… …   Wikipedia

  • Henry Ford — This article is about the American industrialist. For other uses, see Henry Ford (disambiguation). Henry Ford …   Wikipedia

  • Kai Taschner — (2009) Kai Taschner (* 25. August 1957 in München) ist ein deutscher Schauspieler, Synchronsprecher und Synchronregisseur. Inhaltsverzeichnis …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Nekrolog 2008/Januar–März — Nekrolog ◄ | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | Nekrolog 2008 | 2009 Weitere Ereignisse | Nekrolog (Tiere) | Filmjahr 2008 | Literaturjahr 2008 Dies ist eine Liste im ersten Quartal 2008 verstorbener Persönlichkeiten. Tiere sind im Nekrolog für Tiere zu …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”