MECKI, MICKI, MACKI, MUCKI

If you have never heard of Mecki, you may be surprised to learn how famous he is in Germany. I remember an organ-grinder doll on Captain Kangaroo when I was a tiny child.  He must have been Mecki, the hedgehog doll made famous by the German Steiff toy company. The first time I went to Germany, I saw a familiar-looking hedgehog in a store window, which must also have been Mecki. It wasn't until I went to Rothenburg years later that I came home with my Mecki doll. 

I still didn't know who he was until I began to research the strange little character on the Internet. He is as well known in Germany as Mickey Mouse is in the US. There is much written about Mecki. He was actually developed as the star of a Puppentrickfilm, a sort of stop-action movie in the 1940's. He became more popular after WWII when he and his wife Micki, and children Macki and Mucki became mascots for the German magazine HÖR ZU. They were made into toys by the Steiff company, and new ones are still popular today (at very high prices.)

My little family (above) includes Mecki from the gorgeous town of Rothenburg, Germany, and his mail-order bride who obviously had a rough life. I also have two sets of children-- Macki, the son, and Mucki, the daughter. One pair came from a German lady living in Canada who said they had been in a box since her childhood. I like the fact that all of my dolls, with the exception of Mecki, were played with by little German children.

I am so happy to have found a Mecki book from 1955. The illustrations are beautiful, and it must be quite a story judging from the pictures. There are Mecki books, cartoon strips, magazines, and comic books--all collectors' items. The Hoffmann-World website contains a large collection of Mecki in print. Here is a page from the book above showing Mecki and his strange entourage in China.

I was absolutely thrilled to find a DVD of the Mecki films from the 1950's. Each short movie has a humorous story with a lesson, acted out by the Mecki family and friends such as a rabbit, goat, wolf, and mice.  There is the well-known tale of the Hare and the Hedgehog as well as an explanation of how the films and postcards were photographed. It's all in German, but it is easy enough to figure out what is happening in the films.

Comments

[Connie]

I was wondering if you ever heard of Little Grey Rabbit and the Wandering Hedgehog? It was a great children's book. Little Grey Rabbit is a series of books. I did manage to find it again on Amazon.com

[Suzanne Wooldridge]

Thank you for letting me know about the Little Grey Rabbit and the Wandering Hedgehog. I had not heard of it, and I love the challenge of finding something "hedgehog." I'll be looking.

Thanks again,

Suzanne

[Jan]

I have a collection of about 400 hedgehogs that I collected in Europe from 1970 to 1990. Now I need to move into a smaller space and am clearing out almost everything, including my hedgehog collection. I'm glad you have this website, which is a nice place to come and connect with these wonderful little creatures again.

[Lisa]

I have one of these 'hobo's that my parents got in Germany in the 50's! Never knew what it was about so thank you so much!!

[ugg classic short]

That’s a cool project. You have inspired me to adapt this project for my high school level design class.

[RamonGustav]

Do you have ideas which worth millions but you lack the necessary capital to put your idea to test?

[RamonGustav]

Do you have a viable business but lack the necessary finances to get it off it’s feet?

[Music_master]

Congratulations! You have so much useful information, write more.

[sherwin]

bot my first mecki and micki when i served in US army in heidelberg in 1954...should have bot a thousand pair.....i also bot the pair in 1999 at kadawe in berlin...the best part of it is that they are the grosse size at twenty inches tall

[Sybille Cowan]

Where are the little 3 or 4" hedgehog dolls that were collectibles in Germany and Austria? They looked as if they were made of rubber with little fuzzy "bristles" on their heads and had assorted costumes on, representing different professions or hobbies. I had a chimney sweep and a bride and groom, as well as a farmer. My brother had a fisherman, and a hunter. I have not had any luck finding them again.

[Mrs V Osborne]

Hello

We have two Steif origina Mecki Dolls
Mother and Father. Brought in Austria some twenty years ago.

[Karli]

Hey, does anyone know where to get anything Mecki related? Possibly in Berlin or Frankfurt?

[Suzanne Wooldridge]

Hi, Karli,

There should be Mecki things in certain types of gift shops almost anywhere in Germany. He is popular like Mickey Mouse in the U.S. You should also be able to order a lot of things on eBay. My favorite Mecki find is the DVD of the old movies. Good luck with your search!

Suzanne

[Carol Hayes]

I've had a black and white photograph of 3 hedgehogs - Mecki, Macki, Mucki with the words Hor Zu on it. for over 50 years I've wondered what it was. Now I know. Thank you very much. (Carol from Scotland)

[Thompson from Pembrokeshire]

I have a Mecki money box and have never seen a Mecki money box before this weekend. If any collectors are interested I have it for sale on Ebay £3.99 starting price

[Tennie]

My mother-in-law is German where can I get 1 of these books?

[Barb]

I have what appears to be the Mecki Hedgehog small figurines. They come with tiny cigarettes that you can light and it puffs. Does anyone have any information on these? My Oma brought me back both of them from Holland about 45 years ago.

[Sandra]

I have a small Mecki hedgehog with a steiff tag with the numbers 7627/12 on it I had it from Germany in the mid 50's he has shorts shirt and waistcoat on, he has been kept in a box and is as new can anyone give me any information on him.

[Suzanne Wooldridge]

Hi, Barb,

I have never seen these figurines, and they sound quite unique. I had some Scottie dog figurines when I was a little girl in the late 1950’s that did the same thing. I hope you will find someone who knows more about them.

Good luck,
Suzanne

[Suzanne Wooldridge]

Hi, Sandra,

While I am not an expert on the prices of vintage Mecki figures, I have seen many online. I would expect that since it is in new condition, it would be worth quite a bit compared to the worn and played-with ones that are usually for sale. You might contact the Steiff Company for more information. Looking on EBay might also shed some light on the subject.

Thanks for looking at my houseful of hedgehogs!

[jeff markin]

Doing some clearing out.. Just found my Mecki Hedgehog (tag 8728,70) from a trip I took with family in 1959 to Germany.

jeff

[Lin]

My sisters and my cousins all owned one of these delightful little hedgehogs when we were small in the 60's. I would love to own one again didn.t realise they were made by Steiff. (dont suppose I could afford one now ):-(

[Suzanne Wooldridge]

Hi, Jeff,

It's surprising to me how many people look at the Mecki portion of my collection. He must still be very popular! Thanks for visiting my blog,
Suzanne

[Tom Okeefe]

I have a minki doll from Germany with the sale price ticket still on it. I would like to know it's value and maybe sell it.

[Martine]

I named my dog Mecky like the hedgehog.