Elastolin
Elastolin is a trademark used by the German company O&M Hausser (O&M Haußer) for the toy soldiers and other
types of figures it manufactured from composite material and later from plastic. The Hausser firm was founded in
1904 by Christian Hausser and his sons Otto and Max. The factory was situated in Ludwigsburg near Stuttgart. [1]
Contents
Scales of figures
Heer
Kriegsmarine
Luftwaffe
Paramilitary
Personality figures
Foreign (Ausländer) forces
Other HausserElastolin figures from the 1930s
Accessories
PostWorld War II production
Demise
References
Notes
External links
Scales of figures
Elastolin composition figures were manufactured in 40mm (also known as 4cm), 65mm (6.5cm), 70mm (7cm),
and 105mm (10.5 cm) scales. Since 70mm is approximately 3inches, a 70mm figure is approximately 1/24 scale.
The Elastolin catalogs of the 1930s describe the 7cm figures as being "normal size" (normalgrosse) and the 4cm
figures as MiniaturSoldaten. The catalog numbers for the 4cm figures began with the preface M so the catalog
number for a 4cm marching Heer Trommler (Army snare drummer) was M 47/1.
Production of all figures (and all other toys) ended after the German economy was put on a "total war" footing in 1943.
Heer
The Heer, all wearing correct the World War II German uniform, was represented by parade ground figures that
included marching officers, marching infantry men, marching flagcarriers, marching musicians, a marching panzer
man in his distinctive black uniform, marching Gebirgsjager ("mountain troops"), marching musicians, and cavalry
and musicians mounted on horses. The parade ground figures had troops for a guard mounting that included officers
standing at attention, enlisted personnel standing at attention or at "present arms", standing flagcarriers, a panzer
man saluting, standing musicians, and sentry boxes as well as standing cavalry and standing cavalry musicians.
There was a figure of a drill instructor and three figures of new recruits in fatigue uniform doing training exercises.
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Heer combat troops included Infanterie (series 500/ and 600/) (riflemen, grenade throwers and machine gun
teams), Kavallerie (series 400/), Artillerie [series 664/] (crewmen for the tinplate artillery pieces),
Nachrichtentruppe ("communications troops") [series 659/] which included World War Ivintage message dog and
carrierpigeonwranglers, Pioniere ("combat engineer and construction troops") [series 662/] and KradSchutzen
("motorcycle troops") [series 990/] on individual twopassenger motorcycles and threepassenger sidecar models.
Poison gas had been used by both sides on the Western Front during World War I, and so there was a
Gasalarmschlager ("gas alarm striker") [584] and several Infanterie figures wearing gas masks.
The Verwundete und Sanitatspersonal (series 656) included doctors and nurses to treat the assortment of wounded
soldiers that the medic figures brought back from the battlefield. Series 656 also included a Toter Soldat ("dead
soldier") [652/15].
Lagerleben ("camp life") [series 550/] was represented by soldiers washing, cleaning, eating or simply lying around
and their tents. There was also figure 550/36/50, a unit clerk who came ready to work with his own table, bench and
typewriter.
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was represented by a "personality" figure of Großadmiral Erich Raeder saluting, marching officers
carrying swords, sailors carrying rifles, marching fanfare trumpeters (Fanfarenblaser) and flagcarriers
(Fahnentrager) and a short set of combat figures. There are two basic sets of marching figures — one set wears the
blue winter uniform and the other wears the white summer uniform. Complete sets of marching musicians were
produced for both of the seasonal colors. There are also marching sailors wearing white shirts and blue trousers. The
set of Kriegsmarine combat figures includes standing, kneeling and prone riflemen, a charging rifleman, a charging
officer, a rifleman swinging his rifle like a club, and a grenade thrower. All Elastolin Kriegsmarine figures of the III.
Reich era (1933–1945) are cataloged in series 14/ (The catalog number for a marching Kriegsmarine Trommler
[snare drummer] was 14/47/1, with 14 indicating the branch of service; the second number, 47, indicated that the
figure was a marching musician, and the final number, 1, indicated that the musician was a Trommler).
Luftwaffe
The Luftwaffe was represented on the parade ground by several different "personality" figures of Reichsmarschall
Hermann Göring, and two series of marching figures: Flieger ("fliers") [series 26/] with yellow waffenfarbe ("arm of
service color") and Flak ("antiaircraft troops) [series 28/] with red waffenfarbe. Both branches were represented by
several types of marching officers, marching enlisted personnel with rifles (some wearing the soft field cap, others
wearing the iconic stahlhelm helmet), marching flagcarriers, and complete sets of marching and standing musicians.
Fliegers and Flak alike were also represented by standing (nonmarching) officers and enlisted men.
The marching Fliegers also included an aircrewman wearing a beige "flight suit" instead of the blue Luftwaffe uniform.
The Luftwaffe also had combat troops. There were 28/664 series FlakArtillerie crews and 28/590 FlakKrad
Schutzen figures. These figures were the same as their Heer counterparts but with the distinctive bluegray uniform of
the Luftwaffe. Elastolin solf them sold for the same price as their Heer counterparts, but modern auction catalogs
usually list them at higher prices and modern day collectors must therefore take care that any 28/664 and 28/590
figures they buy are not postwar repaints of the regular 664 and 590 figures.
Paramilitary
The paramilitary units include the SA (Sturm Abteilung), the SS, the LSSAH (Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler = Hitler's
elite SS bodyguard unit), the RAD (Reichsarbeitsdienst = German Labor Service), NSDAP (the Nazi party), Hitler
Youth (Hitler Jugend), Jungvolk (preteen counterpart of the Hitler Youth), BdM (female counterpart of the Hitler
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Youth), Marinesturm (MarineSA; a specialized subunit of the SA), and several others.
All the paramilitary organizations were represented by marching figures. There were complete marching bands of SA,
SS and RAD musicians; also a complete band of standing (nonmarching) SA musicians that included a kesselpauker
(kettle drummer). The Jungfolk were represented by marching drummers, flautists and fanfarenblaser.
There were SA, SS, LSSAH, RAD, Hitler Youth, Jungvolk, BdM and NSFK marching figures carrying either the German
national flag or the flag of their individual organization.
The SA had been the largest and most visible of the Nazi paramilitary organizations in the 1920s and on into the
1930s, and so it is not surprising that Elastolin made many types of SA figures. There SA figures in several types of
uniforms—the basic "brown shirt," another uniform with a brown jacket, and a winter uniform. The SA marchers
included men carrying packs, and men with slung rifles. The parade figures also included an SA medic and an SA
nurse—quick "first aid" (at the least) was often important during the Kampfzeit ("time of battle/struggle") before Hitler
was appointed chancellor!
There were also figures on horseback, and a small group of mounted SA musicians.
Stepping outside the parade ground, there was an extensive line of SA Lagerleben figures and others representing a
unit undergoing field training.
Personality figures
The first "personality figures" Hausser producer were Kaiser Wilhelm II and soon after Feldmarschall von Hindenburg
during World War I.
The "personality figures" include Hitler, von Hindenburg, Ludendorff, Göring, Hess, Goebbels, von Schirach,
Großadmiral Raeder, and Generalfeldmarschall von Mackensen in Hussar uniform. There are also two personality
figures of Mussolini and one of Franco. A personality figure of SA leader Ernst Röhm was dropped from the line after
he was executed during the socalled "Night of the Long Knives" (a purge of the socialist wing of the Nazi party) in
1934. The figure of General von Blomberg became a generic General figure after he was forced to retire in 1938. [2]
Hitler was represented by several uniformed figures; one was a walking figure of Hitler reviewing troops or perhaps a
Nazi unit with his right arm up in his unique bentarm salute. There was also a seated Hitler to ride in one of
Elastolin's magnificent staff cars (German children knew the Führer always sat up front next to the driver and never in
the back seat). There was also an early figure of Hitler in civilian attire.
Göring's high profile in the German leadership was reflected by the fact that he too was represented by figures showing
him in SA, NSFK and Luftwaffe uniform. There was a walking figure (26/21) of Goring reviewing troops, and as Goring
was promoted to Generalfeldmarschall and then to the unique rank of Reichsmarschall a figure was produced that
showed "the Iron Man" holding an appropriately large marschall's baton.
Premium grade figures of Hitler, Göring, Hindenburg, Mussolini and Franco were made with headless composition
bodies that were then fitted with specialmade porcelain heads that captured their facial features and expressions with
exceptional clarity. These command premium prices from collectors.
Mussolini was available as a walking figure (25/21N) and sitting astride a horse (25/496N). Generalfeldmarshall und
Reichspresident von Hindenburg was still in the catalog for several years after his death in 1934 and was available in
uniform (649), in civilian attire (648), and in uniform astride a horse.
All of the Nazi leaders (Hitler, Röhm, Heß, Göring, Goebbels and von Schirach) were represented by at least one figure
with a movable right arm that could be raised and positioned in the German greeting (aka the "Heil Hitler!" salute).
The figures of Mussolini and Franco also had arms could also positioned in the Fasciststyle salute (In contrast,
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Wehrmacht figures saluted/"greeted" each other with the traditional righthandtouchingcap/helmet salute).
Foreign (Ausländer) forces
The foreign (Ausländer) armed services were also well represented. These include English, American, Danish, Dutch,
Belgian, Ethiopian, French, Swiss, Italian, Hungarian, Romanian, (British) Indian, Chinese and Japanese.
The French forces include the French Army (marching and combat figures), marching French sailors, marching French
colonial forces ("French" and "native"), and a short line of the elite chasseurs alpins (mountain troops). The Belgians
were represented by infantry—marching figures and combat figures; there was also a short line of figures wearing the
distinctive green beret of the Ardennes Rifle Corps.
The Italians were represented by marching infantry and several combat figures; there were also marching officers and
men of the elite bersaglieri rifle units with their broadbrimmed hats and black cockerel feathers. Italian figures in
tropical uniforms, and (black) African colonial soldiers were produced in small numbers.
Guards Regiments in colourful dress uniforms were produced of Great Britain's Grenadier Guards and Denmark's
Royal Life Guards.
HausserElastolin made most of its foreign figures by adding a head with the correct helmet to a headless
conventional body and then painting the figure accordingly. That is why English, American and French soldiers are
armed with Germanstyle "potato masher" hand grenades rather than the Allied "pineapple" hand grenade, and why
they carry a standard German gas mask canister. However, there are also some foreign figures that were made from
special castings—those of Belgian and French soldiers wearing long greatcoats being the best example.
Several other European nations took note of the greater protection afforded by the German stahlhelm design and used
it for their own forces. This made it possible for Elastolin to create figures representing some foreign armies simply by
painting standard German figures with German heads in the color(s) of a foreign uniform. Therefore, it is helpful to
have a good reference book such as Andrew Mollo's The Armed Forces of World War II to correctly identify them—
particularly when distinguishing between German, Hungarian and Swiss personnel.
Other HausserElastolin figures from the 1930s
The HausserElastolin line of the 1930s was not limited to the military and paramilitary units of the time. There was
also an extensive line of cowboys and Indians (the cowboys sometimes known as "trappers" in Germany), a shorter
line of medieval knights and foot soldiers (Ritterfiguren), and a short line of Prussian and Austrian figures from the
18thcentury wars of Frederick the Great (Friedrich der Grosse) that included personality figures of "der alte Fritz"
(0/7/20) and two of his generals—Seydlitz (0/7/21) and Ziethen (0/7/22). The figure of a Prussian drummer with a
black (African) face (figure 0/7/47/1M) is correct; there was an African drummer in the Prussian army at that time,
however such a figure should be checked carefully with a "black light" to make sure that it is not a postwar repaint.
There was an extensive lines of wild animals (menagerieundjagdtiere) and farm animals (haustiere), and also a line
of more than 30 civilian figures for use with electric trains (EisenbahnFiguren). The latter included DRB (Deutsche
Reichsbahn = German Railway) workers, station workers such as luggage carriers, and passengers; they were produced
primarily in 7cm (Normalgroße) although some were also available in 5cm and 3cm sizes.
Accessories
Hausser produced log cabin forts for the cowboys, castles/fortresses for the knights, houses and barns for the farmers
and their animals, zoo enclosures for the wild animals, and an assortment of trench pieces and bunkers
(Schutzengraben aus Holz) that allowed piecebypiece purchase and assembly of multiline trench systems for the
soldiers. These included artillery emplacements, command bunkers, a field kitchen and a first aid station.
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There was an equally extensive line of tin plate military wagons (including a field kitchen and a field bakery), trucks,
halftracks, searchlights and artillery pieces. Some of the 1920s vintage models were rather generic in design, but some
of the later models were accurate scale models of their reallife counterparts—the 7211/2 leichtes Inf.Geschutz ("light
infantry cannon"), 726 schweres Langrohrgeschutz ("heavy longbarreled cannon"), 710 Schwere Feldhaubitze
("heavy field howitzer") and the 744 PanzerSpahwagen ("armored scout wagen" = armored car) in particular. [3]
Elastolin added play action value to these toys in several ways. Several of the motor vehicles had batterypowered
electric motors that propelled them across the tin plate battlefield with functional electric headlights lighting the way;
the truckmounted and stationary search lights were also functional. The Nachrichtentruppe figure series included
"radio groups" equipped with batteries that allowed messages to be sent and received in Morse code. Three of the
Infanterie riflemen (54/624, 54/626 and 54/628) contained a capfiring device that—when tripped—would, in theory,
send a puff of smoke out the barrel of their (oversize) rifles. Many of the tin plate artillery pieces not only fired caps but
projectiles as well—which, in theory were fired only at enemy soldiers and never at family pets or one's younger
siblings!
Enterprising young generals with the financial resources to do so could also provide their forces with engineer units
using two types of manpowered water craft for crossing water obstacles, and with either a pontoon bridge or a
conventional girder bridge so that horses and motor vehicles could cross as well.
PostWorld War II production
Limited production of composition figures resumed several years after the end of World War II in 1945 subject to the
strict terms of "deNazification." Postwar production included the politically inoffensive Swiss figures with their black
Germanstyle helmets and black ankle boots, and a new line of American army figures wearing the dark olive uniform
and "steel pot" style helmet of the WWIIera US Army.
Figures representing the postwar Bundeswehr and Austrian armies went into production after West Germany and
Austria were again allowed to form military forces. [4]
Hausser continued to use the brand name Elastolin when it began production of figures in a hard polystyrene plastic
in 1955 (production of figures in the older sawdustbased composition material continued). In the years that followed
the company produced Roman soldiers, Huns, Vikings, Normans, Landsknechts and 17thcentury Turks. Hausser
Elastolin also manufactured personality figures of Prince Valiant and at least one or two other characters from the
popular comic strip and feature film.
Some of the old figure lines Medieval figures, "Trappers" (cowboys), American Indians and deNazified figures of
World WarII era German soldiers—were also manufactured in plastic. Hausser had exclusive rights to produce figures
for the works of Karl May, a German author whose tales of the American "Wild West" captured the imaginations of
several generations of German boys, and so there are plastic figures representing several of May's bestknown
characters.
Along with these figures came an impressive new line of catapults, siege towers, a battering ram, camp fences, and
early artillery pieces.
Collectors recognize several distinct production series (or types) of these plastic figures. The early lines were sold fully
painted as with the older composition figures, a later line was sold unpainted. Plastic figures cannot be correctly
identified or appraised in terms of value without reference to the color of the plastic. Beyond that, the rarity (and
value) of some figures is also determined by the color of their clothing; some colors are rarer than others.
The 1980 catalog includes Romans, Vikings, Huns, Normans/Medieval figures (including Prince Valiant and Sir
Gawain), Landsknechts, Turks, American Indians, cowboys, US cavalry, Karl May characters, Arabs, US War of
Independence figures (US regulars and militia, English and German), Prussian soldiers, Union and Confederate
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soldiers from the American Civil War, contemporary Swiss and Austrian soldiers, deNazified World WarII era
German soldiers, and two figures representing the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The cowboys included two masked outlaws and several men wearing buckskin rather than cloth. The line also
included the unfortunate prisoner tied to a tree.
In addition to all the fighting men where were also some civilians—a blacksmith and several helpers with a forge and
well from the Middle Ages, and a few Caucasian women and children from the American "Wild West" as the
counterparts for the American Indian women and children. Each of the Revolutionary War forces could call on the
services of a woman holding a cup in one hand a larger container in the other—presumably both held water.
Historical personality figurers in 1980 included Götz von Berlichingen, Georg von Frundsberg and Friedrich der
Große. One of the several Revolutionary War figures was certainly intended to be George Washington, but the catalog
did not identify him as such.
Wheeled vehicles included a fourhorse Roman chariot, a Kampfwagen (battle wagen) of the European lateMiddle
Ages, an American stage coach drawn by two horses, and an American covered wagen (also drawn by two horses)
Demise
Hausser stopped manufacturing figures from composite materials in 1969. Production of plastic figures continued
through 1982. The company filed for bankruptcy in June 1983 and ceased production by the end of the year.
Many of the Hausser moulds were purchased by the Preiser company and are currently being reproduced in plastic.
References
HAUSSER's ELASTOLIN Spielzeug (http://en.toysoldiergallery.com/Index.cgi?action=source&source=details&id=
225), Elastolin product catalog, 1924
Katalog »F« HAUSSERS ELASTOLIN FABRIKATE, 1931 (http://en.toysoldiergallery.com/Index.cgi?action=sourc
e&source=details&id=14), Elastolin product catalog, 1931
HAUSSER's ELASTOLIN Spielwaren, 1934 (http://en.toysoldiergallery.com/Index.cgi?action=source&source=det
ails&id=18), Elastolin product catalog, 1934
Hausser Elastolin 19351936 (http://en.toysoldiergallery.com/Index.cgi?action=source&source=details&id=19),
Elastolin product catalog, 1935
Hausser Elastolin Spielzeug 19361937 (http://en.toysoldiergallery.com/Index.cgi?action=source&source=details&i
d=22), Elastolin product catalog, 1936
Hausser Elastolin Spielzeug 19381939 (http://en.toysoldiergallery.com/Index.cgi?action=source&source=details&i
d=27), Elastolin product catalog, 1938
Hausser Elastolin Spielzeug 19391940 (http://en.toysoldiergallery.com/Index.cgi?action=source&source=details&i
d=29), Elastolin product catalog, 1939
Historische Hausser Figuren (http://en.toysoldiergallery.com/Index.cgi?action=source&source=details&id=104),
Elastolin product catalog, 1980
Losch, Erich (Auktionator), 1. Sonderauktion Militar und Blechspielzeug 15./16.November 1996, Worms
[GERMANY], 1996 [auction catalog]
Losch, Erich (Auktionator), 2. Sonderauktion Militar und Blechspielzeug 15. Februar 1997,
Worms [GERMANY], 1997 [auction catalog]
Losch, Erich (Auktionator), 3. Sonderauktion Militarspielzeug 17. Mai 1997, Worms [GERMANY]1997 [auction
catalog]
Mollo, Andrew, The Armed Forces of World War II (Uniforms, insignia and organization), Crown Publishers, New
York NY, 1981
Polaine, Reggie, and David Hawkings, The War Toys I: The Story of HausserElastolin, New Revised Edition, New
Cavendish Books, London [ENGLAND], 1991
Schmitt, Gunter und Robert (Auktionatoren), [Auction catalog of] Samstag, den 13. November 1999, Duren
[GERMANY], 1999
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Schmitt, Gunter und Robert (Auktionatoren), [Auction catalog of] Samstag, den 15. Januar 2000, Duren
[GERMANY], 2000
Schmitt, Gunter und Robert (Auktionatoren), [Auction catalog of] Samstag, den 15. Februar 2000, Duren
[GERMANY], 2000
Schmitt, Gunter und Robert (Auktionatoren), [Auction catalog of] Samstag, den 15. April 2000, Duren [GERMANY]
2000
Schmitt, Gunter und Robert (Auktionatoren), [Auction catalog of] Samstag, den 03. Juni 2000, Duren [GERMANY]
2000
Schmitt, Gunter und Robert (Auktionatoren), [Auction catalog of] Samstag, den 26. August 2000, Duren
[GERMANY] 2000
Schmitt, Gunter und Robert (Auktionatoren), [Auction catalog of] Samstag, den 07. Oktober 2000, Duren
[GERMANY] 2000
Schmitt, Gunter und Robert (Auktionatoren), [Auction catalog of] Samstag, den 25. November 2000, Duren
[GERMANY] 2000
Notes
1. http://www.elastolin.nl/pagina57.html
2. http://www.toysoldiergallery.com/Articles/Personalities/Personalities3.html
3. http://en.toysoldiergallery.com/Index.cgi?action=source&source=details&id=29&page=12 Hausser Elastolin
Catalogue 1939/40
4. http://en.toysoldiergallery.com/Index.cgi?action=source&source=details&id=80 Hausser Elastolin Flyer
Bundeswehr 1958
External links
About Composite Figures (http://www.toysoldiergallery.com/Articles/CompositionFigures/CompositionFigures.htm
l)
About the plastic range (http://www.elastolin.nl)
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