Some years since, I took a trip to Denmark – not to Copenhagen or Aarhus or Aalborg, my usual destinations, but to Billund. A hundred years ago, it was a tiny village in the middle of nowhere. Now it has an international airport, no less. All this the result of the amazing global success of LEGO.
While I was there, I was told by my hosts at the company about their origins. This is what happened.
His business going bust, a carpenter in Billund, Ole Kirk Christiansen, decided to fill in the time - and in 1932 he started making wooden toys for his family and friends. In the depression years he also traded toys for food. A new company was formed, and in 1947 they started making plastic toys, two years later producing the first batch of the famous interlocking bricks. Quite simply, they were developed from traditional wooden bricks.
By the way, the word LEGO comes from the Danish “leg godt”, which means “play well”.
Altogether a small step for mankind. But a giant leap for children around the world. And for Billund.
(By the way, I keep wondering why this blog consistently has so many visitors from Denmark. Any answers?)
Posts
