Godtfred Kirk Christiansen facts for kids

Godtfred Kirk Christiansen (born July 8, 1920 – died July 13, 1995) was a key leader of The Lego Group. He was the managing director from 1957 to 1973. Godtfred was the third son of the company's founder, Ole Kirk Christiansen. He took over as managing director in 1957 and later became the sole owner.

Godtfred played a huge part in creating the modern Lego brick design. He even patented it in 1958. He also came up with the "Lego System in Play." This idea became the main foundation of the Lego construction toy. Godtfred stepped down as the company's leader in 1973. His son, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, became president in 1979.

Godtfred's Early Life

Godtfred Kirk Christiansen was born on July 8, 1920, in Billund, Denmark. His family was not rich, and he did not get much formal schooling. He was the third of five children. His father, Ole Kirk Christiansen, owned a small family business. It was called the Billund Woodworking and Carpentry Shop. They made wooden furniture and built houses.

In 1924, when Godtfred was just four years old, he and his brother Karl Georg accidentally started a fire. The woodworking shop burned down completely. Godtfred later said, "My first contribution to the company – not that I'm proud of it – was when my brother Karl Georg and I lit the glue heater. Unfortunately some wood shavings caught fire – and the whole building burned to the ground."

During the 1930s, the business struggled because of the Great Depression. This was a time when many people lost their jobs and money. Godtfred's father started making everyday items like ironing boards and small wooden toys. In 1932, his father started a new company that would become known as Lego.

When Godtfred was 12, he was very interested in his father's business. He helped out in the shop on days he wasn't at school. By age 17, in 1937, Godtfred was already designing wooden toys. He even sent sketches for new toy ideas to his father while studying at Haslev Technical College.

Godtfred learned how important quality was from his father. One day, he told his father he had saved money by using two coats of varnish on wooden ducks instead of three. His father made him go back to the station, get the ducks, and give them a third coat of varnish. Godtfred had to do it all by himself. He said, "There was no arguing with Dad. And it was a lesson for me about what quality meant."

Godtfred's Business Career

Starting in the Business

Godtfred took on more and more responsibility in his father's company. On his 30th birthday in 1950, he became Junior Vice President. He wanted to understand the business better. So, in 1951, he went on a sales trip with his wife, Edith. They visited all the customers in southern Jutland. This trip helped him get many orders and see how products were displayed in stores.

In 1952, Godtfred had a big disagreement with his father. His father wanted to make the factory bigger. Godtfred quit because of this. But later, they worked things out, and he came back to his job.

The Lego Brick

1961 US Patent drawing for the Lego brick (the original was filed in Copenhagen in 1958)

In 1946, Lego started making plastic toys. They bought a plastic injection molding machine. This led to a plastic product called the Automatic Binding Brick in 1949. Ole and Godtfred were inspired by a design from Hilary Page. It was a stackable cube with studs on top. The Christiansens changed the design. In 1953, these plastic bricks were named "Lego bricks." At first, they didn't sell well because they weren't very strong and didn't stick together.

In 1958, Godtfred was key in developing the modern Lego brick. On January 28, 1958, he met with his brother Karl Georg and Axel Thomson. They talked about complaints that the bricks weren't sturdy enough. Godtfred sketched ideas and came up with a new design. It had two inner tubes to help the bricks stick better. On his way back from the patent office, he thought about whether three inner tubes would be even better. He had a new sample made with three tubes. This design was patented on January 28, 1958. It became the famous design for the Lego brick we know today.

The Lego System

Godtfred is also known for creating the "Lego System in Play." This became the main idea behind the modern Lego toy. In 1954, he visited a toy exhibition in Britain. There, he met Troels Petersen, a toy buyer. Petersen said that the toy industry had no "system." This inspired Godtfred to create a system for play. He spent months working on his idea.

He came up with six "Principles of Play." These included things like being affordable, durable, and good for both boys and girls. He looked at all of Lego's products. He realized the Lego brick fit all six principles best. It offered the most ways to build a system of play.

Over a year, Godtfred developed a single, connected "town theme." Children could build buildings and add accessories. In 1955, Godtfred explained the idea: "Our idea is to prepare the child for life, appealing to its imagination and developing the creative urge and joy of creation that are the driving force in every human being." The System of Play was launched in February 1955 at the Nuremberg Toy Fair. It became very successful in Denmark and later in Germany.

The Lego System in Play became the main focus of the company. Godtfred said that "all elements fit together, can be used in multiple ways, can be built together. This means that bricks bought years ago will fit perfectly with bricks bought in the future." He made sure the system stayed strong by limiting the shapes and colors of bricks. This focused and expandable system helped Lego succeed over its competitors.

Becoming the Owner

Godtfred became the managing director in 1957. He took over the company after his father died in 1958. On February 4, 1960, a big fire destroyed the woodworking factory. The next day, Godtfred decided to stop making wooden toys. He chose to focus only on plastic bricks. Lego bricks were becoming popular in Europe, but wooden toys were only sold in Denmark.

Godtfred's brothers, Karl Georg and Gerhardt, did not agree with his decision. They decided to leave the company. Godtfred bought their shares and became the sole owner of Lego.

Legoland Theme Park

In the mid-1960s, more and more people wanted to visit the Lego factory. They wanted to see the models built with Lego bricks. So many visitors came that it became too much for the company. Godtfred decided to create a special park to show the models outdoors. He asked Arnold Boutrup, a chief designer, to help create it.

An area in Billund was turned into "Miniland." This was a landscape of houses made with Lego bricks. The new park was 14 acres and built next to the Lego factory. Legoland Billund opened on June 7, 1968. It became a huge success and one of Denmark's biggest attractions.

Later Years

In 1973, Godtfred stepped down as managing director. He became the chairman of the Board of Directors for Lego System A/S. Vagn Holck Andersen took over as managing director until 1979. Then, Godtfred's son, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, became the CEO in 1979. Godtfred stayed as chairman of the Board of Directors until April 1993.

Godtfred's Family

Godtfred was married to Edith Kirk Christiansen. They had three children: Gunhild Kirk Johansen, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, and Hanne Christiansen. Old Lego box art from the 1950s shows all three of their children playing with Lego bricks.

Death

Godtfred Kirk Christiansen passed away on July 13, 1995, at his home in Billund. He was 75 years old. His son, Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, continued to lead the company after his death.

See also

In Spanish: Godtfred Kirk Christiansen para niños