FRANKFURT—Horst Brandstätter, the man behind Germany’s popular Playmobil figures, died last week after a short illness at the age of 81, the makers of Playmobil said Monday.

Playmobil is one of the most recognizable toy brands for young children. Because they last long and are nearly unbreakable, there are approximately 2.8 billion Playmobil figures on the planet, according to the company, or more than one for every three people.

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