A teddy bear is a stuffed toy in the shape of a bear. This toy was developed independently by toy manufacturers Morris Michtom (USA) and Richard Steiff (Germany) in the early 20th century.[1] The name teddy bear in English is named after the nickname of US President Theodore Roosevelt. In the early days, people tried to make teddy bears look like real bears with a wide snout and small round eyes. Today’s teddy bears often have larger eyes, wider foreheads, smaller noses, and baby-like features to increase their cuteness. Teddy bears are also very diverse in terms of “species”, from polar bears, grizzly bears to pandas,… In the early days, teddy bears were often covered with angora felt, later with synthetic fur, velvet, denim, cotton, satin and canvas fabrics.

Since its inception, teddy bear toys have become popular all over the world, a common gift for children and adults alike. In many countries there are even museums about teddy bears.