Hoffmann Models Austria

I’m not sure if this could go in General, Model Railroad or Other Toys so, I put it here!

Anyway, does anyone here have any knowledge, information or links pertaining to Hoffmann Models (Modellbau?) from Austria? They produced a range of HO scale structures, both prebuilt and kits, at some point during the 1960s-1970s. Although I see the kits and finished structures come up on eBay fairly often, I can’t find any information about them on the ‘net. They aren’t listed among the brands carried by the major US model railroad retailers (Walthers, Reynaulds) although they may have been sold through the long defunct AHM at one point.

Search engines turn up plenty on Austrian architect Josef Hoffman and various fashion models with the surname Hoffman(n). There are also photos from eBay and a few German/Austrian sites but that’s about it.

[Super]

I had not heard of that maker before but from the pictures I looked at are very nice buildings. Do you think maybe they were also made for and sold under different names like Faller?

I had the same question. They seem a bit similar to Faller at first glance. I believe they were sold in the US by AHM but aside from that, I don’t know. Given the way molds are passed around and models are sold under different labels, it wouldn’t surprise me if they were eventually sold by other entities.

A photo in Ebay UK item 332829484161 shows the instruction sheet for Hoffmann station kit B606. With a bit of photo-enhancement we can make out an address:




Andreas Hoffmann, Kunststoffarbeitungwerk, Braunau/Inn, Oberösterreich, Austria

Kunststoffarbeitungwerk = Plastics Factory.  Braunau/Inn is an old way of writing Braunau Am Inn (the railway station there still spells it that way), a place notorious for being the birthplace of Adolph Hitler.

From the style of the instruction sheet I'd say rather earlier than you suggest, say 1950's - early 1960's.

None of which is any great help to you I'm sure!

[Super]

Thanks for the help Chrisjo (where have you been?)

That model looks to have some decent HO size: 35cm long x 12 cm wide x 10 cm high

Kunststoffarbeitungwerk = Plastics Factory.  Braunau/Inn is an old way of writing Braunau Am Inn (the railway station there still spells it that way), a place notorious for being the birthplace of Adolph Hitler.

I always wondered what Hitler got up to after the war, who would have thought it

@ chrisjo.... That’s a HUGE help! Thanks so much, since you’ve provided more insight here than a couple weeks of fruitless internet searches.

Hey Nigels, remember that after the war, he changed his name to Hilter and hid out in the UK for a while. (Yeah, it’s a Monty Python reference.) I guess that was before he went into hiding on the moon.

[Super]

Aldof Hilter and no one will be the wiser...nyuk, yuk, yuk.