75th Anniversary: Cheers Spielwarenmesse!
Memories of Dr Ulrich Maly
By Peter Budig
Dr Ulrich Maly served as the lord mayor of Nuremberg from 2002 to 2020. During this time, he warmly welcomed guests at the Spielwarenmesse opening ceremony every year. The audience from around the world loved his humorous and charming speeches. Since childhood, he had been fascinated by the international diversity that the industry gathering brought to the city. Dr Maly has many memories associated with the Spielwarenmesse.
The World in Nuremberg
"Of course, I have attended the Spielwarenmesse every year in a professional capacity since 1996. However, my earliest memories go much further back, to my early childhood. In fact, the Spielwarenmesse was the first major international event to truly awaken us children. Back then, our family regularly visited the house I now live in with relatives in the Falkenheim district. At the beginning of the year, people would speak enigmatically about 'foreign visitors from all over the world'. Unknown cars would be parked in the street. These were the Spielwarenmesse visitors, many of whom stayed in private homes in the early years. They would rent a room during the fair and be guests of Nuremberg residents.”
At the Heart of Dreams
“My next memory is about longing. When I was 13 or 14, I naturally wanted to get in – into what seemed like the most beautiful, glittering world. Like almost everyone, I wanted to visit the fair and see all its treasures. But you weren't allowed in, as you still can't today. However, I was fortunate enough to receive an entry ticket in the 1980s when I was chairman of the Kreisjugendring Nürnberg-Stadt. It was always a very special experience, full of impressions.”
The SPD politician has devoted his entire professional life to the service of the City of Nuremberg.
He was born in August 1960 and graduated from the Economics Grammar School. He studied economics and completed his doctorate by 1987. After finishing his studies, he became managing director of the SPD city council faction and from 1996 to 2002 was Treasurer of the City of Nuremberg. From 2002 to 2020, he was Lord Mayor of the city.
A childhood full of play
"The 'cultural asset of play' has always meant a great deal to me. That’s how I grew up. We didn't get our first television until I was about ten. As a child, I had a model railroad. Of course, it was only set up at Christmas. We played together a lot — Rummy, then Schafkopf. To this day, my wife and I have a Canasta group with friends. I also played chess. 'Mensch ärgere dich nicht' (Ludo) was my first preparation for the office of Lord Mayor — that's where you learn to lose."
“All this helped me when the Spielwarenmesse became a professional stage. I was always open to the ‘Game of the Year’ and very interested in creative play ideas, for example with wooden toys. And I remember a very good collaboration with the Supervisory Board.
For the City of Nuremberg, the fair is of the utmost importance: the criteria of traditional event, greatest internationality and appealing product are unique in this combination. From an economic perspective, you can calculate exactly what each guest spends here, but the intangible value for the toy city of Nuremberg is priceless.“
Appealing Charisma
Join the global toy industry to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Spielwarenmesse:
See you from 27. to 31. Januar 2026 in Nuremberg!
About the author
Peter Budig studied Protestant theology, history and political science. He worked as a freelance journalist, headed up the editorial department of a large advertising paper in Nuremberg for ten years and was the editor of Nuremberg’s Abendzeitung newspaper. He has been freelancing again since 2014 as a journalist, book author and copywriter. Storytelling is absolutely his favourite form.
