emigrated and refused to dismiss "Half-Jewish" employees. During the war, it was difficult to get the necessary materials, so her business came to a standstill. Kruse's dolls took on a sorrowful countenance following the death of her son in battle, with the result that Adolf Hitler closed the factory and forbade her to make more dolls. She lost two of her sons in the war, and her husband died in 1942. After the war, it was impossible to resume doll production in the Soviet occupation zone. In 1952, her company became a Volkseigener Betrieb ("Publicly Owned Corporation"). So, together with two of her sons (including the children's book author, Max, jr.), they started dollmaking workshops in Bad Pyrmont and Donauwörth and even managed to establish themselves in the Federal Republic. She still designed the dolls (and they were still handmade), but was not involved in production because of poor health. She spent her last years with her eldest daughter, Maria in Munich. The company in recent years Today, the dolls at the Käthe Kruse Manufactory in Donauwörth are still made by hand. The bodies are either made with muslin and stuffed with reindeer hair, or have an inner wire skeleton covered with tricot knitting. The heads are made of fabric, papier maché or polystyrene and hand painted. Many have wigs knitted from real hair or mohair. Over the years, Käthe's daughter and successor, Hanne Adler-Kruse, introduced new items made of velour or terrycloth for babies. In 1990, the company was sold to Andrea and Stephen Christenson, who maintained the company's traditions. In 2013, the firm was acquired by Hape Holding AG of Lucerne. In Donauwörth, there is a Käthe-Kruse-Puppenmuseum. Permanent exhibitions may be found at the "Romanisches Haus" in Bad Kösen. References Further reading Thomas Dahl: Käthe Kruse Puppen. Katalog und Preisführer. Puppen und Spielzeug, Duisburg 2005, Gabriele Katz: Käthe Kruse. Die Biografie. Osburg Verlag, Berlin 2010, . Käthe Kruse, new edition edited by Sofie Rehbinder-Kruse: Ich und meine Puppen. Herder, Freiburg, 1986, , formerly titled Das grosse Puppenspiel, 1951. Max Kruse: Die versunkene Zeit – Bilder einer Kindheit im Käthe Kruse Haus (1921–1933). BoD, Norderstedt 2000, . Max Kruse: Die behütete Zeit – eine Jugend im Käthe Kruse Haus (1933–1945). BoD, Norderstedt 2000, . Max Kruse: Die verwandelte Zeit – Der Wiederaufbau der Käthe Kruse Werkstätten in Bad Pyrmont (1945–1958). Puppen und Spielzeug, Duisburg 1996, . Käthe Kruse, Ursula