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Franzi | Games
Franzi | Games 
History: MERKUR Sun
It is the signature symbol of our brand and the entire MERKUR GROUP: the smiling MERKUR Sun. But what did it actually look like in the past?
approx. 3 min.
History: MERKUR Sun
Shining for almost 50 years
Dot, dot, comma, dash – and the moon face is finished. A circle around it and some rays attached, so it can shine brightly.
Millions of people grew up with this German nursery rhyme and still pass it on to their children and grandchildren today. But did you know that this very rhyme was an inspiration for our trademark?
Join us as we take you through the history of the MERKUR Sun!
Father of the MERKUR Sun
The creator of our trademark was the late East Westphalian artist Werner Ganteföhr. His quote: “We did not consider a chimney sweep or a little piglet to be suitable. So the choice fell on a star. Every child knew the rhyme: dot, dot, comma, dash – and the moon face is finished. A circle around it and some rays attached so it can shine brightly.” remains unforgettable to this day and is inseparably linked with the creation of the MERKUR Sun.
Ganteföhr and Paul Gauselmann, founder of today’s MERKUR GROUP, first met in the early 1960s and remained closely connected until Werner Ganteföhr’s passing in 2013.
1/3 Since 2020, the MERKUR Sun has appeared in the form we know today.
2/3 The predecessor: Until 2015, the MERKUR Sun had a white face.
3/3 The origin: This is what the very first MERKUR Sun looked like back in 1976.
Over the years, the MERKUR Sun has been adapted, modernised, and presented in various colour variations. The last major milestone before today’s version was the equally well-known MERKUR Sun, with its distinctive yellow rays and white face. Until 2015, this Sun featured on almost all products, marketing materials, and external branding.
Pssst: Even today, this MERKUR Sun still appears here and there as a small exception – for example, on the white oversized “Enjoy the game” T-shirt from our MERKUR STREETWEAR brand.
