Subject:
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Surprising New Owner of MODULEX....
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.general
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Date:
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Thu, 30 Oct 2014 21:27:19 GMT
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OK... I need to pay attention to these things better.... ;-)
The new re-introduction of diminutive scale Modulex Bricks, which were first
produced by TLG as an architectural system in 1962-63 is what I'm talking
about... Modulex was a smaller version of LEGO that was not designed on the LEGO
6:6:5 (Length x Width x Height) but on a more perfect 5:5:5 scale... where a 1x1
brick is an actual cube, instead of a rectangle.
Modulex was spun off by TLG in 1965, and morphed from an architectural bricks
and industrial design system into one of the largest sign companies... which
although still in business today... stopped producing the small plastic bricks
decades ago.
For those unfamiliar with Modulex... here's a quick overview... from Appendix D
of my 2800 page Unofficial LEGO Sets/Parts Collectors Guide...
http://www.youblisher.com/p/734257-MODULEX-Architectural-System-Appendix-D/
So anyway... the cool Modulex system has not been produced for many decades...
and earlier this summer it was announced that Modulex was going to be
re-introduced... that someone got the license to produce these again. I wasn't
paying attention, and really didn't think much about it.... until TODAY....
I just found out that the person who now owns the license is a Dane by the name
of Anders Kirk Johansen... ding ding ding.... alarm bells went off... but the
good kind!! ;-)
I'm adding a new chapter for my next version of my collectors guide (free to
current owners)... based on the LEGO founding family... the
Christiansen/Kristiansen family. And in putting this together I researched the
4th generation of the family... namely Sofie Kirk Kristiansen (37), Thomas Kirk
Kristiansen (36), Agnete Kirk Kristiansen (31)... and their cousin (bingo!)
Anders Kirk Johansen (31) !!
First some background....
Lego founder Ole Kirk Christainsen (1891-1958) had 4 boys... Godtfred
(1920-1995), Johannes, Gerhardt and Karl Georg. Godtfrend was the "LEGO System"
guy and bought his 3 bothers out of their share of the company in the early
1960s, because they wanted wooden toys... and Godtfred insisted on plastic toys
only. So eventually Godtfred's family became billionaires today... but the other
3 brothers family didn't fare so well... I don't believe there's even a
millionaire among the rest of them.
So Godtfred had 3 kids... the oldest was Gunhild (1946- ), Kjeld (1947-) and
Hanne (1951-1969). These 3 kids would be on LEGO set boxes of 1953-60...
Such as this 1955-57 design of the 700/3A basic set of the Netherlands box top
showing Gunhild, Hanne, and Kjeld...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/istokg/10322870175/sizes/l
Anyway... now that you know the 3 grandkids of LEGO founder Ole Kirk
Christiansen (and kids of Godtfred Kirk Christiansen)... Hanne died in 1969 in a
car accident that Kjeld was severly injured in. So that just left Kjeld and
Gunhild as the future heirs of what eventually became LEGO billions.
Fast forward to the present.
Godtfred died in 1995, and his 2 surviving children (and his still surviving 90
year old widow Edith) became the owners of KIRKBI A/S the parent holding company
of TLG.
Here is a modern day image of Gunhild, and her husband Mogans Johansen. Also in
this image is her still surviving mother Edith Kirk Christiansen, who turned 90
this past May 29th.... this image was at the 2012 wedding of their son/grandson
(drum roll) Anders Kirk Johansen....
https://www.flickr.com/photos/istokg/11612033765/sizes/o/
Back in 2007 Gunhild's brother Kjeld... bought out Gunhild's share of the LEGO
family fortune. LEGO was still recovering from the 2004 disaster... and Gunhild
received more than $1 billion dollars for her share.
Now fast forward to today... TLG is now valued at about $14 billion... but one
can't feel real bad for Gunhild... she has more money than she will ever spend.
So one of the spenders of her share of TLG... is the oldest of her and Mogan's 3
sons... Anders Kirk Johansen.
Here we seen Anders in front of "Rohden Gods"...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/istokg/11615007373/sizes/l
Rohden Gods is the 5 story palatial villa near the coast of Jutland... about a
half hours drive from Billund. Rohden Gods was the former residence of the
Canadian Ambassador... and the estate was purchased a few years back for $40
million... with a lot more put into it to restore the great country house.
So this is Anders Kirk Johansen... the new owner of Modulex Bricks!! With a mom
with very deep pockets... and an uncle even richer.... it adds interest to the
Modulex story. This is not some cheap endeavor to bring back the Modulex
system... but a monied LEGO family member. So I see good things for Modulex!
And why did I go to all the trouble of even mentioning Rohden Gods estate? Well
there is a reason for that... it seems that when you do a Google search on the
Modulex Bricks new business address... you get this:
Rohdenvej 4
7140 Stouby
DK
And that address near the Danish town of Stouby, just happens to be that of....
Rohden Gods Estate... ;-)
I neglected to mention that Rohden Gods estate was purchased by Anders Kirk
Johansen as his own home and that of his wife. The house doesn't look like it's
worth $40 million, but it is built on a hillside, with the ground sloping down
towards the much more impressive back of the house, and is very palatial on the
inside. Here Anders and his wife entertain friends such as the Crown Prince and
Princess of Denmark (son and daughter-in-law of the Queen of Denmark), as well
as cousins Sofie, Thomas and Agnete (children of Kjeld). And now the estate is
the HQ for Modulex.
Rohden Gods estate is more than just a fantasy for the rich (and not so
famous)... the buildings on the estate (besides the main house)... also provide
an eye opener for visitors. I'm not sure whether or not Modulex production will
be housed within the estate itself... but this certainly is one of the more
interesting places in Denmark... ;-)
(Be sure to click on the website image for a slideshow...)
http://cargocollective.com/andreasbrink/Rohden-Gods
So now you know... the rest of the story....
Gary Istok
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Surprising New Owner of MODULEX....
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| Wow... talk about Deja Vu.... I just noticed the date... It was 45 years ago today... Oct. 30, 1969... that poor young (18 year old at the time) Hanne Christiansen (younger sister to both Gunhild and Kjeld) died of injuries sustained in a car (...) (9 years ago, 30-Oct-14, to lugnet.general)
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