DIDYMOS over time
Courage, passion, and perseverance are key elements of our development –
and the story of DIDYMOS is also part of the history of babywearing in our modern Western society. Here you can explore the past decades from the Didy perspective at a glance…
1971
The Terra Magica photo book *“The Mother and Her Child,”* with its images of mothers from a wide variety of cultures carrying their children, inspires Erika Hoffmann to try it herself. Using a wrap brought back from Mexico by a friend, she begins her first attempts. In this way, she wants to give her newborn twins, Lisa and Tina, the same closeness and attention as their two older siblings.
Our name DIDYMOS—ancient Greek for “twins”—has reflected this ever since.
Summer 1972
The magazine *Stern* reports on Erika Hoffmann and her rediscovery of babywearing. The result: parents all across Germany are enthusiastic and get in touch—they want a baby wrap too! A business idea is born at the kitchen tabl.
In the end of 1972
The first DIDYMOS models are woven in Sindelfingen! They are striped and named Tom, Anna, Lisa, and Tina – the names of Erika Hoffmann’s children. The wraps mark the first partial success of an idea that, at the time, sounded crazy to many. But Erika Hoffmann secures funding from her local bank and, after a long search, finds a weaving mill that can produce in the required quality, without any harmful additives – though in larger quantities than she needs to meet the demand coming from across Germany.
Mid-1970
Erika Hoffmann is so convinced of babywearing that she continues to actively promote the baby wrap in Germany. With tireless determination, she wins over midwives, pediatricians, sports scientists, behavioral biologists, and many other experts to the idea of babywearing. At the same time, she develops various tying methods and instructions that have since become widely used standards, and the sizing system — also commonly used today — is created and continuously refined in the years that follow.
1976
The Hoffmann family and the still one-woman business DIDYMOS move from the small village of Massenbachhausen near Heilbronn to Ludwigsburg. Due to the relocation, sales of DIDYMOS baby wraps come almost to a complete standstill. For young parents, DIDYMOS is initially hard to find — it was a time before the internet.
1978
The first trainee begins her apprenticeship as a retail sales clerk at DIDYMOS. In addition, from size 3 onwards, DIDYMOS baby wraps have featured their characteristic parallelogram shape—another standard that is now widely used far beyond DIDYMOS. As the daughter of a master tailor, Erika Hoffmann knew that this shape allows the ends of the wrap to drape more elegantly. The tapered ends also provide a bit of extra fabric when tying a knot, making it possible to securely fasten DIDYMOS wraps even with the very last “tip.”
Early 80s
DIDYMOS transitions from a sole proprietorship to a limited liability company. The first computer—a Compaq with a DOS word processing program for letters and invoices—is purchased, replacing one of the Olivetti typewriters.
1983
The first university hospitals begin using DIDYMOS baby wraps in the care of premature and sick infants and babies.
1988
DIDYMOS moves into its first office in downtown Ludwigsburg. Until then, sales had always been conducted from the family’s home.
Late 1988
The first DIDYMOS baby wraps made from blended fabrics of hemp, linen, and wool are produced. Until then, all wraps since the late 1970s had been made from pure cotton.
1995/1996
In 1995, DIDYMOS develops the Kreuztrage® and Wickelkreuztrage carrying methods, which are now the most popular and widely used babywearing techniques. With the introduction of these methods, new wrap lengths—sizes 5 and 6—were added. Even back then, DIDYMOS produced custom lengths on request.
1996
DIDYMOS registers the domain [www.didymos.de](http://www.didymos.de) and enters the online world with its first website. This new communication medium paved the way a few years later for the international success of our baby wraps.
1997
Tina Hoffmann joins the company as the third family member, following Anna Hoffmann. The first limited-edition DIDYMOS models are produced.
1998
After moving into a historic commercial building in downtown Ludwigsburg, Anna Hoffmann opens the DIDYMOS store on the ground floor in October. In addition to all DIDYMOS baby wraps, the shop offers children’s clothing, selected toys, breastfeeding supplies, and—above all—personalized advice and a comprehensive course program. DIDYMOS also receives its first award as a family-friendly business in the state of Baden-Württemberg.
2005
The second generation takes on responsibility: Tina Hoffmann now shares the leadership of DIDYMOS with her mother. Erika Hoffmann remains actively involved in the company until her death in 2015, designing patterns, advising customers, and always serving as the first point of contact for her daughters on all matters concerning the family business.
2006
„“Loops with rings” – this slogan is used to promote the DidySling, which is now available in the online shop in two versions: with a ruffled pleat or gathered.
2007
Eva Vogelgesang for the Olgahospital Stuttgart and Tina Hoffmann for DIDYMOS jointly develop wraps and slings for premature babies and their parents, supporting important skin-to-skin contact and bonding in the hospital.
The first babywearing consultants are trained at our DIDYMOS Babywearing School. Initially only in Switzerland, from the end of 2009 training also takes place at our new premises in Ludwigsburg. Since then, the course instructors have been Eva Vogelgesang and Anna Hoffmann.
2008
DIDYMOS expands its online range with the DidyTai. This practical combination of baby carrier and wrap works entirely without buckles, snaps, or Velcro.
2012
DIDYMOS celebrates its 40th anniversary.
2012
Erika Hoffmann is posthumously honored at the WEAR Conference for her lifelong commitment to promoting babywearing and parent-child skin-to-skin contact. DIDYMOS learns that the names “Indio” and “Orient” can sound offensive in U.S. usage. Since this was never intended and we sincerely regret it, we have chosen the new names “Prima” and “Märchen.”
2016
The DidyKlick is launched. Its development had already begun in 2012 but was repeatedly put on hold. With the introduction of the DidyKlick, DIDYMOS now also offers a half buckle carrier in its range. At the Humboldt Forum in Berlin, an exhibition titled “Watch Out, Children! Loved, Protected, Endangered” takes place, and the beginnings of DIDYMOS are honored in a magazine feature.
2019
In September, we present our DidySnap — the first DIDYMOS Fullbuckle, also called a “buckle carrier/ready-to-wear carrier” — at the “Kind und Jugend” trade fair in Cologne. The first DidySnap units are delivered in December 2019.
2019
December: Stiftung Warentest awards our DIDYMOS baby wrap an overall rating of 1.8. Baby wraps are clearly the top performers, with ours achieving the best result. (Issue 2019/12).
2020
March: Ökotest also evaluates baby carriers. The DidyKlick receives the top rating of “Very Good” (Issue 2020/4). More information about DIDYMOS in testing.
