1956 LEGO Sets

1956 was another important milestone year for the LEGO Group. In this year LEGO began its expansion into various neighboring European markets including Germany and LEGO opened its first foreign sales company in Hohenwestedt, Germany. As LEGO began to expand sales they also simplified the Mursten theme. Since 1954 LEGO had sold both the old panel-like windows and doors and the new window system that relied on the studs for attachment. In 1956 the old windows were dropped. The slotted bricks were now obsolete and were replaced with a new solid wall design, the first change to the brick since 1949. This new, simplified system would be the only toy offered in new foreign markets.

1956 saw only couple dozen new sets with most concentrating both on the original Mursten theme and the newer System i Leg. Of these new sets, most were supplementary sets and a number of new play sets including a vehicle, the VW Van, Cyclists/Motorcyclists, Traffic Police and an Esso Filling Station was also introduced. Denmark Only Items. Individual LEGO brick sales were restricted to Denmark, except for the large 2x12 (700/24) and 2x14 (700/28) bricks, which were also sold individually in Sweden and Norway.