LEGO Mursten, produced between 1949 and 1953, were the first plastic building blocks by the LEGO Group. These early sets, known as LEGO Basic Sets, included simple, hollow rectangular bricks without the modern stud-and-tube locking mechanism. Sold primarily in Denmark and a few European countries, these sets laid the groundwork for the modern LEGO system. In 1953, the Mursten evolved into "Automatic Binding Bricks," featuring an improved design that eventually led to the patented stud-and-tube system in 1958, which greatly enhanced the stability and versatility of LEGO constructions.
1956 LEGO Sets
1956 was a milestone year in LEGO’s European expansion, with the opening of its first foreign sales company in Hohenwestedt, Germany. As sales increased, LEGO streamlined its Mursten line, discontinuing older panel-style windows and slotted bricks in favor of solid-wall designs compatible with the new System i Leg standard. The year’s sets included both basic assortments and play-focused models such as the VW Van, Traffic Police, and Esso Filling Station, emphasizing everyday realism. Individual brick sales remained limited to Scandinavia during this period.