Character Type: Dutch character used in the advertising of cheese (and other dairy products)

Frau Antje is a Dutch icon, famous for her role in promoting the export of Dutch cheese to Germany. The character was created in 1959, when a young Dutch woman named Antje was working at a trade fair in Berlin. When she fell ill, her colleagues kept being asked “where Frau Antje was,” and the chief of the Dutch Dairy Organization decided there was commercial potential in the idea. He hired Kitty Janssen to be the first Frau Antje, and she quickly became a beloved figure in Germany. Dressed in a traditional Dutch costume and wearing wooden shoes, Frau Antje represented all that was good about the Netherlands: delicious food, beautiful scenery, and friendly people. Today, Frau Antje is still going strong, and she continues to be a valuable asset to the Dutch dairy industry. She is a symbol of Dutch culture and heritage, and she is loved by people all over the world.