A 45-year-old man's search for the teddy bear his deceased mother gave him is stirring the internet.

The 45-year-old man, who is searching for his stolen teddy bear in Berlin with a €1,000 reward, has been inundated with sympathetic messages. However, so far, there are no clear leads.

"There were (...) numerous messages from people who wrote to me expressing how awful they found the whole thing and keeping their fingers crossed that 'Mini' would resurface," Bielefeld gallery owner Marcus Erlenbauer told the German Press Agency about the status of his search. "The search has been truly overwhelming."

The gallery owner and his partner had met an actress at a bar on Unter den Linden during a visit to Berlin on June 3 and briefly lost sight of their valuables. Thieves struck.

In addition to traditional valuables, "Mini," the 12-centimeter-tall teddy bear, also disappeared. "It's been my talisman for 30 years. It was a gift from my mother, who died very tragically," Erlenbauer said in an interview with dpa. The loss devastated him. The touching story went viral online and sparked thousands of reactions on social media, mostly filled with sympathy.

"Only one person called, asking if there really was a €1,000 reward, and who supposedly wants to do everything they can to get 'Mini' back," Erlenbauer explained. "But this person has only contacted me once so far."

Since last week, a large-scale search for the beloved little teddy bear has been underway in the capital. A reward of 1,000 euros has been offered on posters throughout the capital, "if the little bear is returned to us unharmed."

In addition to the posters in German, a dedicated website in English, Polish, Romanian, and Bulgarian is asking for information about the stolen stuffed animal. Flyers have also been distributed throughout the city. Information can be received by calling 0176 630 57 301.