Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1984-1126-313, Sandmännchen, 25

Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1984-1126-312, Sandmännchen, 25

''Unser Sandmännchen'' ("Our Little Sandman"), ''Das Sandmännchen'' ("The Little Sandman"), ''Der Abendgruß'' ("The Evening-Greeting"), ''Abendgruß'' ("Evening-Greeting"), ''Der Sandmann'' ("The Sandman"), ''Sandmann'' ("Sandman"), ''Sandmännchen'' ("Little Sandman") is a German children's bedtime television programme using

stop motion animation Stop motion is an animated filmmaking technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exhibit independent motion or change when the series of frames i ...

. The puppet was based on the

Ole Lukøje "Ole Lukøje" ( da, Ole Lukøje) is a literary fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen based upon a folk tale telling of a mysterious mythic creature of the Sandman who gently takes children to sleep and, depending on how good or bad they were, s ...

character by

Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen ( , ; 2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his literary fairy tales. Andersen's fairy tales, consisti ...

. Two versions of ''Sandmännchen'' were created: one in

East Germany East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

(''Unser Sandmännchen''), and one in

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

(''Das Sandmännchen''). The series has aired more episodes than any other television series and is the longest running animated television series in history.

Background

The original idea came from of

West Berlin West Berlin (german: Berlin (West) or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin during the years of the Cold War. Although West Berlin was de jure not part of West Germany, lacked any sovereignty, and was under mi ...

TV and radio station Sender Freies Berlin (SFB), who, with the help of author Johanna Schüppel, developed a working version in 1958. ''The Little Sandman'' himself first appeared on screen in West Berlin in ''Sandmännchens Gruß für Kinder'' (''Sandmännchen's Greeting to Children'') on 1 December 1959, and other episodes were soon made. However, on 22 November 1959 (only three weeks after the production had started), East German television Deutscher Fernsehfunk (DFF) began broadcasting its own ''Unser Sandmännchen'', complete with its own "good night, children" character, also called ''Sandmännchen''. Created by the puppetmaster and director Gerhard Behrendt, the East German show represented everyday life, travel, and fantastic adventures. The character often showcased socialist technological achievements, such as the use of awe-inspiring vehicles like futuristic cars and flying devices. It was very popular with GDR citizens to the point that after the wall fell, former citizens lamented the appropriation of the beloved cartoon by corporate West German television. The production of the West German version of ''Sandmännchen'' ceased in 1991, following the unification of Germany. The East German version was ultimately more popular, and repeats of episodes are still broadcast today. A full-length feature film, ''

The Sandman and the Lost Sand of Dreams ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in En ...

'' (German: '' Das Sandmännchen – Abenteuer im Traumland'', literally "The Little Sandman – Adventure in Dreamland"), was released in

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

Bundesarchiv Bild 183-U1109-022, Berlin, Sandmännchen

Theme tune

Wolfgang Richter composed the theme to the East German programme in just three hours one evening. Wolfgang Krumbach wrote the text. It was sung by the Rundfunk-Kinderchor Berlin. Opening verse (on the Sandman's arrival): :"Sandmann, lieber Sandmann, es ist noch nicht so weit! :Wir sehen erst den Abendgruß, ehe jedes Kind ins Bettchen muß, :du hast gewiß noch Zeit." Translation: :Sandman, dear Sandman, it's not yet time! :First we'll watch the "Evening Greeting" before every child must go to bed. :Surely you have time for that. There was a second verse which was dropped after the German reunification because it mentions the East German Fernsehfunk which no longer existed: :"Sandmann, lieber Sandmann, hab nur nicht solche Eil! :Dem Abendgruß vom Fernsehfunk lauscht jeden Abend alt und jung, :sei unser Gast derweil." Translation: :Sandman, dear Sandman, don't be in such a rush! :Everyone, young and old, listens to the "Evening Greeting" every night. :Please be our guest for that. Closing verse (when he leaves): :"Kinder, liebe Kinder, das hat mir Spaß gemacht. :Nun schnell ins Bett und schlaft recht schön. :Dann will auch ich zur Ruhe gehn. Ich wünsch' euch gute Nacht." Translation: :Children, dear children, that was fun. :Now, quick, to bed and sleep tight. :Then I will also go and rest. I wish you a good night. The score and overall design of the show was remarkably elaborate for a children's television production. The Sandman often visited other countries, and this fact was frequently emphasised by the use of traditional instrumentation and harmony added to the score.

International broadcasts

The East German show was shown in many countries, including western countries like

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

and

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

. The show was named "Jon Blund" in Norway, "John Blund" in Sweden and "Nukkumatti" in Finland. The theme song in Norway went as follows: :"Hvem er denne karen med skjegg og lue på? :Han ligner litt på nissen i grunn, det er ikke ham det er Jon Blund. :Han besøker store og små." In English, this means: :Who is this man with a beard and a hat on? :He looks a bit like santa actually, but it's not him it's Jon Blund. :He visits children big and small. The first verse of the theme song in Swedish was: :"Titta, kom och titta, kom sätt er här omkring. :Det dröjer säkert ännu en stund innan sömnen kommer med John Blund. :Han vill visa oss någonting." In English, this means: :"Look, come look, come sit down around here. :It will surely be a while yet before sleep comes with John Blund. :He wants to show us something." The theme song in Finland was: :Nukkumatti, nukkumatti lasten, illoin kulkee, heittää unihiekkaa. :Päivän leikit aika lopettaa on, kun TV:n iltasatu alkaa. :Satu päättyi näin ja lapset käyvät jo nukkumaan, siis hyvää yötä. In English, this means: :Sandman, the children's own Sandman, makes his rounds at night, sprinkling dream sand. :It's time to cease the games of the day, when the TV bedtime story begins. :Thus ended the fairy-tale, and the children are already going to bed, so good night.

Supporting characters

The Sandmännchen stories contained a number of characters who remain popular today: *'' Pittiplatsch'', a little round-bodied

kobold A kobold (occasionally cobold) is a mythical sprite. Having spread into Europe with various spellings including "goblin" and "hobgoblin", and later taking root and stemming from Germanic mythology, the concept survived into modern times in Ger ...

, with his friends ', a

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form t ...

, and ''Moppi'', a

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...

. *', a

fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

, and his friend ', a

magpie Magpies are birds of the Corvidae family. Like other members of their family, they are widely considered to be intelligent creatures. The Eurasian magpie, for instance, is thought to rank among the world's most intelligent creatures, and is one ...

. *', a

water sprite A sprite is a supernatural entity in European mythology. They are often depicted as fairy-like creatures or as an ethereal entity. The word ''sprite'' is derived from the Latin ''spiritus'' ("spirit"), via the French '' esprit''. Variations on ...

, and his friend '' Küken'', a baby

chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...

In popular culture

Even after German unification merged the former

German Democratic Republic German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

into the Federal Republic of Germany, the ''Sandmännchen'' has retained a following, and it continues to be shown every night on German television. Periodic references have been made to it in film and literature. * In 2009, the band Oomph! released the single "Sandmann". The song is about the child poverty in Germany and has many references to Sandmännchen. * ''Unser Sandmännchen'' is featured in the 2003 film ''

Good Bye, Lenin! ''Good Bye Lenin!'' is a 2003 German tragicomedy film, directed by Wolfgang Becker. The cast includes Daniel Brühl, Katrin Sass, Chulpan Khamatova, and Maria Simon. The story follows a family in East Germany (GDR); the mother (Sass) is dedica ...

''. * The German

industrial metal Industrial metal is the fusion of heavy metal and industrial music, typically employing repeating metal guitar riffs, sampling, synthesizer or sequencer lines, and distorted vocals. Prominent industrial metal acts include Ministry, Nine In ...

band Rammstein uses the opening

monologue In theatre, a monologue (from el, μονόλογος, from μόνος ''mónos'', "alone, solitary" and λόγος ''lógos'', "speech") is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes a ...

from the West German ''Sandmännchen'', ''Nun, liebe Kinder, gebt fein Acht. Ich habe euch etwas mitgebracht'' (''Now, dear children, pay attention. I have brought you something''), in the intro to their song "

Mein Herz brennt "Mein Herz brennt" (German for "My heart burns") is a song by German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein. The song first appeared as the opening track to the band's third studio album, '' Mutter'' (2001), and was used as the opening track for conc ...

". The original demo version of the song was called "Sandmann". In the demo version, the contents had a darker tone than the finished version. In "Sandmann", a psychopath has murdered the real Sandmann, and masquerades as him. * The Norwegian 52 minute long documentary '' Sandmann – Historien om en sosialistisk supermann'' (''Sandmännchen – The History of a Socialistic Superman'') by Jannicke Systad Jacobsen from 2005 looks back on the rise and fall of

East German East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

socialism Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the e ...

through the tales of Sandmann. * An application for

iOS iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...

has been released on 11 November 2015. * ''Unser Sandmännchen'' is the protagonist of the pop-essay ''La Repubblica di Sabbiolino - DDR... ma non troppo!'' (''The Sandman Republic - DDR… but not too much!''), by italian journalist Francesco Cristino published in Italy in 2020.

References

External links