Unser Sandmännchen, Das Sandmännchen, Abendgruß, Sandmann, Sandmännchen (Little Sandman) is a German children's bedtime television programme using stop motion animation. The puppet was based on the Ole Lukøje character by Hans Christian Andersen.
Two versions of Sandmännchen were created: one in East Germany (Unser Sandmännchen), and one in West Germany (Das Sandmännchen).
The original idea came from Ilse Obrig of West Berlin 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 December 1959 (less than three weeks after the production had started), East German television (Deutscher Fernsehfunk, DFF) began broadcasting Unser Sandmännchen with its own "good night, children" character, also called Sandmännchen.
Created by the puppetmaster and director Gerhard Behrendt, the show represented everyday life, travel, and fantastic adventure, as well as a certain amount of propaganda. Some people claim that the title character bears a resemblance to the then leader of the DDR, Walter Ulbricht, and the show was often a showcase for DDR and Socialist technology and success. This is one of the reasons why he often arrived in awe-inspiring vehicles like futuristic cars and flying devices.
The production of the Western version of Sandmännchen ceased in 1991, following the unification of Germany. However, episodes from the DFF show are still run on German television today.
v.l.n.r.: Susi Claus (Schnatterinchen), Christian Sengewald (Pittiplatsch), Martin Paas (Moppi)
East German Sandmännchen in the Palace of the Republic
The West German version of Sandmännchen did not last as long as the East German version that today's German children know as the only one
On November 22nd, 2019 the program "Unser Sandmännchen" was 60 years old. For the big birthday of Germany's most popular and oldest children's television character, the lead broadcasting company Berlin-Brandenburg (rbb), together with the co-producing broadcasters MDR and NDR and KiKA, planned an entertaining television program and numerous activities.
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