Punch and Judy Shows: Germany
Figure 1.-- A Germany reader tells us, "My son, born in 1968, had a homemade Kasperletheater. It was a u-form paper wrapping, carton, standing, set up 1.50 m (5 feet) broad and 1.80 m (6 feet) high with an open rectangular cut and a curtain to show the figures. He played behind and in front of the "theater" with his playmates. He had some "Handspielpuppen", of course "Kasperle" and
a "Hexe" (witch, which we still have; I add a photo of the witch - a side remark, the tooth in her mouth is one of his genuine milk-teeth)."
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Punch and Judy also appear to have been popular in Germany. It was called "Kasperletheater" or Kasper Theater". The tradition dates back hundreds of years. We remember a scene from an Elvis Presly film set after World war II in the 1950s.
History
Kasper is a traditional German pupet character going back hundreds of years. He comes from the same tradition as Punch and Judy in England. The origins are the Italian Commedia dell’arte.
Cheactrs
Kasper is the most important hnd puppet character. Other names include Kasperl or Kasperle--Little Kasper). Early characters were Pickelhering, and Hans Wurst (Jack Sausage), and Polcinell. These characters varied from performer to performer, but they were normally a silly, simple, and almost always rude. These characters were not just for children but performed for adult audiences. Slapstick commedy was the rule. The modern image of Kasper was influed by a string puppet, Kasper Larifari, in the play "Prinz Rosenrot und Prinzessin Lilienweiß oder Die bezauberte Lilie" (Prince Rose-Red and Princess Lily-White or The enchanted Lily) by Graf Pocci in Munich (1858). Pocci depicted Kasper as a rather dim-witted, but essentially good hearted and brave individual. He assisted Prince Rose-Red who to of course rescue the Princess from the bad wizard Negromanticus. Kasper and other characters even today in German apper in streets, parks, markets or fairs. The plays vary, but essentially Kasper has to face a range of adversaries (witch, devil, crofies, and many more). And of course he does it with slapstick humor.
Puppets were popular toys in Germany for both boys and girls. If a German child was lucky they would get a whole puppet theater. American readers will remember the puppet theater from "Sound of Music", actually those were marionettes. They were a little complicated to operate. But even very young children can play with hand puppets. They were called a Kasper Theater.
Personal Experiences
A German reader tells us, "Kasperletheater was and is very popular in Germany. In my youth, 1935 born, - no TV ! - it was always an attraction if a Kasperletheater came to a place. We wanted to go there (like going always to a "Zirkus", with the clown
and the animals when it came to the city or village). My son, born in 1968, had a homemade Kasperletheater. It was a u-form paper wrapping, carton, standing, set up 1.50 m (5 feet) broad and 1.80 m (6 feet) high with an open rectangular cut and a curtain to show the figures. He played behind and in front of the "theater" with his playmates. He had some "Handspielpuppen", of course "Kasperle" and
a "Hexe" (witch, which we still have; I add a photo of the witch - a side remark, the tooth in her mouth is one of his genuine milk-teeth). The heads of the figures were homemade from "Pappmasche" (paper pulp) with clothes falling down (like cloths for
dollies). Especially for a birthday party he prepared a play to perform it for the guests. Other typical figures are a horse with a king or a knight, a policeman, a teacher, other boys, a nice girl, the grandmother, the wolf or a bear, a crocodile."
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Created: 3:54 AM 1/24/2005
Last updated: 2:35 AM 3/13/2007