{"id":15357,"date":"2023-04-03T11:04:33","date_gmt":"2023-04-03T09:04:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fromplacetoplace.travel\/?p=15357"},"modified":"2023-04-03T11:04:37","modified_gmt":"2023-04-03T09:04:37","slug":"kika-figures-in-erfurt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fromplacetoplace.travel\/germany\/thuringia\/erfurt\/kika-figures-in-erfurt\/","title":{"rendered":"Sandman, dear Sandman"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Picture this: You walk through a town, not expecting anything unusual. But then suddenly you see him \u2013 your favourite cartoon character from your childhood. The one that sent you to bed every night. The one that, in my days, existed twice: One for East Germany and one for West Germany. The Sandman. I am in Erfurt and in the middle of the town centre there he is: the Sandman, on a bench, looking at me. No, I don\u2019t want to go to bed, it is 1 o\u2019clock in the afternoon. But if he is not here to send me to bed, what on earth is he doing in Erfurt?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

This is the outcome of an idea from 2007. The TV channel KiKa from Erfurt (KiKa = Kinder Kanal = Kid\u2019s Channel) turned 10 and its most popular characters were dotted around the city to celebrate. Different artists took drawings and pictures of the characters and turned them into statues. They turned out really well. So far, there are 17 sculptures at 13 locations throughout the city, and more are to follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tourist information centre hands out maps to kids (and adults, of course) that mark the locations where the KiKa characters are. A fantastic idea that makes a city tour so much more interesting for children. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have already discovered some of the figures and combined the locations into a nice city walk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\t

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Looking for the KiKa characters in Erfurt<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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1. Das Sandm\u00e4nnchen – The Sandman<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Sandman (Das Sandm\u00e4nnchen) is a classic amongst kid\u2019s TV shows. From 1959 to 1989 two versions of The Sandman were on TV, one in Eastern Germany and one in Western Germany. During each ten-minute episode, kids were told short bedtime stories followed by the same bedtime ritual as the outro.
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The Sandman throws his sleeping sand into the air, children\u2019s eyes get tired and everyone goes to bed. All accompanied by the Sandman song, a song that I can still sing to this day.
\nAfter the German Reunification, the GDR version of the Sandman moved over to the German state TV network and has been on air on KiKa since 1997.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am a big fan of the Sandman and I was very happy to find him sitting on a bench in Erfurt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Address:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Kreuzgasse hinter der Kr\u00e4merbr\u00fccke (Kr\u00e4mer Bridge)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2. Pittiplatsch<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Sandman and Pittiplatsch with his friends Schnatterinchen (a duck) and Moppi (a dog) belong together. These puppets from GDR TV are still a part of the Sandman TV show just as they used to be in my childhood. In my family, we often use Pittiplatsch\u2019s characteristic catchphrase \u201cAch du meine Nase!\u201d (\u201cOh, by my nose!\u201d \u2013 used like \u201cgood grief\u201d or \u201cgoodness me\u201d) when we are surprised. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Now, Pittiplatsch occupies a spot in Erfurt, too. He sits on a bench and looks over the river Gera. It is almost a miraculous occurrence to find the little gnome by himself without a beaming child or adult next to him on the bench to take a good photo. Oh, and if you are looking for his friend Schnatterinchen the duck: You\u2019ll soon find her, too, as she will be added to the KiKa figurines in Erfurt in the near future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Address:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Rathausbr\u00fccke (Town Hall Bridge)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3.+4. Maus und Elefant – Mouse and Elephant<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What do you hear in your head when you think of Mouse TV (that is the international version of a very popular German kid\u2019s TV show called \u201cDie Sendung mit der Maus\u201d which translates to \u201cThe Show with the Mouse\u201d)? Is it the characteristic noise of the mouse fluttering its eyelashes?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

In between the segments of the show, the \u201cLach- und Sachgeschichten\u201d (stories to laugh and stories to learn), the mouse and the elephant appear for an interlude. As a kid I was always eagerly awaiting the characteristic thing the mouse would always do, the fluttering of the eyelashes. And of course, I was also looking forward to the loud trumpeting of the little, blue elephant. The elephant doesn\u2019t always appear in the interlude cartoons, sometimes it\u2019s their friend the yellow duck.
\nIt is so amusing how one is catapulted back into their childhood just by seeing the KiKa characters in Erfurt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Address:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

auf dem Anger (on the Green)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Elefant\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

5.+6. K\u00e4pt\u2019n Blaub\u00e4r und Hain Bl\u00f6d \u2013 Captain Bluebear and Hain Stupid<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Right in the middle of the river Gera are K\u00e4pt\u2019n Blaub\u00e4r and Hain Bl\u00f6d in their boat. Both of these characters originated in Mouse TV. There, they would have a segment where they would tell their cock-and-bull stories to Bluebear\u2019s grandchildren. Captain Bluebear would tell his over the top tales from his adventures at sea that are so unrealistic that his grandkids would at some point protest. But K\u00e4pt\u2019n Blaub\u00e4r usually has some sort of \u201cproof\u201d that would somehow back up his version of events.
\nHain Bl\u00f6d (Hain Stupid) is the Captain\u2019s assistant and is a true delight with his naive and scatter-brained personality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"KiKa-Figuren<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

These two were never really my favourites out of all the characters from Mouse TV even though they look absolutely adorable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Address:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In the river Gera near Schl\u00f6sserbr\u00fccke (Bridge of the Castles)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Tigerente – Tiger Duck<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Janosch and his tiger duck \u2013 for me personally, the tiger duck brings back more memories around reading the amazing books it was in but I know that many kids met he tiger duck first in the KiKa TV show or the Tiger Duck Club TV show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Tigerente\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The little duck with yellow and black stripes has also been turned into a statue and was placed into the Old Town of Erfurt. Now we just need Janosch and G\u00fcnter Kastenfrosch to join us and we are ready to leave for Panama. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Address:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Schl\u00f6sserstra\u00dfe<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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8. Tabaluga<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There is a quote from one of the songs of Tabaluga that translates to \u201cAs a young dragon I get to do things that the old ones don\u2019t do\u201d \u2013 Thank you Peter Maffay for this wonderful song! As a Peter Maffay fan I of course also listened to his Tabaluga stories and I love them. The lyrics are often so insightful and the adorable characters always appealed to me, especially at the concerts and live shows.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

I was a little less into the cartoon show that many children love to watch. I put that down to the fact that I was no longer in the target age group when the cartoons first aired. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Address:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In front of the State Chancellery<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9.+10. Bernd das Brot und Kikaninchen \u2013 Bernd the Bread and Kika-bunnyrabbit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I have been working at a daycare centre for years but Bernd the Bread and Kikaninchen never became part of my world. I just don\u2019t connect with the talking loaf of bread and the blue bunny and the kids at the daycare centre hardly ever talk about their stories. However, these two rose to immense popularity amongst the young KiKa viewers and I saw eyes light up in Erfurt when children spotted the statues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Address:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Bernd the Bread is next to the Town Hall at the Fish Market side
\nKikaninchen can be found on the playground behind the Kr\u00e4merbr\u00fccke<\/p>\n\n\n\n