Everyone really knows this figure: Our sandman has been rushing with a noise beard, pointed hat and sleeping sand on TV for decades. The show reaches millions of people every day and helps the youngest to escape into the land of dreams well -protected. But if you knew that there is actually a truth behind the popular figure hides an extremely brutal story?
Our sandman: an icon on German TV
Our sandman is something very special on German TV. Since 1959, the white -bearded males in Germany have brought children to bed with its sleeping sand and is supposed to ensure sweet dreams. During the German division there was an east and west version of the figure, but after the turn, the GDR variant prevailed. To date, success has been unbroken: With over 22,000 episodes, the cult show even holds the record as the most durable TV series worldwide!
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Figures like Pittiplatsch and Schnatterinchen Generations helped fall asleep and still provide pure nostalgia. For many, the show symbolizes a piece of childhood that has been flickering on the screen for more than 60 years – and so far there is no end in sight.
Extremely brutal: The story behind the sandman is not for the faint of heart
Today we know the sandman as a harmless figure, which makes the extremely young audience smile with a pointed cap and noise beard. However, what few know: The sandman is not a pure invention for TV, but actually has a really creepy origin.
In fact, the Sandmann is a European legend shape that was mentioned for the first time ago. Especially in the German folklore, things were extremely brutal: There were various children’s scissors that draw the image of a brutal demon that tears out his sacrifices. Author Eta Hoffmann (1776–1822) showed in the narrative of the same name how cruel the Sandmann could be:
“He comes to the children if they don’t want to go to bed, And puts them in their eyes in their hands to jump out bloody to the head. ”
A short time later, however, the harmless Sandmann variant prevailed that we know today. Especially Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) broke with the German horror tradition and designed a wise, dear Sandmann, who is supposed to bring children with stories instead of fear. This figure inspired our sandman as we know it today.
Our sandman: Then the show runs on TV
The show is broadcast on several broadcasts: