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So thats what kids in Germany read....

  • Thread starter DavyJones
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DavyJones

Is ready to take this hobby to a whole new level
I'm currently taking a course on children's literature in Germany. We are beginning to enter the more modern phase of this topic, and as such, are wrapping up the historical aspects of it. I had long since read the story about which I will write, but only after having to complete an assignment over it, came across this 'nugget' that one could only find online.

The story, "Der Struwwelpeter," or in english, "Slovenly Peter," is an incredibly popular children's picture book in Germany, that was written in the late 1800's. The book is public domain, and there are many websites that have the story translated, if you are curious. The book is a series of really short stories, no longer then a short poem, which are designed to teach children lessons, like 'don't suck on your thumb,' or, 'don't lean back on your chair.' The catch is, most of the stories are gruesome and end in a rather interesting fashion, e.g. girl who plays with a lighter burns down to a pile of ashes. The illustrations are marvelous.

Anyhow, I stumbled across this short video, which is a modern re-make of one of the more famous stories contained in Struwwelpeter. What a great way to teach kids not to suck on their thumbs!

<object width="400" height="302"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1041825&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1041825&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="302"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/1041825">Struwwelpeter: The Story of the Thumb Sucker</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/wyldstallyons">Wyld Stallyons</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.
 
That's...a bit disturbing, but yet, I liked it. Hehe.
 
The music was perfect. That was slightly disturbing though, the scissor guy was pretty creepy.
 
HA HA! Weird & wild! :-))
I love that name Slovenly Peter!

Have you seen Edward Gorey's books? They call them "children's books" too but he really didn't even like kids (or other people) very much!
 
My brother has a German high school exchange student living with them this year and she's mature way beyond her years. I mentioned it to someone at work and he mentioned that he had noticed the same in a German student he knew. Children must have to grow up fast to survive the trauma of repeated exposure to Struwwelpeter.
 
I was born in Germany and I remember that book,I'm 39 years old so it's been awhile.
 
Haha. I remember those books from my childhood. So frightening... :|

Children must have to grow up fast to survive the trauma of repeated exposure to Struwwelpeter.

Well, there's that. There's also the fact that any two given points in Germany (and most of the rest of Europe) are connected and easily traveled by mass transit. Kids seem to become much more independent much earlier due in part to the fact that they have access to transportation without their parents.
 
That's exactly the point....it has to be something that you will remember in order to learn the lesson!
 
haha i loved it!
 
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