Fichtelgebirgskasperle
Fichtelgebirgs puppets are theater puppets from the Fichtelgebirge that were created in the 20th century. In order to give his little son Christmas joy , the baker and carpenter Karl Pöhlmann from Selb formed the first puppet figure after his return from the war in December 1946 . Friends and acquaintances asked him if he would like to build puppets and theater sets for their children as well . In February 1949, Pöhlmann finally set about producing his dolls and accessories commercially and selling them nationally and internationally under the name "Fichtelgebirgs Punch Puppets".
Manufacturing
Pöhlmann used the pulp from the paper mill in Selb as the starting point for the production of the dolls' heads, from which a pressable mass for heads, hands and feet could be developed by adding glue and other binding agents . He made the simple wooden models himself.
For the heads, Pöhlmann cast plaster molds based on his own clay models. The bakery was dried in the oven. The heads shrunk by around 20% of their original size. The whole family and one other worker helped with the completion of the dolls. In addition to the figures, Pöhlmann also produced a theater stage with different sets and play templates. The company Franz Dietrich in Selb printed backdrops using the screen printing process.
distribution
In the first year he made his way to the Rhineland with a sample collection . He quickly sold everything and was able to win new customers for his products. Soon 6-8 sales representatives were selling his "Fichtelgebirgs-Kasperle" as well as the accessories that could be bought in retail outlets, in toy shops, all over Germany , Belgium and Switzerland . The accessories included three different text books, the puppet stage and a backdrop painted on both sides depicting a farmhouse parlor and its landscape. Pöhlmann wrote the texts himself. These are typical, simple stories. The figures appear next to Kasper, the king, the princess, the policeman, the robber and the crocodile.
Cessation of production
Karl Pöhlmann died in 1952. His wife initially kept the company going. In the late 1950s , operations were completely shut down.
memory
Nowadays the performances by Karl Pöhlmann's son Hans Pöhlmann are reminiscent of the “Fichtelgebirgs-Kasperl”.
exhibition
The Fichtelgebirgsmuseum in Wunsiedel shows as part of its permanent exhibition Children's Worlds - Play Worlds, which was opened in 2004, dolls, backdrops and equipment for the production of the Fichtelgebirgs puppet figures.
literature
- Daniel Oelbauer: Tri Tra Trallala the Kasperle is back. Karl Pöhlmann (1912–1952) himself and his Fichtelgebirgskasperle dolls. In: The Seven Star. 75 2006, pp. 8-9