Struwwelpeter’s iconic stories are ubiquitous in Germany. We happen to live in the epicenter of shock-haired Peter, the famous set of stories written for children so they would cozy up to their doctor, rather than burst into hysterics as he entered the room. I love to read local stories as we travel, especially folk tale, so we dove in to Struwwelpeter.
Heinrich Hoffmann, the author, lived and worked in Frankfurt am Main. He worked at a hospital for the mentally ill, and occasionally he worked with children, who were reluctant to see him. So he’d doodle a sketch and tell a quick story to establish a rapport.
Struwwelpeter comes from a gift he made for his son. He published it reluctantly at the urging of his friends, to huge success. It has become a national and international staple of children’s literature.
Why Compare?
Struwwelpeter has been published in hundreds and hundreds of editions. I have three editions in English, and it’s fun to compare them.
The Dover edition is a nice size (even for a classroom), and apologizes in the publication information for the offensive black boy story, and explains its reluctance for censorship.
The Mark Twain translation isn’t my favorite (even though I love Mark Twain!). However, his footnotes to children as a translator are seriously hilarious (laugh-out-loud funny!).
Looking over different translations and different editions gives a little more nuance and insight into the history and importance of this piece in the world of literature.
Since Mark Twain’s books have spent time on the chopping block of censorship, I think it’s interesting he gave a go at translating Struwwelpeter, which also colorfully reflects the abhorrent attitudes of its day. Struwwelpeter includes an offensive story about a black boy (whose abusers may get punished, but the language remains shocking and awful), and a gory story about a thumb-sucker’s thumbs being cut off.
Why Continue?
This book is still being passed down and around in nostalgic lore as an iconic cultural text. I haven’t shared this book as a baby gift—just couldn’t do it. I have shared it with my kids, though.
When we read Struwwelpeter, we discuss it as we go, like we did with the offensive (blackface) and colorful (drunken) sections of The Adventures of Tintin or The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Frankly, the issues (personal grooming, paying attention, showing respect for others) remain relevant. The images are striking fun–pure magic, imbued with extra significance as icons over time.
Literary Tradition
I’m pinching myself to live in a city with famous literary roots like Struwwelpeter’s Hoffmann as well as writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, philosopher Theodor W. Adorno, and the Frankfurt Book Fair.
If you plan to live or travel in Germany, you’ll run into references to Struwwelpeter along with other German treasures of folk tale, like Max and Moritz and Grimm’s Fairy Tales.
The Weather
The Saturday I visited the Struwwelpeter Museum (in late September) was gray and raining, but we joined the throngs of locals and went out anyway.
That’s one thing I love about German culture: it is bracing and festive despite dark days and wet drizzle. Between the Stuwwelpeter Museum, street food, an antique store, and general antics in the Old Town, it was a grand day out.
The Museum
The Struwwelpeter Museum is in the reconstructed Altstadt (Old Town), near the Römerburg.
The museum itself is all in German. The only English display is in the entrance. Whether or not you enter the exhibits, the colorful gift shop is a fun stop.
The hours of operation have changed during the coronavirus (currently 2-6, Wed-Sun), so I recommend calling before you make a special trip.
Folk Tale and Travel by Literature
If you have a favorite folk tale, or a favorite film based on or referencing folk tale, please share it with me! I’m curious!
Have you ever read something as you traveled that changed your perception of the place, or made the trip more engaging? What and where?
Are you reading anything instead of traveling right now? What book or topic of study is taking you places?
Please email me at mandy at experienceconnectrelish dot com.
© 2020 – 2022, experience connect relish – all rights reserved.
2 Comments
Cat Defender
2022-01-25 at 8:24 AMAlso, I have the Dover version. Is the translation with the British flag on the cover any different from the Dover one? For example, “Augustus was a chubby lad/Fat ruddy cheeks Augustus had/And everybody saw with joy/The plump and hearty healthy boy”?
Cat Defender
2022-01-25 at 7:54 AMI take it Suppenkaspar is your favorite poem? It’s mine, too, and I do adore reading various translations. I did rewrite some of the poems, though, so that their endings are a little less sad. Those kids deserved better!