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The Sandmännchen in Pictures
Created in East Germany, the Sandmännchen (little sandman), has been sending children off to bed in a daily super-cute evening TV broadcast for kids since 1959. In honor of his 50th birthday the first feature-length film starring the Sandmännchen is scheduled to open in German movie theaters in 2009.
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An East German (left) and West German (right) Sandmännchen are depicted side by side in December 2008 as part of an exhibition honoring the popular little puppet's 50th birthday in 2009 at Frankfurt's Museum of Communication. (© picture-alliance/dpa) -
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The Sandmännchen on display as an underwater explorer at the famous Babelsberg Filmpark film studios in Potsdam near Berlin. (© picture-alliance/dpa) -
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A visitor checks out a Sandmännchen figure in January 2009 at an exhibition on GDR-era TV at the Industry Museum in the eastern German city of Chemnitz. (© picture-alliance/dpa) -
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Classic and cheesy GDR products pictured at the Ostel hotel in Berlin in June 2007. Travellers can indulge in "eastalgia" (Ostalgie) whether by staying in themed rooms such as the spy-oriented "Stasi Suite" or the "Pioneers Camp" room. (© picture-alliance/dpa) -
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The Sandmännchen and his magician friend Pondorondo, who often creates chaotic conditions on the kids' show with his line "hokus, pokus, pondoros," in a still from a 2006 episode of "Unser Sandmännchen". (© picture-alliance/dpa) -
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Different sandman dolls depicted in 2008 in Onkel Philipp's Spielzeug-Werkstatt, a Berlin-based toy store that both sells and repairsdolls and other toys. (© picture-alliance/dpa) -
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The last Sandmännchen who appeared on East German TV about to blow out the candles on his oversized birthday cake. (© picture-alliance/dpa) -
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A sandman scene in production at the animation studio in the Berlin district of Mahlsdorf where the East German Sandmännchen shows were first produced. (© picture-alliance/dpa) -
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A common scene from the East German Sandmänchen program, when the little Sandman tosses shimmery stardust-like "sand" into the sleepy children's eyes to send them off to bed. (© picture-alliance/dpa) -
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Popular vintage East German Sandmännchen dolls and stuffed toys, including original sandman show sidekicks Schnatterinchen and Pittiplatsch (above), on display in 2004 at a private Berlin collection. (© picture-alliance/dpa) -
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Sandmännchen creator Gerhardt Behrendt was honored by the German government with a Federal Merit Cross in 2007. (© picture-alliance/dpa)
