When Max and Moritz's 'gruesome' story began
The infamous pair first appeared on bookshelves in 1865. Image: Wikimedia Commons
21 October 2015
16:12 CEST+02:00
If you've grown up in Germany or have German parents, chances are you'll have come across the grisly tale of Max and Moritz.
Written and illustrated by Wilhelm Busch, this darkly humourous story of two young troublemakers first appeared in October 1865.
Told entirely in rhyming couplets, "Max and Moritz: A Story of Seven Boyish Pranks" ("Max und Moritz: Eine Bubengeschichte in Sieben Streichen") follows two young boys as they play a series of pranks on family and neighbours.
This isn't just about switching the salt and sugar pots, though.
"I don't think I've ever read the book myself, but I've had the stories told to me by my parents," 23-year-old Jana, a student from Berlin told the Local.
"I always found it completely gruesome," she said. "The pranks, and how they end up being baked at the end, it was all too much for me!"
Now, what could two children possibly do to deserve getting baked into a loaf of bread?
Quite a lot, it turns out.
Max and Moritz heading into the oven after the baker catches them.
The deeds of Max and Moritz
The first thing the doomed pair do in the tale is tie some bread crusts together. Not too bad, you might think – until they feed the bread to Widow Bolte's chickens and get them tangled up, killing them all.
Widow Bolte finds her chickens killed by the pair.
And things only get worse from here.
After stealing the chickens while the widow tries to cook them, the boys send a local tailor plunging into a river, before burning their teacher's hair off with a pipe full of gunpowder and pouring bugs into their uncle's bed.
Uncle Fritz wakes up to a bed full of may bugs.
But soon it all starts to go wrong for the boys.
After a lucky escape from a vat of dough and an angry baker, Max and Moritz finally meet their match when Farmer Melke catches them cutting open his grain sacks.
SEE ALSO: Germany's most gruesome children's stories
Zappelphilipp (Fidgety Philipp) by Heinrich Hoffmann.
The phrase "going through the mill" gains a literal – and quite frankly, disturbing – meaning here, and the farmer grinds the boys to pieces before feeding them to the ducks.
A notch worse than what today's young mischief-makers can expect when they get caught. Image: Wikimedia Commons
'Unequaled to this day'
"The secret of the book's success is its combination of anarchy and Biedermeier, comedy and an interest in the subversive," Professor Peter-André Alt, German literary scholar and President of Berlin's Free University told The Local.
Biedermeier refers to works that emerged during a period in the early 19th century when the middle class was expanding and art began to appeal to the sensibilities of people outside the aristocracy.
But the book's rhyme scheme is also important, Alt said.
"The rhymes provide for momentum, musicality and humour," he explained.
"And we should by no means forget Wilhelm Busch's superb artistic ability, which made his characters unforgettable," he added.
"These are cartoons in their earliest stages, and unequaled to this day."
One of the first editions of "Max und Moritz" is at the Wilhem Busch Museum in Hanover. Photo: DPA
A worldwide success
Wilhelm Busch was born in 1832 in Wiedensahl, Lower Saxony.
Known for his illustrated cautionary tales, he was also a sharp humourist, satirising Catholicism, religious morality and bigotry – which saw several of his works banned by the authorities.
"Max und Moritz" was one of Busch's earliest works.
After struggling to find a publisher, Busch eventually struck a deal with Munich-based publishing house Braun and Schneider.
Then came the painstaking task of production – with Busch having to take every single one of his illustrations, invert them and transfer them onto blocks of wood for printing.
It seems like the effort was worth it, though: 150 years later and translated into at least 190 languages, the tale of Max and Moritz continues to entertain children both in Germany and across the world.
Let's hope it's not giving them any ideas.
By Hannah Butler
Angelika Jung and Wolfgang Hampel in Marc Marshall's SWR 3 TV Show HERZSCHLAG-MOMENTE on Saturday 3rd of August 2019 21.50
Marc Marshall in SWR 3 TV ' Talk am See ' - HERZSCHLAG - MOMENTE
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Written and illustrated by Wilhelm Busch, this darkly humourous story of two young troublemakers first appeared in October 1865.
Told entirely in rhyming couplets, "Max and Moritz: A Story of Seven Boyish Pranks" ("Max und Moritz: Eine Bubengeschichte in Sieben Streichen") follows two young boys as they play a series of pranks on family and neighbours.
This isn't just about switching the salt and sugar pots, though.
"I don't think I've ever read the book myself, but I've had the stories told to me by my parents," 23-year-old Jana, a student from Berlin told the Local.
"I always found it completely gruesome," she said. "The pranks, and how they end up being baked at the end, it was all too much for me!"
Now, what could two children possibly do to deserve getting baked into a loaf of bread?
Quite a lot, it turns out.
Max and Moritz heading into the oven after the baker catches them.
The deeds of Max and Moritz
The first thing the doomed pair do in the tale is tie some bread crusts together. Not too bad, you might think – until they feed the bread to Widow Bolte's chickens and get them tangled up, killing them all.
Widow Bolte finds her chickens killed by the pair.
And things only get worse from here.
After stealing the chickens while the widow tries to cook them, the boys send a local tailor plunging into a river, before burning their teacher's hair off with a pipe full of gunpowder and pouring bugs into their uncle's bed.
Uncle Fritz wakes up to a bed full of may bugs.
But soon it all starts to go wrong for the boys.
After a lucky escape from a vat of dough and an angry baker, Max and Moritz finally meet their match when Farmer Melke catches them cutting open his grain sacks.
SEE ALSO: Germany's most gruesome children's stories
Zappelphilipp (Fidgety Philipp) by Heinrich Hoffmann.
The phrase "going through the mill" gains a literal – and quite frankly, disturbing – meaning here, and the farmer grinds the boys to pieces before feeding them to the ducks.
A notch worse than what today's young mischief-makers can expect when they get caught. Image: Wikimedia Commons
'Unequaled to this day'
"The secret of the book's success is its combination of anarchy and Biedermeier, comedy and an interest in the subversive," Professor Peter-André Alt, German literary scholar and President of Berlin's Free University told The Local.
Biedermeier refers to works that emerged during a period in the early 19th century when the middle class was expanding and art began to appeal to the sensibilities of people outside the aristocracy.
But the book's rhyme scheme is also important, Alt said.
"The rhymes provide for momentum, musicality and humour," he explained.
"And we should by no means forget Wilhelm Busch's superb artistic ability, which made his characters unforgettable," he added.
"These are cartoons in their earliest stages, and unequaled to this day."
One of the first editions of "Max und Moritz" is at the Wilhem Busch Museum in Hanover. Photo: DPA
A worldwide success
Wilhelm Busch was born in 1832 in Wiedensahl, Lower Saxony.
Known for his illustrated cautionary tales, he was also a sharp humourist, satirising Catholicism, religious morality and bigotry – which saw several of his works banned by the authorities.
"Max und Moritz" was one of Busch's earliest works.
After struggling to find a publisher, Busch eventually struck a deal with Munich-based publishing house Braun and Schneider.
Then came the painstaking task of production – with Busch having to take every single one of his illustrations, invert them and transfer them onto blocks of wood for printing.
It seems like the effort was worth it, though: 150 years later and translated into at least 190 languages, the tale of Max and Moritz continues to entertain children both in Germany and across the world.
Let's hope it's not giving them any ideas.
By Hannah Butler
Angelika Jung and Wolfgang Hampel in Marc Marshall's SWR 3 TV Show HERZSCHLAG-MOMENTE on Saturday 3rd of August 2019 21.50
Marc Marshall in SWR 3 TV ' Talk am See ' - HERZSCHLAG - MOMENTE
We have a very special Betty MacDonald fan club surprise for you.
Tell us your favourite satirical text of Wolfgang Hampel's book Satire ist mein Lieblingstier, please and you'll get several fascinating Betty MacDonald fan club items for free.
Wolfgang Hampel's very successful book is available in many countries around the world. ( see links below )
Don't miss this unique Betty MacDonald fan club offer, please.
Wolfgang Hampel's very witty book 'Satire ist mein Lieblingstier' ( Satire is my favourite animal ) is No 1 Buecher de TOP List.
Wolfgang
Hampels sehr witziges Buch ' Satire ist mein Lieblingstier' ( Satire is
my favourite animal ) ist No 1 Buecher de TOP Liste.
Many greetings - viele Grüße
Mats
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Mats
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Ich habe dieses Buch gekauft, weil Krimi-Königin Ingrid Noll Wolfgang ... sehr, daß wir die monatliche literarische Veranstaltung Vita Magica von Wolfgang Hampel bald einmal besuchen können.
Wolfgang Hampel's Satire ist mein Lieblingstier in Buecher de TOP list
You can order Wolfgang Hampel 'Satire ist mein Lieblingstier' (Satire is my favourite animal)
U.S.A.
United Kingdom
Australia
Austria
Brazil
Canada
Czechia
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Hungary
Italy
Japan
Mexico
Norway
Poland
Romania
Slovak Republic
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Wolfgang Hampel - Satire ist mein Lieblingstier ( Satire is my favourite animal )
Informationen über die Kultveranstaltung "Vita Magica" der Akademie für Ältere in Heidelberg
Wolfgang Hampel - Satire ist mein Lieblingstier ( Satire is my favourite animal )
The best president ever
Roger Cicero - ESC winner 2007
Many ESC fans from all over the world are so very sad because we lost Joy Fleming - one of the best singers ever.
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel sings 'Try to remember' especially for Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund at Vita Magica September
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Wolfgang Hampel - LinkFang ( German )
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Wolfgang Hampel - cyclopaedia.net ( German )
Wolfgang Hampel - DBpedia ( English / German )
Wolfgang Hampel - people check ( English )
Wolfgang Hampel - Memim ( English )
Vashon Island - Wikipedia ( German )
Wolfgang Hampel - Monica Sone - Wikipedia ( English )
Wolfgang Hampel - Ma and Pa Kettle - Wikipedia ( English )
Wolfgang Hampel - Ma and Pa Kettle - Wikipedia ( French )
Wolfgang Hampel - Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle - Wikipedia ( English)
Wolfgang Hampel in Florida State University
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel
Betty MacDonald fan club interviews on CD/DVD
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Betty MacDonald fan club items - comments
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