Object of the Month

Board Game »Merry Travels — Spejbl and Hurvinek«

The object of the month is the board game »Merry Travels — Spejbl and Hurvinek« and is based on the well-known marionettes Spejbl and Hurvinek of the Czech puppeteer Josef Skupa. by Admin (23 Oct 2019)
The board game »Merry Travels — Spejbl and Hurvinek« displayed within the exhibition

 

The board game »Veselé Cestování — Spejbla a Hurvínka« or »Merry Travels — Spejbl and Hurvinek« is based on the stories about the two most well-known and beloved marionettes created by Czech puppeteer Josef Skupa. The travelling performances and audio records of his »S+H Theatre« enjoyed great popularity in the DDR. Speijbl had first taken the stage in 1920; his son Hurvinek followed six years after. The productions are characterized by humour and everyday satire and consist of exchanges between the well-meaning Spejbl, who is convinced of the truth of his own beliefs, and the cunning Hurvinek, who attempts to challenge his father’s worldview.

Various toys inspired by the puppets were produced. This children’s board game was created by the Czechoslovakian company »TOFA« in Albrechtice and sold for 24 korunas or about 8 East German marks on 20th May 1965. The game instructions were self-typed and translated from Czech into German; accordingly, the character names seen here are the German- language versions. The joints of the game tokens are movable, mimicking the original marionettes. Not only Spejbl and Hurvinek are depicted, but also other characters of the puppet theatre like the girl Mänicka, the dog Zeryk and the traditional »Kasper« figure.

Today, a new edition of the board game is in production in the Czech Republic; however, specimens from the 19605 are rarer in German-speaking countries.

 

The characters of the board game »Merry Travels — Spejbl and Hurvinek«
Close-up of the board game »Merry Travels — Spejbl and Hurvinek« displayed at the exhibition

 

The object of the month can be visited as usual in the foyer of the DDR Museum, together with the current special exhibition. The entrance to that part of the museum is free. 

More on this topic