80 years of DEFA: Fairytale exhibition inspires in Senftenberg!

80 years of DEFA: Fairytale exhibition inspires in Senftenberg!

In East Germany, film history has a new reason to celebrate! The Senftenberg Castle and Fortress Museum will honor 80 years of DEFA film history with a special exhibition from October 18, 2025 to February 22, 2026. Under the title “The Little Muck”, the focus is on DEFA’s popular fairy tale films and invite visitors to immerse themselves in the magical world of GDR films.

DEFA, the first film studio in the occupied zones with a license after 1945, began producing fairy tale films in the 1950s. The first steps were initially difficult because the Grimm fairy tales were viewed as problematic - too romantic and cruel for the time. But the breakthrough came in 1950 with the first fairy tale film “The Cold Heart,” which was directed by Paul Verhoeven and promptly drew 9.7 million viewers to the cinemas.

Fairytale exhibits and stories

The exhibition features some of the most unforgettable exhibits from DEFA fairy tale films. These include the bear costume from “Snow White and Rose Red”, the magic mirror from “Snow White” and the magical slippers from “Little Muck”. These and many other originals come from the German Institute for Animated Film in Dresden.

A highlight will also be the thematic discussion of DEFA's science fiction films and the banned productions, which provide an insight into the GDR's filmmaking work. The exhibition is supported by well-known institutions such as the Potsdam Film Museum and the Babelsberg Costume Fund.

Success figures and cult status

The DEFA fairy tale films are extremely popular not only in cinemas, but also on television. Fairy tales such as “The Story of Little Muck” by Wolfgang Staudte achieved an unprecedented record in 1953 with 12.9 million viewers. The following productions averaged four to five million viewers. One of the timeless classics is “Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella” from 1973, which is still very popular today.

• 1950: „Das kalte Herz“ – Regie: Paul Verhoeven, Vorlage: Wilhelm Hauff
• 1953: „Die Geschichte vom kleinen Muck“ – Regie: Wolfgang Staudte, Vorlage: Wilhelm Hauff
• 1961: „Das Kleid“ – letzter verbotener Märchenfilm
• 1989: „Verflixtes Mißgeschick!“ – letzter DEFA-Märchenfilm

A special service for those interested: The DEFA fairy tale films are accessible and licensable via the Progress Film archive platform!

If you would like to find out more, please contact Jenny Linke, who is responsible for marketing and public relations. It is available at the email address jenny-linke@osl-online.de and by telephone at +49 3573 870 2403.