DEFA Märchenfilme Rank

Peter Munk, a poor charcoal burner, lives with his mother in The Black Forest. Poverty prevents him from marrying Lisbeth, the girl he loves. When he comes across the Little Glass Man, the good spirit of the forest, the young man asks him for assistance. His wish is granted and he becomes rich. But the fool soon loses all his money after gambling at the inn. In desperation, he asks Dutch Michael, the evil spirit of the forest, to help him to become rich again. The mean giant agrees and gives Peter all the riches in the world, but on one condition: the young man will exchange his heart for a cold stone. He can now marry Lisbeth but can a heart of ice make you and the others happy...?

Hans Röckle, a cheerful, skillful puppeteer and inventor, returns to his native village after a long wandering. One day, the Devil comes to his house to get the soul and talent of the master.

A brave prince wants to win the heart of a stubborn princess by finding the singing, ringing tree for her.

An old man living in an oriental city tells the story of his life to a group of kids: He too was once a young boy by the name of Little Muck - much like them, but with better manners and a heap of problems. Having lost his father at early age, little Muck is expelled from home by his greedy relatives. He wanders off into the desert hoping to find the merchant who sells good fortune. Amidst the dunes of sand he comes across a small house owned by a wicked woman and her many cats. She wants to make Little Muck her servant, but he manages to escape by stealing a pair of magic shoes which enable him to run faster than any man in the country. From there he heads right into the next set of challenges... Based on a fairy tale by Wilhelm Hauff.

Tale of the capricious princess. Adapting the Tales of the Brothers Grimm "King Thrushbeard".

Once upon a time there was a little girl named Rotkaeppchen. She lived with her father and mother at the edge of a village, and often visited her grandmother on the other side of the woods. Her rabbit friend, Haeschen, lives with Grandmother and was sent one day to fetch medicine and milk from Rotaeppchen and her mother. Although her mother was reluctant to allow her to visit Grandmother alone, Rotkaeppchen convinces her that she will be safe with Haeschen. Together they set out through the woods. Unfortunately, there were many distractions in the woods: mushrooms to pick and Rotkaeppchen's other playmate, the bear. There are also the dangerous fox and wolf, who plotted to capture Rotkaeppchen and eat her. Haeschen did his best to keep them safe, but he could not prevent the wolf from eating Grandmother . . . and also Rotkaeppchen! Who will save them? The DEFA version of Rotkaeppchen differs from the Grimms' version in some minor areas: the mother plays a greater role in the film; DEFA has the father save the day, rather than the huntsman; the wolf does not die at the end, though he is carried away by the family; the second encounter with the wolf at the end of the original tale is left out; and a few animal characters are added (Haeschen, Baer, and das Eichhoernchen). All the animals (other than the Eichhoernchen) are played by people in animal costumes, and Jochen Bley as Haeschen was the big hit with critics and viewers alike. Both warmly and critically received by the press upon its release, Rotkaeppchen followed closely on the heels of the very successful Schneewittchen; hence, in some cases, the disappointment. Many reviews cited Goetz Friedrich's background in theater (both in positive and negative interpretations) to explain the spare, two-dimensional feel of the set. Yet nearly all commented positively on the color and interesting characters, and the Progress press materials summed up the morals for the viewers to learn: "Do what you are told, but act independently when it is necessary; never leave the path, especially the path that your friends have marked with love and experience; be brave, fight against evil, help your friends." Since its release, Rotkaeppchen has become one of the most popular DEFA fairy tale films.

There lived a soldier. He served the king and is now returning home. Once he met an old witch on the way, who promised him mountains of money in exchange for the fact that he would get her an old tinderbox.

Adaptation of Grimm's fairy tale "Der Teufel mit den drei goldenen Haaren"

Screen version of the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm about two sisters - Schneeweißchen and Rosenrot, who with their love saved Princes Michael and Andreas from the evil spells of the Mountain Spirit

East German fairy tale adaption of the Brothers Grimm story "Bearskin" in which a soldier is tasked by the devil to not wash himself for seven years. In return, the soldier receives a pocket that never runs out of money.

Screen version of the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm "The Brave Little Tailor"

In one fairy-tale kingdom, the princess stopped laughing. No one knows the cause of this sudden illness. The worried king promises half the kingdom and a daughter in marriage to the one who will make the princess at least smile.

Hated by her jealous and bloodthirsty stepmother, Snow White flees a murder attempt and seeks shelter in the woods with seven kindly dwarfs. Feeling she is safe from harm, Snow White welcomes the disguised queen into her home...with fatal consequences.

Once upon a time there was a widow who had two daughters: one was her own, the other was a stepdaughter. The eldest relative was ugly and lazy, and the youngest was beautiful and hardworking.

Princess Aurinia goes with her maid Lisa to the castle of King Ewald, his son Ivo, to whom she is promised as a wife. On the way, Lisa forces the princess into a role reversal, her secret plan is that she herself wants to be queen.

Fairytale in which a princess fails to keep her promises and is taught a lesson.

A lovely, humorous live-action rendition of the classic children's story by Carlo Collodi about the adventures of a wooden boy carved from a magical piece of wood by a puppetmaker.

When the Fairy of Industry is not invited to the birth of the princess, she sees that the child pricks her finger on a spindle and falls in a cursed sleep. For 100 years she has to wait for a prince to awaken her again.

Farmer Has is drawn into war as a soldier. Returning from the front, having been defrauded of his pay by his own king, he makes his way home. On his trip, he encounters a witch who asks him to fetch the light from a spring. He keeps it when the witch tries to deceive him and he discovers her foul magic. When the light is ignited, a little man appears who must serve the owner of the light, but it only has power if the owner has faith in himself. His courage bolstered, Hans goes to the king once more to demand his wages be paid. He is refused again, so he kidnaps the king's daughter, who is now forced to lead Hans' household. The king's bounty hunter captures him and has already erected the gallows when an accidental gunshot delivered by an unsuspecting robber saves Hans' life.

Before her death, the queen mother asked the fairy that her youngest son should be loved by a girl for whom he would be the only happiness. The fairy was wise and therefore - turned the young man into a wild beast.

Once upon a time, there lived a lazy miller who spent all his time drinking wine and telling stories. When the king's treasurer comes to him with a demand to pay the tax, the miller lies that his daughter Marie can spin gold from straw.