Every child and adult knows Mickey Mouse, the cheery character in comics and movies. Created in America by Walt Disney, Mickey Mouse first appeared in Germany in 1930. Especially after the Second World War, the Mouse became popular as a comic strip hero, mascot and promotional vehicle. The exhibition's 250 items show a Mouse who appears in many different forms and whose popularity is undiminished today.
Since the Mickey Mouse figure was not licensed up to 1933, it initially appeared in Germany in various forms. A Rosenthal tea service for children and a little tin Mickey Mouse beating a drum illustrate the variety of "manifestations" typical of that epoch. In 1933, American licensing regulations stipulated Mickey Mouse's appearance and especially his manner. He was to be friendly, helpful and courteous at all times. This image helped the little mouse to become a big commercial success.
Especially movies made Mickey Mouse a household word in Germany: His film debut was in 1928 in "Steamboat Willie", a five-minute black and white animated cartoon with sound, in which Walt Disney himself did the voice. The first appearance in colour - "The Band Concert" - followed not long after in 1935. Mickey Mouse movies were often box-office sellouts for weeks.
After Hitler's takeover in 1933, Mickey Mouse initially remained on the German scene; but in 1941, when war was declared on the USA, he was banned in Germany. At US Government behest, Walt Disney countered with anti-Hitler films and cartoons caricaturing Hitler. After the Second World War, Mickey Mouse returned to West Germany and firmly established his reputation as a comics hero.
The Mickey Mouse image of today was formed mainly in the fifties. The entire production range of the era of the "economic miracle" - records, posters, figures of all kinds - attests to the enduring popularity of Mickey Mouse among all ages.
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Still Hitler liked the character, though he declared Mickey Mouse an enemy of the Third Reich, when he became a propaganda character for the US and against Hitler .
Well, as you well know, there's always time for Mickey...