They lie dormant in boxes many of them hopelessly entangled. Some were hardly ever brought on
stage while others had a full truly eventful puppet life. Reinhold Wittig their creator has
built about two hundred puppets in over seventy years. Pieced together from solid metal wood
and plastic parts they were originally developed for scenic contexts only to evolve over the
years into sculptures in their own right - without a specific function and moving like mobiles.
After initial performances in private settings Reinhold Wittig had the courage to present his
puppets to a larger audience in 1964: he founded the puppet theater Collegium magicum in
Göttingen which quickly gained national attention for its unconventional figures and
experimental performances. For this publication Wittig's son has unearthed his father's hidden
treasures from bulky boxes and sailors' trunks. By joining together dramatically staged
photographs archival materials newspaper clippings diary entries and eyewitness accounts
he brings the puppets to life resurrecting his father's unique universe.
