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.