Benjamin Blümchen

In a long-running franchise of German hörspiele—an art form that blends spoken narrative, music, and sound effects—together with associated animated films made for children, the central figure is the anthropomorphic elephant Benjamin Blümchen. Living at Neustädter Zoo, he is instantly recognized by his trademark exclamation “törööö!”. His closest companion is the sensible ten-year-old Otto Abenteuer, while Stella Stellini, Otto’s clever classmate, forms another close friendship with the elephant. Across many years, Germany saw the release of countless Benjamin Blümchen CDs and cassettes; among the most popular was the party-themed set Feier mit Törööö! (2007), though the series itself dates back to its 1977 debut with Benjamin Blümchen als Wetterelefant.