The stories about Pippi Longstocking and her father Efraim, who rules as king over a Pacific island, figure among the most popular works of European children’s literature. But did a Swedish “South Sea king” truly exist? The biography of the Swede Carl Pettersson (1875 – 1937) shows astonishing parallels to the tales in the Pippi books. Based on the life circumstances of Pettersson, his Pacific wife Singdo and their children, the exhibition tells the story of German colonialism in the Pacific in a playful and interactive manner for children and families. It also aims to inspire reflection on how we should deal with colonial world views in classical children‘s books today.
till June 30, 2027 Pippi's Papa and a Totally True Story from the Pacific
The stories about Pippi Longstocking and her father Efraim, who rules as king over a Pacific island, figure among the most popular works of European children’s literature. But did a Swedish “South Sea king” truly exist? The biography of the Swede Carl Pettersson (1875 – 1937) shows astonishing parallels to the tales in the Pippi books
About the exhibition
Gefördert durch die Behörde für Kultur und Medien der Freien und Hansestadt Hamburg, die Hubertus Wald Stiftung, die ZEIT Stiftung Bucerius, die Hapag-Lloyd Stiftung und die Claussen-Simon-Stiftung.
