“Meister Eder und sein Pumuckl“ has been a popular book and audio book series by Ellis Kaut since the 1960s. In the 1980s, Bayerischer Rundfunk then made a series out of it. Since then, the red-haired imp has been one of Munich's most important series characters. Since the beginning of 2025, there have also been Pumuckl traffic lights in Munich's Lehel district that remind us of the cheeky little gnome.
Admittedly, Pumuckl is not a true Munich native, because as a descendant of the Klabaut men, he should actually be up to mischief on the sailing ships in the far north. But then the goblin finds himself in the middle of Munich in Master Eder's workshop, of all places, where he turns the tranquil life of the master carpenter upside down.
Not far from the workshop in Lehel, where Pumuckl often tested Master Eder's patience in numerous television episodes, Munich's first Pumuckl traffic light has now been inaugurated. It is sure to become a place of pilgrimage for children and adults alike, for whom the lively little fellow will forever be associated with a piece of their childhood. In addition to the traffic lights on the corner of Liebigstrasse, Triftstrasse and Wagmüllerstrasse, the Pumuckl silhouette also adorns pedestrian traffic lights at the junctions of Robert-Kochstrasse and Sternstrasse as well as Sternstrasse and Widenmayerstrasse.
The goblin character's creator, Ellis Kaut, captured the very essence of Munich life as she described the goblin’s escapades – though it isn't the feeling you might associate with Maximilianstrasse or other similarly exclusive parts of the city. Instead, Pumuckl and his Master Eder frequent the former suburbs of Lehel and Haidhausen, districts which were still chiefly inhabited by labourers and ordinary working people right into the 1980s. The rear courtyards and quaint little “Herbergshäuschen“ – former boarding houses – provided the ideal backdrop for the television series.
That's where we see the goblin defending his Leberkäse sausage loaf from a cat, and where Master Eder heads to the stammtisch (regulars' table) to play cards and dine on suckling pig with the other tavern regulars. It's clear that Pumuckl has a lot in common with the locals of Munich though, especially when it comes to food. He has rather an epicurean lifestyle, and Master Eder even allows him a good swig of beer with his snack from time to time.
It is unfortunately no longer possible to visit Eder's workshop in the rear courtyard at No. 2 Widenmayerstrasse, as it was torn down in 1985. However, the former “Zum Huterer” inn, the carpenter’s favourite, is nearby in Wiener Platz, on the right-hand side of the Isar river. And you can quite literally follow in Pumuckl's footsteps just around the corner, recalling the “Der große Krach“ (“The big fight”) episode in which Pumuckl trudges sadly through Haidhausen's Preysingstrasse after being thrown out by Master Eder.
Of course, there have been a few changes in Lehel and in Haidhausen since the programme was made, but Pumuckl's stomping ground still captivates with an authentic charm of its own. To this day, you can still see Pumuckl at the Pumuckl fountain in Luitpoldpark and at the Kandler restaurant in Oberbiberg – the interior scenes from the inn were filmed here.
The ”New Tales of Pumuckl” have been running since December 2023 – in cinemas and on the RTL+ streaming service. The popular children's series is being continued in a total of 13 episodes, with Munich actor Florian Brückner playing the lead role of Master Eder's nephew. As he takes over his uncle's workshop, the familiar backdrop of Widenmayerstrasse can of course be seen again. The series was also filmed in Munich and the surrounding area: you can see the small streets of Obergiesing and Haidhausen – such as Milchstrasse with the Tabak und Getränkeladl and Untere Grasstrasse, the old Perlach cemetery, the Enter the Dragon restaurant, the Impler-Apotheke and Valleystrasse in Sendling.
