The Sandmännchen is an animated figure in German childrens’ television. It is shown every day on KiKa (“Kinderkanal”) just before 7pm.

The Sandmann shown today is evolved from an East-German production, as can be seen by some of the buildings and clothing in the series. The puppet arrives in the scene and introduces a short film to the children. After the film he sends the children to bed by releasing sand (“Schlafsand”) and then leaves.

To hear a simple explanation in German, listen to the podcast:

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www.sandmaennchen.de

A hotel in Berlin is offering the chance to experience a piece of East-German life.

“Ostel” gives its visitors some idea of what life was like under communisim, and is located within a typical “Plattenbau”.

With prices starting at 9EUR per Person (in a shared room), this also looks like being a good place for visitors on a low-budget to go, who can save and take in a bit of nostalgia at the same time. It is located near the Ostbahnhof in the Wriezener Karree.

Read the full story on the BBC News website or visit the Ostel homepage.