Meet Bernd das Brot, a depressed German loaf of bread that's spent 25 years as a TV cult classic

Forget SpongeBob SquarePants, Sesame Street and the sourdough starter craze: a depressed German loaf of bread named Bernd das Brot is celebrating his 25th anniversary as the reluctant star of a children's television program that accidentally became equally popular with adults.
A cult classic in Germany, Bernd das Brot (Bernd the Bread) is a puppet renowned for his deep, gloomy voice, his perpetual pessimism and his signature expression, " Mist!" (Think 'crap!' in English.)
Played and voiced by puppeteer Jörg Teichgraeber, Bernd is a television presenter who wants nothing to do with TV and can't wait to go home to stare at the wallpaper.
This year, his friends — a sheep and a flower bush — are urging him to become a bread influencer.
Bernd's beginnings
Born as a sketch on the back of a napkin in a pizzeria, creator Tommy Krappweis drew Bernd's infamous grimace after co-creator Norman Cöster's face when they were asked to come up with mascots for KiKA, a German children's public television channel.
Comic artist Georg Graf von Westphalen designed Bernd as a pullman loaf — white bread typically sliced for sandwiches — with short arms and a permanent scowl. Bernd channels German stereotypes with his grumpy disposition, penchant for complaining and dry sense of humor and irony.
Bernd's first episode aired on KiKA in 2000 alongside his more-optimistic pals, Chili the Sheep and Briegel the Bush.
A reluctant popularity
Because KiKA is a children's channel, there was typically dead air from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. On Jan. 1, 2003, the network put Bernd's short episodes into the night loop for the first time.
The move brought an adult audience — often those sitting at home and smoking pot, or returning after a long night of partying — into Bernd's world, cementing his popularity as a German cult classic.
In 2004, Bernd won the Adolf Grimme Prize — the German television equivalent of an Emmy — because the jury said he represents 'the right to be in a bad mood.'
'Bernd shows you that you are less vulnerable with humor and self-irony. And perhaps the most important point is: It's totally okay if you don't feel well sometimes. That's completely fine,' Krappweis, Bernd's creator, said in a KiKA Q&A about Bernd's anniversary.
Bernd's broken heart
Bernd is depressed for a multitude of reasons, including his failed attempt to be the mascot for a bakery's advertising campaign (that's how he ended up as a TV presenter, as a last resort).
But it's in Episode 85 that we finally learn about Bernd's broken heart.
'A long, long time ago I fell in love with a beautiful, slim baguette. She was so incredibly charming and funny,' Bernd tells Chili and Briegel. 'But unfortunately it was in vain.
'She only had eyes for this run-of-the-mill multigrain bread with its 10 types of grain. It was so depressing.'
The kidnapping
Despite Bernd's best efforts — one of his catchphrases is 'I would like to leave this show' — the episodes have never become stale. He sings, he dances, he's been to space. He's the star of merchandise, a video game and headlines like 'Give Us Our Daily Bernd.'
He was even kidnapped! In 2009, his 2-meter-tall (6.56 feet) statue was stolen from his traditional place outside the town hall in Erfurt, where KiKA is based.
A claim of responsibility surfaced on YouTube, by sympathizers of a group of demonstrators who were protesting a company that had produced cremation ovens for the Nazi extermination camp Auschwitz. The demonstrators, however, denied involvement in Bernd's kidnapping and the video was removed from the internet.
Bernd was held hostage for nearly two weeks before being discovered unharmed in an abandoned barracks.
The anniversary year
KiKA is honoring Bernd's 25th anniversary — despite his complaints — with new episodes, an update to his hit song and online activities for kids and adults alike. The celebrations begin now, as Bernd's birthday is Feb. 29.
The latest series will premiere in September as Bernd, Chili and Briegel launch the social media channel 'Better with Bernd" in their efforts to make him into a bread influencer.
The trio will present inventions to make school, and life, easier for viewers but naturally their concoctions backfire. Bernd instead becomes a defluencer — and an involuntary trendsetter.
___

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Daily Record

39 minutes ago

• Daily Record

Tommy Fleetwood sympathy from Keegan Bradley as he hails hero wife and bags stunning prize

The United States Ryder Cup captain denied Fleetwood to secure a dramatic success at the Travelers Championship. Big-hearted Keegan Bradley admits he felt bad for putting Tommy Fleetwood through the pain of another PGA Tour heartbreak. The United States Ryder Cup captain denied the English star on the 72nd hole to secure a dramatic success at the Travelers Championship. ‌ Fleetwood was left devastated and, as he was consoled by wife Clare and his kids in the aftermath, Bradley was able to bounce around and celebrate with the jubilant local crowds as lifted the trophy, 700 FedEx Cup points and a whopping cheque for almost £2.7 million. ‌ The American displayed dignity and class within his celebrations to give a message to the crushed European hero in the wake of the nightmare. Bradley said: 'Yeah, listen, I know how hard it must be for him. He's just an unbelievable player and he's fighting so hard to get his first win. It's a weird thing to be on the other side of that. "I do feel bad for him, but I got to go out and do what I need to do. But, you know, he battled today and I really hope that he gets his win soon.' Bradley also revealed that his wife Jillian had played a heroic role in the success at TPC River Highlands. Seven days previously, JJ Spaun had revealed that he had to make a dash to the chemist in the middle of the night prior to the final round of the US Open because his daughter Violet was being violently sick and needed some medicine. ‌ Spaun didn't let the scenario affect him as he stayed strong on the Sunday to produce a magical finale and pip Scotland's Bob MacIntyre to the crown. In a strange quirk of fate and perhaps as an omen, Bradley's boy Cooper was in the same position overnight as he got set for the last round in Connecticut. However, the star golfer was left blissfully unaware of the situation as his good lady dealt with the issue and ensured a good night's sleep to be rested to attack the final round of the tournament. "Bradley did just that and said: 'I feel so lucky to have the support group I have around me, but for my wife, especially, is really the hero of our family. Like, last night my four-year-old was throwing up all night. I didn't know until I woke up. "So you know, she plays a major role in me doing what I do and she allows me to be the best that I can be out here. "You don't always get that in sports or in business or in life and she allows me to be the best that I can be, work on my game, practice as hard as I can,and I'm really grateful for that.'

Fashion United

2 hours ago

• Fashion United

Giorgio Armani to miss Milan fashion week shows

In a late afternoon press release, Armani announced that Giorgio Armani would not be present at his scheduled shows for men's fashion week, which began today in Milan. 'Regarding the Emporio Armani show tomorrow and the Giorgio Armani show on Monday, June 23, we wish to inform you that Mr Armani, currently convalescing at home, will not be present at the two shows as usual'. In his place, Leo Dell'Orco, head of style for the menswear lines, will greet the audience at the end of the shows. 'Mr Armani worked with his usual dedication on the collections that will be presented. Although he cannot be physically present, he will closely follow every stage of the organisation', the note concluded. Milan fashion week, dedicated to the SS25 collections, kicked off today. Scheduled from June 20 to 24, fashion week features 89 appointments: 20 catwalk shows, including five digital, 43 presentations, four presentations by appointment and 22 events. This article was translated to English using an AI tool. FashionUnited uses AI language tools to speed up translating (news) articles and proofread the translations to improve the end result. This saves our human journalists time they can spend doing research and writing original articles. Articles translated with the help of AI are checked and edited by a human desk editor prior to going online. If you have questions or comments about this process email us at info@

Daily Mirror

2 hours ago

• Daily Mirror

Jobe Bellingham reveals why he only has first name on shirt after Dortmund move

Jobe Bellingham has just moved to Borussia Dortmund and, like at Sunderland, has opted to have his first name on the back of his shirt after being urged to do so by a former coach Jobe Bellingham claims he only dons his first name - and not his surname - on his shirt because he thought it would be "cool to have my own name" as he claimed there was no "deeper meaning" behind it. Bellingham has continued the trend by having Jobe on the back of his Borussia Dortmund shirt having also done it at Sunderland. It was his exploits with the newly promoted Premier League outfit that earned Bellingham his switch to Germany this summer. ‌ His last game for the Black Cats saw them win promotion from the Championship in the play-off final at Wembley. He's since made a £32million switch to the Bundesliga outfit and scored his first goal for his new club on Saturday as he found the net against Mamelodi Sundowns in a 4-3 victory in the Club World Cup. ‌ Not opting for the traditional last name on his top, Bellingham has gone with Jobe, which he's done since leaving Birmingham for Sunderland after a coach suggested he do it. He told FIFA: "Well, if I'm being really honest, obviously, it started when I first signed for Sunderland. I, maybe, thought about it a few times. I thought: 'Yeah, that would be quite cool.' But, only when people brought it up to me. I never thought about it like spontaneously on my own. READ MORE: Ilkay Gundogan responds to Pep Guardiola's claim over second Man City transfer exit "Someone close to me would say: 'That would be cool if you did that'. And then, someone who's quite special to me – a coach that I had at Sunderland and at Birmingham when I was a kid – he said: 'Why don't you do that at Sunderland?' And, just because I was young, I thought: 'It would be cool to have my own name on the back of my shirt'. So, it was more that than anything (else). "I wasn't really trying to have a deeper meaning behind it, but I suppose you can find that in that act. But yeah, I think it's quite unique and it's quite cool, and it's something that I enjoy having." His switch to Dortmund has inevitably drawn comparisons with brother Jude, who went from Birmingham to the German side. He thrived and eventually moved on to Real Madrid. Despite following a similar path the Dortmund new boy insists he is not simply copying his brother as he underlined his desire to be his "own man". ‌ He said: "I don't really care how it looks, but it might look a bit contradictory to some people. I was perhaps being biased against Dortmund for a very long time, because I have anxieties and fears and you want to be your own man, but I don't think I should let those stop me from making the right decision. "So for me, it was about choosing the right path, not necessarily a different one. I don't think my path has been the same as Jude's at all." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.