Kaiser! König! Karl!

Andreas Grimm: In the WDR youth series, history is explained through a format that combines facts, sketches, and music clips. Just as the 18 original songs, designed as a stylistic journey through rock and pop history, narrate episodes from different times and countries, the title music also spans a wide arc.

Kaiser! König! Karl! presented historical events with humor. René Marik voiced the title character, who explored extraordinary aspects of past cultures—from Roman laundry practices to Neanderthal dental hygiene. Each episode featured Karl’s world-history commercials and a musical finale. The first episode focused on the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. Cast members included Samy Challah, Christine Henning, and Janina Burgmer.