Die schwarzen Brüder facts for kids

Die schwarzen Brüder (which means The Black Brothers in English) is a very famous story written by German author Lisa Tetzner. It's one of the most popular children's books around the world.

The book was first published in 1941. It tells a true-to-life story about a boy named Giorgio from a small village in Switzerland. The author learned about a sad event where many young chimney sweeps drowned in a boat accident. These boys were often sold to work in big cities like Milan because their families were very poor in the mid-1800s.

Lisa Tetzner started writing the novel, and her husband, Kurt Held, finished it. Kurt Held also wrote another well-known book called Die Rote Zora und ihre Bande.

Story Summary

Giorgio's Difficult Start

Giorgio grew up in a small mountain village called Sonogno in Switzerland. His family were poor farmers. One day, his mother broke her leg. Because the family had no money for her medical care, Giorgio was sold. He became a chimney sweep boy in the city of Milan, Italy.

A man with a scar, named Antonio Luini, bought Giorgio for twenty Swiss Franks. He gathered Giorgio and other boys to take them to Milan. On their journey, Giorgio met another boy named Alfredo. Sadly, their boat tipped over, and many boys drowned. Only a few made it to the shore, where Luini found them and took them to Milan.

Life as a Chimney Sweep

In Milan, Giorgio was sold to Mr. Rossi, a chimney sweep. Mr. Rossi's wife was very strict and unkind. She treated Giorgio badly, and her son, Anselmo, often picked on him. Giorgio barely got enough to eat. However, Mr. Rossi's daughter, Nicoletta, who was very sick, was kind to Giorgio. She shared her food and helped calm her mother.

Soon, Giorgio met other boys who were also chimney sweeps. They formed a group called "The Black Brothers." Together, they helped each other and stood up against another group of local boys called "The Wolves," who often attacked them.

Challenges and Friendship

Giorgio became weak from not eating enough and working very hard. One day, while cleaning a chimney, he almost died from the smoke and soot. He fell and passed out. Luckily, a doctor from Switzerland, Dr. Casella, was at Mr. Rossi's house and took care of him. Dr. Casella later told Giorgio and his friends that they could find help at his home in Lugano, Switzerland.

A few weeks later, Giorgio's friend Alfredo sadly passed away from a lung illness. After Alfredo's funeral, "The Black Brothers" and "The Wolves" decided to stop fighting. They agreed to be friends and help each other.

Escape to Freedom

When Anselmo unfairly accused Giorgio of stealing, "The Wolves" helped Giorgio and his friends escape. They guided them toward the road to Switzerland. The Milan police were looking for Giorgio, but the boys managed to reach the Swiss border near Lake Lugano.

In Lugano, they met Dr. Casella, who offered them a safe place to stay. Dr. Casella also helped bring Antonio Luini, the man who sold Giorgio, to justice. Giorgio identified Luini, who was then sent to prison for a long time.

Nine years later, Giorgio became a teacher. He returned to his home village of Sonogno with his wife, Bianca, who was Alfredo's sister. There, he was happily reunited with his entire family, including his father, mother, and grandmother, who were all doing well.

Other Versions of the Story

Movies and TV Shows

• In 2013, a German movie called Die schwarzen Brüder was made. It was directed by Xavier Koller.
• In 1984, a Swiss TV mini-series also called Die schwarzen Brüder was filmed.

Animated Series

• In 1995, Japan created a 33-part animated series based on the book. It was part of the World Masterpiece Theater and was called Romeo no aoi sora (which means "Romeo's Blue Sky"). This series was also shown in Germany as Die schwarzen Brüder. In this cartoon, Giorgio's name was changed to Romeo. Also, Romeo's father gets sick instead of his mother, and Romeo chooses to become a chimney sweep to help his family. Alfredo's role in the story is much bigger, and he is shown to be a lost heir to a noble family.

Radio Play

The story was also turned into a radio play in 2002. It was produced by Radio Bremen, North German Radio, and Bavarian Radio. The radio play won an award in 2004.

• You can find it as: Lisa Tetzner: Die Schwarzen Brüder, Düsseldorf: Patmos 2003, 2 CDs, 104 min.

See also

In Spanish: Los hermanos negros para niños