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Elfie Donnelly

The inventor of Benjamin Blümchen and Bibi Blocksberg turns 75 years young

The talking elephant and the little witch made her famous: Austrian author Elfie Donnelly. As the creator of Bibi Blocksberg and Benjamin Blümchen, she has inspired millions of children (and especially adults) in Germany and around the world.

Donnelly published her first book “Servus Opa, sagte ich leise” at the age of 26, which won the German Youth Book Prize. In addition to her literary works, she has also written numerous screenplays and radio plays. Between 1977 and 1984, she wrote a total of 65 episodes of the Benjamin Blümchen series and 41 episodes of Bibi Blocksberg before selling all rights of use to the Berlin production company Kiddinx. She moved to Majorca but remained financially involved in the success of her characters. Despite her enormous popularity, Donnelly later explained that she had not expected the worldwide success: "At the time, it was not foreseeable that it would be so successful."

In addition to the well-known radio play characters, Donnelly also created the Elea Eluanda series, which has been published since 2004. Donnelly has also made a name for herself with other projects such as “Draculino”, “Emma Panther” and the crime novels about funeral director Stella Norden. The Austrian-born author celebrates her 75th birthday on January 14.

Benjamin Blümchen - The lovable elephant

Benjamin Blümchen is one of the best-known characters created by Elfie Donnelly. The radio play series about the talking elephant at Neustadt Zoo first appeared in 1977. The name Benjamin Blümchen came from a spontaneous idea: on a walk with friends, Donnelly imagined what it would be like if an elephant stood on a church tower instead of a weathercock. This was also the content of the first episode.

In the stories, Benjamin experiences numerous adventures together with his best friend Otto. The character of the raving reporter Karla Kolumna (EM 017964476) is particularly characteristic of the series.

“Töröö” - that's what it sounds like when Benjamin greets the little listeners. The exclamation was also registered as a word mark by Kiddinx and is protected for the German market (DE 302013001452).

Elfie Donnelly wrote 65 radio play episodes. More than six million audio cassettes have been sold and Benjamin Blümchen has become a permanent fixture in many children's bedrooms. Over 140 episodes have been released to date. Benjamin Blümchen is also known internationally - for example, he is known as “Benjamin the Elephant” ("Benjamin the Elephant" (EM 002480614)) or “Benjamin el elefante” ("Benjamin el elefante"(EM 010367456)).

Bibi Blocksberg - A little witch conquers the world

Just a few years after Benjamin Blümchen, Elfie Donnelly brought another successful character onto the market in 1980: Bibi Blocksberg, the little witch from Neustadt. Originally published under the title “Eene meene Hexerei”, the series was renamed “Bibi Blocksberg” after the first seven episodes. The first word/figurative mark was registered in 1983 (DE 1054668) and a European Community trade mark EM 011598653 was registered in 2013.

Bibi, whose surname refers to the mythical Blocksberg, has numerous adventures with her friends Marita, Florian and Moni. She uses her witch powers time and again, which often leads to chaotic situations. Bibi's opponent is often the lazy and corrupt mayor of Neustadt. Elfie Donnelly has also "packed" a little social criticism in here, as in many of her works.

When the first Bibi Blocksberg radio play episode "Hexen gibt es doch" was released on August 4, 1980, it was the starting signal for a success story. The radio play series now comprises over 150 episodes and has won several gold and platinum awards. While all the other characters have been voiced by different people over the years, Bibi's “voice”, Susanna Bonaséwicz, has been there from the very beginning. In 2025, the Bibi Blocksberg brand celebrates its 45th anniversary.

The little witch has also made a name for herself internationally: Her adventures are just as popular in Norway, France, Hungary and Spain as they are in Germany. The famous "Hex Hex" is protected as a trademark (DE 3020130014502). In English, by the way, it is called "Wizz-Wizz" and is also registered as a trademark (EM 018304743).

In addition to the radio play series, there are numerous spin-offs such as Bibi & Tina, comics, animated films, musicals and a real-life series. The soundtrack to the movie Bibi & Tina - Mädchen gegen Jungs even reached number 1 in the German album charts in 2016. A new Bibi Blocksberg film will be released in cinemas on December 25, 2025.

The Boris Blocksberg case - A cold case in the children's world

A mystery surrounds the Bibi Blocksberg radio play series: her brother Boris, who appears in the first seven episodes, suddenly disappears from the series. According to the stories, Boris went to live with his grandparents at the North Sea to recover in the fresh sea air because of his asthma. But then his trail disappears.

Over the years, many fans of the series have wondered what happened to Boris. There are even fan pages on social media platforms such as Instagram that take a humorous look at the missing brother. Elfie Donnelly explained in an interview that Boris' voice was too similar to Bibi's and she therefore decided to write the character out of the series. In a later story, it is said that Boris adopted the name Joris Jockeltal as an adult and is now the manager of a wellness hotel on the Baltic Sea.

Despite his disappearance, Boris Blocksberg remains a curious side note in the history of the popular radio play series. He reappeared in 2022 - at least in the trademark register (EM 018659032).

Elea Eluanda - strong girl with a comforting owl

With the Elea Eluanda series, Elfie Donnelly has created a touching story about inclusion, friendship and courage. The main character, Elea Mischnik, is a paraplegic girl who experiences exciting adventures in Altenberg and the fantastic land of Arambolia. Elea Eluanda was initially registered as a German trademark (DE 304100145) and is now a European trademark (EM 018591955). Elea is supported by her Indian friend Ravi and the talking comforting owl (DE 30564416) Ezekiel (DE 305644173), whose characteristic exclamation “Aramba cholé” has become a distinctive feature of the series.

The first episode was released by Kiddinx in 2003. No new episodes were produced in the meantime, but the series returned in 2016 under the label ‘Zauberstern Records’. Kiddinx has continued the series since 2024, releasing both revised and brand new episodes.

Elfie Donnelly has influenced several generations with her creations. From Benjamin Blümchen to Bibi Blocksberg and Elea Eluanda, she has created characters that have become an integral part of German children's culture. Her stories, characterized by humour, imagination and human values, will probably continue to inspire children and adults alike in the future. Happy 75th birthday, dear Elfie Donnelly! And we look forward to many more exciting stories from you.

Image 1: gettyimages/Sebastian Reuter and DPMA, other images DPMA from DPMAregister

Last updated: 15 January 2025