Concepts for a Ghosts show set in eastern Germany. MDR Ghosts, if you will. These guys have been in my head since before WDR Ghosts came out. I kept to the general template provided by BBC Ghosts with some deviations. Details under the cut 🏃
Unna, roughly equivalent to Robin. Inspired by the Shaman of Bad Dürrenberg, a woman buried 9000 years ago with antler headgear and boar tusks in what is now Sachsen-Anhalt.
She speaks fluent German, however she does so with a heavy Saxon dialect, presumably out of spite. One could suspect she was never a real shaman when she was alive.
Ekki von der Wies', mysterious and entangled in eternal combat with the equally dead White Knight who is not allowed inside the house on account of being stuck on his (also dead) horse.
Doesn't speak to anyone besides Unna, who is the only one who knows Ekki is a woman.
Mutter Magdalena, abbess of the Catholic monastery that used to be where Schloss von Sydow now stands. It was burned down and leveled in 1632 by the Swedish king's Protestant armies.
Sort of takes on Fanny's role as strict keeper of tradition and order in the house. Gets very excited about gardening. Also, you're going to Hell.
Henricus Camerarius, or just Henri. Inspired by the real Ignatius Fortuna, servant to a princess-abbess in the 18th century, who seemed to have held a privileged position at her court.
Fluent in Latin, and fast to pick up modern slang. Something of a Mix of the BBC original's Annie and Kitty.
Franz Emil Arendholz, romantic, literally. Fairly straightforward equivalent to Thomas, but make it Weimar Classicism. Can someone keep lethal objects away from disciples of Goethe, please?
Hates the French.
Wilhelmine "Willa" von Sydow, of the noble family after which the house - Schloss von Sydow - is named.
Born too soon to dance her feet off in the Roaring 20s. Might have killed her husband about it.
"Herr Hauptmann" - Captain in the NVA. Very communist. Very stiff, which shouldn't come as a surprise, considering how he went out. Has a northern dialect if you listen close.
There's a lot to unpack here, but he'd rather not.
Manfred Kaminski, or just Manni, if you like. Voluntary football coach, professional electrician. Has relatives on the other side, but doesn't really care to go there - he's been around the block. He worked for the GDR's trade fleet when he was younger, you know?
Anyway, here's Patrick, if Patrick were to be a guy with a Berlin twang so thick you could insulate a wall with it.
Egon Reinecke, SED politician, runner-up for Bezirksleiter of Leipzig before 1989. After reunification, he remained in the party - now called PDS - mostly to embezzle money. Took to capitalism like a fish to water.
In other words: Red Julian!
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So, that's personal take on an eastern German version of Ghosts! I'm fine with what the actual WDR/ARD show went with, but I was disappointed by the potential left on the table, especially regarding the East and its treasure trove of history and archeological finds.
This is the first time I've drawn any of these ghosts, so the designs, causes of death, etc might not be final.
If you've read this far, tysm for taking the time to look at my little guys <3
