Max and Moritz

It was written and illustrated by Wilhelm Busch and published in 1865, and has since had significant cultural impact, both in German-speaking countries, where the story has been passed down through generations, but on the wider world, after translation into many languages.

For example, take these stories Of two youths, named Max and Moritz, Who, instead of early turning Their young minds to useful learning, Often leered with horrid features At their lessons and their teachers.

The boys torment Böck (or "Buck" in the English version), a well-liked tailor who has a fast stream flowing in front of his house.

The bridge breaks; the tailor is swept away and nearly drowns (but for two geese, which he grabs a hold of and which fly high to safety).

[4] While their devout teacher, Lämpel, is busy at church, the boys invade his home and fill his favorite pipe with gunpowder.

Busch's classic tale of the terrible duo (now in the public domain) has since become a proud part of the culture in German-speaking countries.

[citation needed] Max and Moritz is the first published original foreign children's book in Japan, translated into rōmaji by Shinjirō Shibutani and Kaname Oyaizu in 1887 as Wanpaku monogatari ("Naughty stories").

[6] The two Sturer Emil vehicles produced in World War II were named Max and Moritz by their crews.

[citation needed] Max and Moritz (along with The Katzenjammer Kids) may have served as inspiration for Ragdoll Productions' British children's show Rosie and Jim, Mike Judge's animated series Beavis and Butt-Head, Terrence and Phillip of the Terrence and Phillip Show from South Park (the show's creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, having said South Park was inspired by Beavis and Butt-Head), and George Beard and Harold Hutchins in the "Captain Underpants" series by Dav Pilkey.

[citation needed] In the early 2020s, the Efteling amusement park in the Netherlands opened a pair of rollercoasters named Max & Moritz.

Set in 1946, in post-war Berlin, the two main characters are brothers named "Max" and "Moritz", and the book also features prominently throughout the series.