Which German Sesame Street spin-off premiered on January 8, 1973?

The German Sesame Street spin-off that premiered on January 8, 1973, was Sesamstraße.

Sesamstraße was developed for German-speaking audiences and first aired through German public television. Before the localized series began, German broadcasters tested several original Sesame Street episodes in English. The successful response helped lead to a German version, which initially used American episodes dubbed into German.

The program gradually developed a more distinct identity. Its German opening and closing material included the song “Der, die, das,” whose lyrics turn German articles and question words into a memorable lesson about asking questions. Later seasons added German-produced animation, live-action segments, puppets, and locally relevant material.

The title literally refers to “Sesame Street.” The other options are adaptations from different countries: Ulica Sezamkowa is Polish, Sesam stasjon is Norwegian, and Sesamstraat is Dutch. Although Sesamstraße began as an adaptation, it became a long-running German children’s institution and continues to be associated with NDR and German public broadcasting.