"Cinderella" exhibition keeps the courts busy

The regular exhibitions at Moritzburg Castle in Saxony of the cult film "Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella" are keeping the courts in the neighboring Czech Republic busy. The son of "Cinderella" star Libuse Safrankova, Josef Abrham junior, is taking legal action against the State Palace Administration of Saxony.

He believes his personal rights have been violated because photographs and objects from his deceased mother's private and professional life have been exhibited without her consent. This is evident from court documents.

Who has jurisdiction?

The key question is whether Czech judges can rule on the matter at all. The Supreme Court based in Brno ruled that German courts had jurisdiction and referred the case back to a Prague district court. The plaintiffs then appealed to the Czech Constitutional Court. The court has now ruled that it does not yet have jurisdiction over the case. All previous instances would have to be exhausted first. A final decision is therefore still pending.

Cult film at Christmas

The actress Libuse Safrankova (1953-2021) played the leading role in the well-known DEFA co-production "Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella". With the help of three magic nuts, Cinderella wins the affection of the prince (Pavel Travnicek). The fairytale film has long been an integral part of the Christmas program on German television. One of the filming locations was the baroque Moritzburg Castle northwest of Dresden.