Drusselstein (DRUUS-əl-steen) is the Germanic country in which Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz used to live. Heinz was born in the village of Gimmelshtump. It appears to be a parody of some Germanic countries in Europe such as Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and The Netherlands.
Location[]
Drusselstein is a long, narrow land located somewhere in Europe. It was referred to as "the old country" by Reginald Fletcher ("The Monster of Phineas-n-Ferbenstein"). Although many people claim that Heinz Doofenshmirtz, who comes from Drusselstein, has "some kind of a German accent" (implying that Drusselstein might be one of the many states in Germany, such as Bavaria, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt or Hessen), Drusselstein is shown to be a country of its own. According to Ferb Fletcher, Drusselstein is a small Eastern European country. There is also a route directly to the Atlantic Ocean, assuming that Danville is in the eastern United States ("The Doonkelberry Imperative"). However, the Atlantic Ocean is in the west of Europe. It is possible that Drusselstein is located on the east or south coast of the Baltic Sea, as that would both give it a connection to the Atlantic Ocean and place it in Eastern Europe.
The style of the buildings (Fachwerkhäuser), the food, the dress, and the Carnival (Fasching or possibly Oktoberfest) heavily imply that Drusselstein is based on the German state Bavaria, possibly near Munich. However, Doofenshmirtz's father wears odd viking-like clothing and speaks with a distinctively North German accent.
People[]
The people of Drusselstein live a very rural lifestyle. Children in the town Gimmelshtump like to play games such as Kick the Schtumpel, and other sports include Poke the Goozim with a Stick, and also baseball, as there is a Drusselstein minor league baseball team. The game that seems most important to the Doofenshmirtz family is kickball. It is especially important to Heinz Doofenshmirtz's mother, who gives all her love to Roger, her youngest son, because of his amazing kickball skills. There are also many skill cranes in Gimmelshtump, which mostly contain rocks. Pastry delicacies include Doonkelberry cake and Doonkleberries[3][4]. The state still retains figureheads as head of state, including Princess Baldegunde. While most of the time, the people are happy (albeit except for Heinz Doofenshmirtz who soon became an evil scientist in the Tri-State Area), poverty still exists.[5]
At the end of "The Doonkelberry Imperative", the people of Drusselstein create a new holiday in honor of their central shaft problem being solved, after Phineas and Ferb. They call it "Phineas and Ferb Day" or "Ferb and Phineas Day", leading the populace to fight once again. Drusselstein appears to be a monarchy as evident by the residence of Princess Baldegunde, a Drusselsteinian princess who looks identical to Candace Flynn and is served by Guiserblint.
Beliefs[]
The people have a strong belief in black magic. As a tradition, lawn gnomes are placed in front of each house to ward it off. When lawn gnomes become repossessed, parents appear to do anything to make up for it, even making their children dress up as one.[6] Their beliefs are so strong that Heinz had to let his best friend Balloony go because his father told him to stand still.
It is also possible that they believed in ghosts and Princess Baldegunde exclaimed "You are my Doppelgänger!!" as soon as they met. As it is an obviously Saxon culture, the state religion is most likely Christianity. It could either be Catholic or Lutheran depending on where in Germany it is (the south is predominantly Catholic, the north/east is mostly Lutheran and the West is a mix of the two).
Change is severely frowned upon in Drusselstein as shown in "Happy New Year!", to the point one couldn't change the channel, their underwear or hairstyle without being arrested.
In Stumblegimp, showing your side to another is considered an insult, and the punishment is being slapped with a sock. The only way to gain back their trust is to perform the Humiliating Stumblegimp Dance of Contrition.
The people of Drusselstein also believe in the legend of a creature known as Der Kinderlumper. The story of the Kinderlumper seems to have two versions. In one version, the Kinderlumper is a kind, loving, creature who brings presents in the night, similar to Santa. The other version depicts him as a ghoul that kidnaps children and puts them in his "gundersack" if they're naughty, or really for any reason, such as blinking, breathing, needing to use the bathroom, having saliva in your mouth, or drinking a glass of water. His powers seem to be coming out of toilets, snakelike flexibility, and shooting bats from his cane. Heinz Doofenshmirtz was told the negative version as a child while his brother Roger heard the positive one. This is meant as another dig at how much more loved Roger was by their mother than Heinz.
Language[]
The people of Drusselstein speak a language that is a parody of German (Deutsch), though identical grammatically. For instance, when young Doofenshmirtz is instructed not to move in a flashback in "Lawn Gnome Beach Party of Terror", he was told, "Bewegen Sie nicht!" (German for "Do not move!"). The words "Das Kind ist ein Schnitzel!" ("The kid is a cutlet") was spoken by a villager during a flashback in "Split Personality", where also Doofenshmirtz's father said "Zu nah!" ("Too close!") and "Ich habe keinen Sohn" ("I have no son.").
Otherwise, characters generally speak English, such as the Gunther Goat Cheese's employee who tells the young Heinz to lock up after his party is over ("Raging Bully") and the DMV lady, who told him to retake his driving test ("The Doonkelberry Imperative"), but that was probably not meant as if the populace spoke English, but is rather used for convenience's sake and because it has no direct comedic use as opposed to the former example.
Food[]
Drusselsteinians enjoy a variety of interesting dishes, including hassenfloffer entrail waterzooi, fuzzy fungus flugelbrotchen, tripe-based desserts and the mystery lump. However, it was remarked that Drusselsteinian food is horrible by Dr. Doofenshmirtz ("Knot My Problem").
Points of Interest[]
See also the image gallery for the village of Gimmelshtump.
Department of Motor Vehicles and Goat Registration[]
Be prepared to wait in line here behind a goat. This is where Doofenshmirtz came to get his driver's license renewed with Perry ("The Doonkelberry Imperative") by doing the dangerous Drusselstein Driving Test Waltz.
Master Drakkenblad's Pretzel Palace[]
As a kid, Doofenshmirtz got a summer internship here but was eventually ruled unworthy and shown the gate ("Buford Confidential").
The Shaft[]
Drusselstein is powered by belts connected to a horizontal rotating shaft that extends the length of the country. At each end of the huge shaft is a gigantic treadmill upon which goats trod. The kids arrive to a country that has ground to a halt amidst an argument about the direction that the goats should walk ("The Doonkelberry Imperative").
Trebuchet[]
The country has a trebuchet--presumably for defense. As the planet is still distorted by Baljeet when the kids are ready to leave for home, they find the trebuchet a handy conveyance. Doofenshmirtz also tries to use it to return to Danville but the distortion is undone during his journey and he ends up falling into the ocean ("The Doonkelberry Imperative").
Zengle's Fruit Stand[]
The kids travel to Drusselstein to Zengle's to get doonkelberries so that Linda can make a doonkelberry pie ("The Doonkelberry Imperative").
Doofenshmirtz family home[]
The Doofenshmirtz household is at least two stories tall and includes some parapets. We learn that before Roger is born, Heinz does have toys to play with. He even seems happy ("Gaming the System").
The household owned a lawn gnome that was repossessed because times went rough.
Gimmelshtump Public Wetness Maker[]
It is not actually a swimming pool, and it only contains water on alternating Thursdays. Doofenshmirtz learns here from his father and all the other kids who pass the high-dive right of passage that he is a schnitzel ("Split Personality"). It looks similar to the swimming pool in downtown Danville.
Gunther Goat Cheese's[]
Gimmelshtump party palace for kids. When it was his 5th birthday, Doofenshmirtz reserved a big table there, but no one celebrated with him ("Raging Bully").
Background Information[]
- In the flashback of 2nd Dimension-Doofenshmirtz losing his Choo-Choo, he is in the 2nd Dimension's Drusselstein.
- While "Drussel" or "Drusel" is made up, "Stein" literally means "stone" or "rock" in German.
- While Drusselstein is said by Ferb to be an Eastern European nation, it apparently borders the Atlantic, meaning Drusselstein is a Western European nation and thus making this statement impossible.
- In response to a fan's question about the country's name, Dan Povenmire said he usually spelled it as "Druelselstein", but this was before an official spelling had been selected.
- In "Phineas and Ferb: Mission Marvel", Red Skull states to have a cousin who married someone from Drusselstein, and declared that she is dead to him.
- The national bird of Drusselstein is the White Egret.[7]
References[]
- ↑ Ferb mentioned that Drusselstein is European in "The Doonkelberry Imperative"
- ↑ "Make Play"
- ↑ Mentioned in "Raging Bully"
- ↑ Mentioned by Doofenshmirtz in "Lawn Gnome Beach Party of Terror"
- ↑ As demonstrated by Doofenshmirtz's family in "Got Game?".
- ↑ "Lawn Gnome Beach Party of Terror"
- ↑ Dan Povenmire on TikTok