The fact that chocolate makes you happy is something that the travel-loving Saxon brought back with her from a sweet tour through central Germany. Especially as she has also brought happiness in the form of sweets for on and under the Christmas tree in her café in Pirna. Ilse Bähnert indulges in memories of her trip to the region's chocolate manufacturers, where she melted away with Ute Freudenberg and Katrin Weber, among praline balls, nougat bars and drinking chocolate. Not only because Ilse was allowed to become a "chocolatier" herself, she notes - Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt have been Germany's most traditional chocolate countries for over 100 years. Frank Schöbel is coming directly to Pirna, bringing his favorite Christmas cookies and cheerful, contemplative songs with him.

Schlager is the stalwart of German pop culture and emerges stronger from every modernization crisis. But what are the stories behind the flawless backdrop of the German Schlager world? What makes Schlager stars true artists and German songs a perennial commercial success? The 90-minute documentary "Deutschland Schlagerland" goes in search of the personal stories behind the music, travels to provincial stages and big cities, talks to producers and performers. The aim is no less than to explain and understand the social and cultural phenomenon of "Schlager" in its entirety.