~ Der Hauptmann von Köpenick ~
This is a very interesting porcelain stein made in East Germany by Lichte Porzellan (GmbH) and apparently made for sale in the American Zone of Occupied Germany since it is marked "made in GDR" (German Democratic Republic) in English. The steinmark dates the stein from the late 1970s to 1990 (the time of Russian occupation of East Germany).

The scene on the stein is of a legendary, misfit, heroic character in German history called "the Captain from Koepenick". The Captain's real name was Friedrich Wilhelm Voigt (1849 - 1922) who was credited with getting away with a variety of misdeeds at the beginning of the 1900's that seem to have endeared him to the hearts of the Germans at the time. In 1906, he masqueraded as a Prussian military officer, rounded up a number of soldiers under his "command", and "confiscated" more than 4,000 marks from a municipal treasury.

On this stein the representation seems to be a spoof on the East Germans administering East Germany under supervision of the Russians.
 
Der Hauptmann von Köpenick

Berlin Hauptstadt der DDR
The Captain from Koepenick

Berlin Capitol City of the German Democratic Republic
 
 
Translation: Roy De Selms
Photograph credit: Unknown