Rolf Giesen, PhD is a German film historian, screenwriter, lecturer and collector who specialized in VFX and animation. He has shared his knowledge through numerous university and public lectures, cinematheque exhibitions, and monographic, historiographic, and lexicographic books such as Acting and Character Animation. He received the Award for Outstanding Contribution to Animation Studies, 32nd World Festival of Animated Film - Animafest Zagreb 2022.

Acknowledgments. Introduction: The Origin of European Animation. Chapter 1 Austria. Chapter 2 Baltic States. Chapter 3 Belgium. Chapter 4 Bulgaria. Chapter 5 Czechoslovakia: Czech Republic and Slovakia. Chapter 6 Denmark. Chapter 7 Finland. Chapter 8 France. Chapter 9 Germany. Chapter 10 Great Britain. Chapter 11 Greece. Chapter 12 Hungary. Chapter 13 Iceland. Chapter 14 Ireland. Chapter 15 Italy. Chapter 16 The Netherlands. Chapter 17 Norway. Chapter 18 Poland. Chapter 19 Portugal. Chapter 20 Romania. Chapter 21 Slovenia. Chapter 22 Spain. Chapter 23 Sweden. Chapter 24 Switzerland. Chapter 25 Zagreb (Croatia). SUMMARY. INSTEAD OF AN AFTERWORD: THE VARIOUS NAMES OF THE SHADOW DEVIL. A WHO'S WHO OF PRODUCERS, DIRECTORS, WRITERS AND ANIMATORS WORKING IN EUROPE. A CHRONOLOGY OF EUROPEAN ANIMATION. BIBLIOGRAPHY. INDEX.