German central institution for the nationwide promotion of all aspects concerning the art of the puppet, figure and object theatre. It was founded in 1992 by the city of Bochum and many associations and training institutions from all over Germany dedicated to puppetry arts (including the UNIMA Germany centre, UNIMA-Zentrum BRD).

The dfp (always written in lower case) organizes the Festival FIDENA – Figurentheater der Nationen (Festival FIDENA – Figure Theatre of Nations) as well as symposia and the competition for the Fritz-Wortelmann-Preis (Fritz Wortelmann Award) from the city of Bochum for amateur figure theatre. It issues publications and maintains a public library, a media library and archives. The first director of the dfp, Silvia Brendenal, was a driving force behind the development of artistic innovation, thanks in part to the international nature of her business contacts. The Festival FIDENA, at first organized by Silvia Brendenal then by Annette Dabs who succeeded her in 1998, enjoys international recognition because of its focus on interdisciplinary aspects of figure theatre.

(See also Deutsches Institut für Puppenspiel (DIP), Germany.)