The play was written in East Germany during the Cold War, shortly after the USSR joined the USA in the nuclear arms race. It is testament to the concerns raised by the destructive powers of this new type of energy. Written for the puppet theatre of Chemnitz, it appears never to have been performed. Several typewritten copies are kept at the Puppentheatersammlung der Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (The puppet theater collection of the Dresden State Art Collections).

The Professor discovered how to use atomic energy to power interplanetary flights. With his rocket and Kasperle, he wants to fly to Eros and trusts the Doktor (Doctor) to watch over his laboratory. The latter steals his calculations, and pairs with Death and the Devil to produce atomic energy in order to sell it. On Eros, a minor planet inhabited by beings who carefully watch what happens on Earth and are concerned about the violence of its inhabitants, the Professor and Kasperle learn that the Earth is in danger because of a new type of energy. They quickly go back and discover that the city has been destroyed. In a different version, Death and the Devil run away after being exposed by Kasperle; in another one, the wrongdoers are sent to space where they will stay forever.