If you watch the video's again, you'll notice that the hand control is detachable. It is hung of a cup hook of sorts from the front of the main control. This allows you to tilt and move the control from side to side and not effect the hands.  To control the hands you remove the hand bar and move it about. I use a stationary bar for my hands but the stringing of them is what is called a run through.  The string goes from one hand up to the control through  hole and then across and down through another hole to the other hand. This also allows you to tilt the control without moving the hands. 

I am not real sure why the wire hoops are used. It could be that it allows you to flip the hand over palm up.  You can't really see the string locations in the video. You mentioned a three point stringing. Perhaps on the front to the hoop is a string to the palm on the outer edge one to the tips of the fingers and then on the back side of the hoop a string to the back of the hand. This back string would hold the wieght of the hand most the time but if you flipped the hoop over it would put the tension on the palm string and pull it up. Tipping the hoop so that the outer edge was highest would cause the hand to lift up in the waving position.

When I string it is to the back of the hand. I try to balance the string location so that the hand goes to the waving position when I pull up on the string.  I can counter that movement some because I also have an elbow string on the marionette.  Pulling up on the hand string and back and up on the elbow string keeps the hand from moving to the wave position as long as you don't pull to high.  It is very hard to explain in words.

It takes me a long time to get the right "balance" on the strings.  I string without tying off my knots to hard and give things a test to see if I have it right. Once I get everything how I want it I make the knots solid and give them a gluing. I even sometimes use masking tape to hold a string in position before knotting.  This only works if there is not too much tension or weight on the string.

Thanks Shawn. Your explanation helps a lot. I have also noticed that when she puts away the marionette, she flips the hoops-connecting-thingy over and both hoops fold down. That indicates that the hoops are hinged within that thingy, blocked on one side and free on the other.

I missed the shot of her hanging up the puppet and flipping the control. Makes sense for storage. In one of the videos it almost looked like there was just two strings on the hoop so I may have been wrong about string location on the hand.  Maybe they are simply strung to each side of the hand. 

Is this the control you guys are talking about? Just wondering so folks can follow along.

http://www.ehow.com/video_4430577_types-complex-marionettes.html

Billy D.

Billy;
That's the one.

Just noticed this discussion, so apologies for barging in.  The German control you're talking about was designed by Fritz-Herbert Bross and used by Albrecht Roser...best source for seeing this control and others is in Luman Coad's book Marionette Sourcebook.  This isn't a "how-to" book, so there are no patterns...more a resource of theory and technique (joints, controls) that I found invaluable and illuminating.  I believe the Puppetry Store of the PofA sells it, or you can order it on Amazon.  Cheers.

Thanks for sharing.................and "Welcome to Puppets and stufff

Just noticed this discussion, so apologies for barging in.  The German control you're talking about was designed by Fritz-Herbert Bross and used by Albrecht Roser...best source for seeing this control and others is in Luman Coad's book Marionette Sourcebook.  This isn't a "how-to" book, so there are no patterns...more a resource of theory and technique (joints, controls) that I found invaluable and illuminating.  I believe the Puppetry Store of the PofA sells it, or you can order it on Amazon.  Cheers.

Thanks and Welcome to "Puppets and Stuff"
Link no longer available.

Billy D.

Hi Pradeep,
I have read your request of October 2009 in the Forum Puppet and Stuff "German style controller" I build and use this controller in three different forms. On my website you can look at this. This design is so brilliant, you take the puppet in the hand and even with one hand, based on the anatomy of the player Spielfähig wholly. With the left hand controls the hand. Herbert Fritz Bross has made the malignant players initially effective tool available. It should be noted) have very good joints (ball joints) in (head and neck in the pelvis, arm and leg. If you have any questions then you may feel free to contact me!

With friendly greetings
H. Schmidt

say, i have been having the same question running through my mind about the "german" set-up for controllers (although i am still working out the kinks to the airplane design). have you found a suitable answer since you started this thread a year ago? book? web vid or text? anything? i am pretty clever, but de colas vids WERE blurry (and short) . feel i have a handle on it, but i just went out and invented a new puppet controlling system (altogether different from any previous stage puppet creations, but not from movie creations. a blending of both of the two genres) because the desired effect was not obtained from airplane controller and didn't want to invest time into the german version if it provides similar results. i might not be a good puppeteer, but a good puppet maker i'm sure i can be. IDK. i am just looking for a control system i can jibe with. any results from your search?

There is this book: Marionette Sourcebook by Luman Coad that has lots of information about different types of marionette control.   
I personally likes it a lot and I think this book has some information that are not included in David Currel's Marionette book. They defenently complement each other! The author gives you a broad view of the evolution of marionette construction,  giving you lots of  examples by the inventors, and also the basic idea of roser's control.
I particularly like the Roser's control a lot and for me it's the most versatile control to adapt new moves and tricks. 
I hope this help you.