Difference between revisions of "Main Page"

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==In The Spotlight==
 
==In The Spotlight==
  
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===OLIVER GROSZER===
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===JULIUS GLEICH===
  
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[[File:Oliver_Groszer.jpg|right|230px]]Oliver Groszer was born on October 13, 1966 in Berlin-Köpenick, then part of East Berlin in the German Democratic Republic (GDR). His mother, Franziska Groszer, is a celebrated writer whose activist work at the time was at odds with the Communist viewpoint, and evidently made her a threat to the political status quo in the eyes of the East-German regime. Oliver’s father, Gert, developed radically opposite views in matters of politics, and he and Franziska eventually divorced when Oliver was four years old. In March 1977, Franziska was finally banned by the East-German authorities, who forced her to leave the GDR. She, Oliver, and his sister Josefine crossed the Berlin Wall and moved to West Berlin; Oliver was ten. It was an entirely new life for them; Franziska later told of young Oliver’s experiences in West Berlin in an award-winning book, ''Rotz und Wasser'' (2006).
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[[File:Oliver_Groszer.jpg|right|230px]]Circus Gleich had a relatively short existence (1928-1937), but it was, in the early 1930s, one of the largest and most popular traveling circuses in Europe. It was emblematic of an era when German circuses were trying to match the gigantism of their American counterparts—a chimera that led several of them to bankruptcy. Its founder, Julius Gleich (1886-1951), was born in Austria, the son of a metal turner. He apparently entered the circus world as a musician. In the biography published later by his circus’s Press Department, it was said that he had been in the United States at a young age, where he had been exposed to the American giant three-ring circuses, and then returned to Europe, purchased a cart and two horses, and started his own business. More historically grounded is Julius Gleich's presence in the 1910s as a bandleader in prominent traveling circuses of the era, such as the Czech Circus Kludsky or the German Circus Blumenfeld. Gleich eventually married Karola Häni (b.1894), one of the five Häni sisters, who belonged to a well-known Swiss circus family.... ([[Julius Gleich|more...]])
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Oliver was first exposed to performing at age fourteen, when he took theater classes in boarding school with an American teacher, Keith LeFever. At age seventeen, Oliver discovered juggling. He began to practice for fun, and then, after meeting a truly proficient juggler who amazed him with the tricks he showed him, Oliver started taking juggling seriously. On weekends, he went to perform on street corners in Heidelberg, where he was studying then.... ([[Oliver Groszer|more...]])
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==New Biographies==
 
==New Biographies==

Revision as of 17:44, 1 January 2013

Welcome to Circopedia,
the free encyclopedia of the international circus.
A project of the Big Apple Circus,
inspired and funded by the Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation.


In The Spotlight

JULIUS GLEICH

Oliver Groszer.jpg
Circus Gleich had a relatively short existence (1928-1937), but it was, in the early 1930s, one of the largest and most popular traveling circuses in Europe. It was emblematic of an era when German circuses were trying to match the gigantism of their American counterparts—a chimera that led several of them to bankruptcy. Its founder, Julius Gleich (1886-1951), was born in Austria, the son of a metal turner. He apparently entered the circus world as a musician. In the biography published later by his circus’s Press Department, it was said that he had been in the United States at a young age, where he had been exposed to the American giant three-ring circuses, and then returned to Europe, purchased a cart and two horses, and started his own business. More historically grounded is Julius Gleich's presence in the 1910s as a bandleader in prominent traveling circuses of the era, such as the Czech Circus Kludsky or the German Circus Blumenfeld. Gleich eventually married Karola Häni (b.1894), one of the five Häni sisters, who belonged to a well-known Swiss circus family.... (more...)

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CIRCOPEDIA is a constantly evolving and expanding encyclopedia of the international circus. New videos, biographies, essays, and documents are added to the site on a weekly—and sometimes daily—basis. So keep visiting us: even if today you don't find what you're looking for, it may well be here tomorrow! And if you are a serious circus scholar and spot a factual or historical inaccuracy, do not hesitate to contact us: we will definitely consider your remarks and suggestions.
Dominique Jando
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