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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.

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In The Spotlight

OLIVER GROSZER

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). 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.... (more...)

New Biographies

• Dmitry Chernov, Juggler
• Jakob Busch, Circus Owner
• Oliver Groszer, Juggler
• Julius Gleich, Circus Owner
• The Codonas, Aerialists

New Videos

• Melanie Chy, Hand Balancer (2011)
• Jenny Vidbel, Mixed Animals Act (2011)
• Dmitry Chernov, Juggler (2011)
• Aleksandr & Violetta Kiss, Juggling and Balancing Act (1954)
• Nikolai Olkhovikov, Juggler on Horseback (1965)

Featured Oral Histories

• Alberto Zoppé, Equestrian - Interview (McCutcheon & Distasio, 2003)
• Olivier Taquin, Mime - Interview (Jando, 2008)
• Barry Lubin, Clown (Grandma) - Interview (Jando, 2008)
• Fumagalli, Clown - Interview (Jando, 2008)
• Kris Kremo, Juggler - Interview (Jando, 2007)

A Message from the Editor

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

Editor/Curator