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Charly Baumann

2026-08-23T19:10:11Z

‎Cat Trainer

File:Charly Baumann 1967.png

2026-08-23T18:50:20Z

File:Charly Baumann 1967.png

2026-08-23T18:49:10Z

Djando uploaded File:Charly Baumann 1967.png Charly Baumann and his tigers (1967) — ''Photo X''

Charly Baumann

2026-08-23T18:43:43Z

‎Charly Baumann in America

Main Page

2026-08-23T01:00:05Z

The Merkys

2026-08-23T00:58:36Z

The Merkys

2026-08-23T00:58:16Z

Created page with "==Contortionists, Horizontal Bars== * Video: The 3 Merkys, horizontal bars, on ABC TV's ''Hollywood Palace'' (1964) Category:Artists and Acts|Merky..."

New page

==Contortionists, Horizontal Bars==

* Video: [[Merkys_Video_(1964)|The 3 Merkys, horizontal bars]], on ABC TV's ''Hollywood Palace'' (1964)

[[Category:Artists and Acts|Merkys, The]][[Category:Acrobats|Merkys, The]][[Category:Contortion|Merkys, The]][[Category:Horizontal Bars|Merkys, The]][[Category:Comedy Acts|Merkys, The]]

Merkys Video (1964)

2026-08-23T00:55:23Z

Created page with "The Three Merkys, comedy horizontal bars and contortion, on ABC Television's ''Hollywood Palace'' (1964) {{#ev:vimeo|1220508162|740}} ==See Also== * Biography: The Merkys..."

New page

The Three Merkys, comedy horizontal bars and contortion, on ABC Television's ''Hollywood Palace'' (1964)

{{#ev:vimeo|1220508162|740}}

==See Also==

* Biography: [[The Merkys]]

[[Category:Video Archive|Merkys, The]]

File:Circus Jansly Postcard.png

2026-08-23T00:03:07Z

The Blumenfeld Family

2026-08-23T00:01:48Z

‎Image Gallery

File:Circus Jansly Postcard.png

2026-08-23T00:00:46Z

File:Circus Jansly Postcard.png

2026-08-22T23:59:20Z

Djando uploaded File:Circus Jansly Postcard.png Advertising postcard by Adolph Friedländer for Circus Jansly (c.1895) — ''Dominique Jando Collection''

The Blumenfeld Family

2026-08-22T23:31:28Z

‎Image Gallery

File:Simon Blumenfeld Family.jpg

2026-08-22T23:30:19Z

File:Simon Blumenfeld Family.jpg

2026-08-22T23:27:45Z

Djando uploaded File:Simon Blumenfeld Family.jpg Simon Blumenfeld and his family (c.1900) — ''Jean-Pierre Raufman Archive''

The Blumenfeld Family

2026-08-22T23:21:27Z

‎The Postwar Period

File:Magdeburg Circus.jpg

2026-08-22T19:30:19Z

File:Magdeburg Circus.jpg

2026-08-22T19:28:12Z

Djando uploaded File:Magdeburg Circus.jpg Photograph of the Magdeburg circus building on Königstrasse (c.1910) — ''Circopedia Archive''

The Blumenfeld Family

2026-08-22T19:06:31Z

‎Image Gallery

File:Leopold Blumenfeld.jpg

2026-08-22T19:05:25Z

File:Leopold Blumenfeld.jpg

2026-08-22T19:03:40Z

Djando uploaded File:Leopold Blumenfeld.jpg Leopold Blumenfeld, equestrian and circus owner (1858) — ''Circopedia Archive''

The Blumenfeld Family

2026-08-22T19:00:25Z

‎The Many Blumenfeld Circuses

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-[[File:Charly_Baumann_1976.jpeg|right|400px]]
+[[File:Charly_Baumann_1964.jpeg|right|300px]]
 ==Animal Trainer==
@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 === World War II: A Family Tragedy===
-From age seven to twelve, young Heinz made his first foray in show business, playing bit parts in movies at the UFA studio. This could have led to an acting career, but the advent of World War II completely reshaped Heinz’s destiny: His father was caught helping a Jewish family escape to Spain, and was arrested and deported to Bergen-Belsen. His mother was interned in Ravensbrück, and Heinz was sent to a Nazi orphanage, and then to work on a farm.
+From age seven to twelve, young Heinz made his first foray in show business playing bit parts in movies at the UFA studio. This could have led to an acting career, but the advent of World War II completely reshaped Heinz’s destiny: His father was caught helping a Jewish family escape to Spain, and was arrested and deported to Bergen-Belsen. His mother was interned in Ravensbrück, and Heinz was sent to a Nazi orphanage, and then to work on a farm.
 Heinz’s father died in the gas chambers of Bergen-Belsen, but his mother was freed after nineteen months of captivity in Ravensbrück, her health severely altered. This succession of events suggests that Heinz’s father had a Jewish ancestry (Baumann is indeed a common Jewish name) and that his mother was gentile, although Charly Baumann apparently never mentioned it.
@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 Paula Busch’s empire now laid in ruins, and she was trying to rebuild some of it with an outdoors circus, the [[Circus Busch|Astra Arena Schau]], which she had started in July 1946 in the ruins of the Berlin Zoo. Heinz Baumann, who had often helped his father take care of his horses, got a job as a groom, and participated in the show’s pantomimes&mdash;which were but a poor shadow of the elaborate spectacles that once were the glorious trademark of Circus Busch.
-[[File:Williams_1959_Berlin.JPG|thumb|left|400px|Circus Williams in 1959]]Heinz didn’t believe he had a future in Paula Busch’s show, and the following year, he joined Germany's premier circus then&mdash;and the first full-fledged circus to hit the road after the war&mdash;[[Circus Williams]], owned by German-born British equestrian [[Harry Williams]] (1902-1951) and his wife Carola, née [[The Althoff Dynasty|Althoff]]. Harry Williams held a British passport, and the attitude of the Althoffs&mdash;Carola (1903-1987), and her brothers [[Franz Althoff|Franz]] (1908-1987) and [[Adolf Althoff|Adolf]] (1913-1998)&mdash;during the war had been exemplary, at least from the Allies’ perspective: They had hidden and helped several Jews, performers or not, in their circus under the nose of the Nazis and at their own risk. The occupying authorities had had no problem granting Harry and Carola Williams a permit to operate a circus again.
+[[File:Williams_1959_Berlin.JPG|thumb|left|400px|Circus Williams in 1959]]Heinz didn’t believe he had a future in Paula Busch’s show, and the following year, he joined Germany's premier circus then&mdash;and the first full-fledged circus to hit the road after the war&mdash;[[Circus Williams]], owned by German-born British equestrian [[Harry Williams]] (1902-1951) and his wife Carola, née [[The Althoff Dynasty|Althoff]].
 The Williams hired Heinz as an assistant horse trainer, who was also to participate in Circus Williams’s equestrian acts and displays. At Circus Williams, Heinz met a young apprentice who had followed a path comparable to his (and would continue to do so), [[Gunther Gebel-Williams|Günther Gebel]]. It is also at Circus Williams that Baumann would change his first name, Heinz, for the less German-sounding Charly.
@@ Line 41: / Line 43: @@
 Ada Aureden, Will’s divorced wife, was still her ex-husband’s partner, and the artistic force behind Circus Roland. Soon, she and Charly began a long-lasting affair, and Ada would become a major influence on Charly’s career. For the next five years, Charly became a very successful lion trainer, but working with six male lions&mdash;which are relatively lazy animals and prone to fight each other&mdash;was not easy, and it came with its share of close-call incidents. Charly eventually considered switching to tigers.
-He had several offers to take over existing tiger groups, including one from [[John Ringling North]] for [[Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey]] Circus, but Baumann’s asking price was to high for North. Finally, in 1957, Erie Klant ended his contract with Circus Roland. As a result, Will and Ada Aureden decided to buy a tiger act, which had been put together by the Czech trainer [[Franz Kraml]], from the Hanover Zoo and give it to Charly&mdash;who now lived with Ada and had no intention indeed to leave Circus Roland.
+He had several offers to take over existing tiger groups, including one from [[John Ringling North]] for [[Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey]] Circus, but Baumann’s asking price was to high for North. Finally, in 1957, Erie Klant ended his contract with Circus Roland. As a result, Will and Ada Aureden decided to buy a tiger act, which had been put together by the Czech trainer [[Franz Kraml]], from the Hanover Zoo, and give it to Charly&mdash;who now lived with Ada and had no intention indeed to leave Circus Roland.
-Franz Kraml and his assistant, Joseph Apel, spent the 1957 season with Charly Baumann to familiarize him with the five tigers in the act. When Kraml left, Joseph Apel remained with Charly; he became his long-time assistant and would eventually follow him to the United States. Soon, three more tigers were added to the original group, giving its final shape to the act Charly Baumann would present in European circuses (and on film) for the next five years. Charly had already abandoned the ''Tarzan'' outfit, which he had replaced by a white safari costume, replete with jodhpurs and leather boots; he opted now for an open shirt, and ornate vest and pants.
+Franz Kraml and his assistant, Joseph Apel, spent the 1957 season with Charly Baumann to familiarize him with the five tigers that composed the act. When Kraml left, Joseph Apel remained with Charly; he became his long-time assistant and would eventually follow him to the United States. Soon, three more tigers were added to the original group, giving its final shape to the act Charly Baumann would present in European circuses (and on film) for the next five years. Charly had already abandoned the ''Tarzan'' outfit, which he had replaced by a white safari costume, replete with jodhpurs and leather boots; he opted now for an open shirt, and ornate vest and pants.
-[[Image:Charly_Baumann_and_Assur.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Charly Baumann and Assur (1963)]]Charly’s tiger act was very successful, and was often rented out to major circuses all over Europe. In 1958, Charly Baumann was back with the movie company that had seen his debuts in show business, UFA. He was featured in ''Geliebte Bestie'' (literally, "Beloved Beasts"), a film by Arthur-Maria Rabenalt, which tells the story of a young girl who, after the accidental death of her parents, runs away and joins the circus to become a famous tiger trainer. Margrit Nünke played the girl, and Charly stood in for Gerhard Ridmann, who played the love interest, a tiger trainer. The movie, released in 1959, gives a unique opportunity to see Charly Baumann’s tiger act as it was at that time.
+[[Image:Charly_Baumann_and_Assur.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Charly Baumann and Assur (1963)]]Charly’s tiger act was very successful, and it was often rented out to major circuses all over Europe. In 1958, Charly Baumann was back with the movie company that had seen his debuts in show business, UFA: He was featured in ''Geliebte Bestie'' (literally, "Beloved Beasts"), a film by Arthur-Maria Rabenalt, which tells the story of a young girl who, after the accidental death of her parents, runs away and joins the circus to become a famous tiger trainer. Margrit Nünke played the girl, and Charly stood in for Gerhard Ridmann, who played the love interest, a tiger trainer. The movie, released in 1959, gives a unique opportunity to see Charly Baumann’s tiger act as it was at that time.
-For the winter of 1959-60, Charly Baumann was featured in one of Europe’s most prestigious circuses, [[Bertram Mills Circus]], for its annual Christmas production at the Olympia of Kensington, in London. "Charly Baumann may be spoken of in the same breath as the Masters of his craft," noted the enthusiastic critic of ''World’s Fair'', the British circus and fairgrounds trade publication. The following summer, Baumann was featured at Blackpool’s [[Tower Circus]] and he ended in British season on October 30 at [[Billy Smart’s Circus]], where singer Dorothy Squires made a guest appearance among Charly’s tigers for a charity performance.
+For the winter of 1959-60, Charly Baumann was featured in one of Europe’s most prestigious circuses, [[Bertram Mills Circus]], for its annual Christmas production at the Olympia of Kensington, in London. "Charly Baumann may be spoken of in the same breath as the Masters of his craft," noted the enthusiastic critic of ''World’s Fair'', the British circus and fairgrounds trade publication. The following summer, Baumann was featured at Blackpool’s [[Tower Circus]] and he ended his British season on October 30 at [[Billy Smart’s Circus]], where singer Dorothy Squires made a guest appearance among Charly’s tigers for a charity performance.
 Then in 1960, Charly Baumann became part of the ''Cirque Français'', an allegedly French circus troupe, which performed in the Soviet Union at the old [[Circus Ciniselli]] in Leningrad, and the [[Circus Nikulin|Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard]] in Moscow. The show had been put together by the Lumbroso Agency (which had the exclusivity of Soviet shows in France), but if the star of the company was the famous French ''auguste'' [[Achille Zavatta]], only half of the acts on the program were actually French. The Russian audience didn’t really care: Seeing foreign performers, wherever they came from, was enough of a novelty for them. According to Baumann, [[SoyuzGosTsirk]], the Soviet central circus organization, tried to lure him into its fold&mdash;as in fact they often did, always unsuccessfully, with top European circus performers who came to visit.
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 File:Charly_Baumann_1964.jpeg|Charly Baumann (1964)
 File:Charly_Baumann_RBBB_Program_(1966).jpg|Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Program Cover (1966)
 File:Charly_Baumann_1960s.jpg|Charly Baumann (c.1968)
 Image:Charly_Baumann_(1970).jpg|Charly Baumann at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey (c.1970)

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:50, 23 August 2026
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	Charly Baumann and his tigers (1967) — ''Photo X''		Charly Baumann and his tigers (1967) — ''Photo X''
		+
		+	==See Also==
		+
		+	* Biography: [[Charly Baumann]]
		+
		+	[[Category:Photo Archive\|Baumann, Charly]]

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 Paula Busch’s empire now laid in ruins, and she was trying to rebuild some of it with an outdoors circus, the [[Circus Busch|Astra Arena Schau]], which she had started in July 1946 in the ruins of the Berlin Zoo. Heinz Baumann, who had often helped his father take care of his horses, got a job as a groom, and participated in the show’s pantomimes&mdash;which were but a poor shadow of the elaborate spectacles that once were the glorious trademark of Circus Busch.
-[[File:Williams_1959_Berlin.JPG|thumb|right|400px|Circus Williams in 1959]]Heinz didn’t believe he had a future in Paula Busch’s show, and the following year, he joined Germany's premier circus then&mdash;and the first full-fledged circus to hit the road after the war&mdash;[[Circus Williams]], owned by German-born British equestrian [[Harry Williams]] (1902-1951) and his wife Carola, née [[The Althoff Dynasty|Althoff]]. Harry Williams held a British passport, and the attitude of the Althoffs&mdash;Carola (1903-1987), and her brothers [[Franz Althoff|Franz]] (1908-1987) and [[Adolf Althoff|Adolf]] (1913-1998)&mdash;during the war had been exemplary, at least from the Allies’ perspective: They had hidden and helped several Jews, performers or not, in their circus under the nose of the Nazis and at their own risk. The occupying authorities had had no problem granting Harry and Carola Williams a permit to operate a circus again.
+[[File:Williams_1959_Berlin.JPG|thumb|left|400px|Circus Williams in 1959]]Heinz didn’t believe he had a future in Paula Busch’s show, and the following year, he joined Germany's premier circus then&mdash;and the first full-fledged circus to hit the road after the war&mdash;[[Circus Williams]], owned by German-born British equestrian [[Harry Williams]] (1902-1951) and his wife Carola, née [[The Althoff Dynasty|Althoff]]. Harry Williams held a British passport, and the attitude of the Althoffs&mdash;Carola (1903-1987), and her brothers [[Franz Althoff|Franz]] (1908-1987) and [[Adolf Althoff|Adolf]] (1913-1998)&mdash;during the war had been exemplary, at least from the Allies’ perspective: They had hidden and helped several Jews, performers or not, in their circus under the nose of the Nazis and at their own risk. The occupying authorities had had no problem granting Harry and Carola Williams a permit to operate a circus again.
 The Williams hired Heinz as an assistant horse trainer, who was also to participate in Circus Williams’s equestrian acts and displays. At Circus Williams, Heinz met a young apprentice who had followed a path comparable to his (and would continue to do so), [[Gunther Gebel-Williams|Günther Gebel]]. It is also at Circus Williams that Baumann would change his first name, Heinz, for the less German-sounding Charly.
@@ Line 37: / Line 37: @@
 ===Cat Trainer===
-[[Image:Charly_Baumann_(1952)-1.jpg|thumb|left|400px|Charly Baumann in 1952]]After the Circus Bügler season, Charlie’s act was contracted with [[Will Aureden]]’s budding [[Circus Busch-Roland|Circus Roland]]. There, Charlie Baumann was replacing the already famous [[Gilbert Houcke]], whose ''Tarzan'' costume (no to mention his tiger act) had been a sensation at Circus Roland the previous seasons. To keep the winning ''Tarzan'' image alive, Aureden asked Charly to adopt Houcke’s minimal, leopard-skin costume, which would be his outfit for the next few years. This type of costuming became widely popular among cat trainers in the 1950s and early 1960s&mdash;at least among those whose body could fit the image!
+[[Image:Charly_Baumann_(1952)-1.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Charly Baumann in 1952]]After the Circus Bügler season, Charlie’s act was contracted with [[Will Aureden]]’s budding [[Circus Busch-Roland|Circus Roland]]. There, Charlie Baumann was replacing the already famous [[Gilbert Houcke]], whose ''Tarzan'' costume (no to mention his tiger act) had been a sensation at Circus Roland the previous seasons. To keep the winning ''Tarzan'' image alive, Aureden asked Charly to adopt Houcke’s minimal, leopard-skin costume, which would be his outfit for the next few years. This type of costuming became widely popular among cat trainers in the 1950s and early 1960s&mdash;at least among those whose body could fit the image!
 Ada Aureden, Will’s divorced wife, was still her ex-husband’s partner, and the artistic force behind Circus Roland. Soon, she and Charly began a long-lasting affair, and Ada would become a major influence on Charly’s career. For the next five years, Charly became a very successful lion trainer, but working with six male lions&mdash;which are relatively lazy animals and prone to fight each other&mdash;was not easy, and it came with its share of close-call incidents. Charly eventually considered switching to tigers.
@@ Line 45: / Line 45: @@
 Franz Kraml and his assistant, Joseph Apel, spent the 1957 season with Charly Baumann to familiarize him with the five tigers in the act. When Kraml left, Joseph Apel remained with Charly; he became his long-time assistant and would eventually follow him to the United States. Soon, three more tigers were added to the original group, giving its final shape to the act Charly Baumann would present in European circuses (and on film) for the next five years. Charly had already abandoned the ''Tarzan'' outfit, which he had replaced by a white safari costume, replete with jodhpurs and leather boots; he opted now for an open shirt, and ornate vest and pants.
-[[Image:Charly_Baumann_and_Assur.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Charly Baumann and Assur (1963)]]Charly’s tiger act was very successful, and was often rented out to major circuses all over Europe. In 1958, Charly Baumann was back with the movie company that had seen his debuts in show business, UFA. He was featured in ''Geliebte Bestie'' (literally, "Beloved Beasts"), a film by Arthur-Maria Rabenalt, which tells the story of a young girl who, after the accidental death of her parents, runs away and joins the circus to become a famous tiger trainer. Margrit Nünke played the girl, and Charly stood in for Gerhard Ridmann, who played the love interest, a tiger trainer. The movie, released in 1959, gives a unique opportunity to see Charly Baumann’s tiger act as it was at that time.
+[[Image:Charly_Baumann_and_Assur.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Charly Baumann and Assur (1963)]]Charly’s tiger act was very successful, and was often rented out to major circuses all over Europe. In 1958, Charly Baumann was back with the movie company that had seen his debuts in show business, UFA. He was featured in ''Geliebte Bestie'' (literally, "Beloved Beasts"), a film by Arthur-Maria Rabenalt, which tells the story of a young girl who, after the accidental death of her parents, runs away and joins the circus to become a famous tiger trainer. Margrit Nünke played the girl, and Charly stood in for Gerhard Ridmann, who played the love interest, a tiger trainer. The movie, released in 1959, gives a unique opportunity to see Charly Baumann’s tiger act as it was at that time.
 For the winter of 1959-60, Charly Baumann was featured in one of Europe’s most prestigious circuses, [[Bertram Mills Circus]], for its annual Christmas production at the Olympia of Kensington, in London. "Charly Baumann may be spoken of in the same breath as the Masters of his craft," noted the enthusiastic critic of ''World’s Fair'', the British circus and fairgrounds trade publication. The following summer, Baumann was featured at Blackpool’s [[Tower Circus]] and he ended in British season on October 30 at [[Billy Smart’s Circus]], where singer Dorothy Squires made a guest appearance among Charly’s tigers for a charity performance.
@@ Line 57: / Line 57: @@
 Charly Baumann made his debut in America in 1964, in a show that included [[Victoria Unus|La Toria]] on the Roman rings, the [[Yong Brothers]], [[Charles Mroczkowski|Charles and Gena Mroczkowski]] and their horses, and The Great [[Doval]] on the high wire. But these were the last years of John Ringling North’s ownership; in November 1967, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus passed into the hands of Irvin and Israel Feld, and Roy Hofheinz. Luckily, [[Irvin Feld]] renewed Charly Baumann’s contract&mdash;and the German tiger trainer would spend the next 24 years with ''The Greatest Show On Earth''!
-[[File:Charly_Baumann_RBBB_Program_(1966).jpg|thumb|left|300px|Charly Baumann (1966)]]In 1968, Irvin Feld lured Gunther Gebel-Williams, Charly’s old fellow apprentice at Circus Williams, to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey with the entire Circus Williams menagerie. The plan was to make, for the 1969 season, a second unit of ''The Greatest Show On Earth'' whose star performer would be Gunther Gebel-Williams. Charly remained with the first unit (the two trainers never worked their acts in the same show), where he was also promoted Assistant Performance Director.
+[[File:Charly_Baumann_RBBB_Program_(1966).jpg|thumb|right|300px|Charly Baumann (1966)]]In 1968, Irvin Feld lured Gunther Gebel-Williams, Charly’s old fellow apprentice at Circus Williams, to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey with the entire Circus Williams menagerie. The plan was to make, for the 1969 season, a second unit of ''The Greatest Show On Earth'' whose star performer would be Gunther Gebel-Williams. Charly remained with the first unit (the two trainers never worked their acts in the same show), where he was also promoted Assistant Performance Director.
 Charly Baumann’s tiger act grew in importance, reaching 16 animals at its peak. One of his greatest accomplishments was to present a three-tiger simultaneous roll over, something that had never been seen before. (He actually had four tigers able to do the trick together, one being kept as an understudy.) In 1971, Charly became the Blue Unit’s Performance Director, while still presenting his tiger act in the center ring. His authoritarian stance, however, didn’t make him popular with the other performers of the show.

@@ Line 40: / Line 40: @@
 ==New Videos==
 * [[Davis_Vassallo_Video_(2024)|Davis Vassallo]], clown entrée (2024)
 * [[Pogorelov_Video_(2026)|Andrei Pogorelov]], wheel of death (2026)
 * [[Kremo_Troupe_Video_(1896)|The Kremo Troupe]], Risley act (1896)
 * [[Mikityuk_and_Zolkin_Video_(1984)|Svetlana Mikityuk & Viacheslav Zolkin]], foot juggling and bear act (1984)
 ==New Oral Histories==

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:58, 23 August 2026
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	* Video: [[Merkys_Video_(1964)\|The 3 Merkys, horizontal bars]], on ABC TV's ''Hollywood Palace'' (1964)		* Video: [[Merkys_Video_(1964)\|The 3 Merkys, horizontal bars]], on ABC TV's ''Hollywood Palace'' (1964)

−	[[Category:Artists and Acts\|Merkys, The]][[Category:Acrobats\|Merkys, The]][[Category:~~Contortion~~\|Merkys, The]][[Category:Horizontal Bars\|Merkys, The]][[Category:Comedy Acts\|Merkys, The]]	+	[[Category:Artists and Acts\|Merkys, The]][[Category:Acrobats\|Merkys, The]][[Category:Contortionists\|Merkys, The]][[Category:Horizontal Bars\|Merkys, The]][[Category:Comedy Acts\|Merkys, The]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:03, 23 August 2026
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−	Advertising postcard by Adolph Friedländer for Circus Jansly (c.1895) — ''Dominique Jando Collection''	+	Advertising postcard by Adolph Friedländer for Circus Jansly, showing Jansly Blumenfeld and his group of 12 Russian stallions (c.1895) — ''Dominique Jando Collection''

	==See Also==		==See Also==

@@ Line 172: / Line 172: @@
 File:Leopold_Blumenfeld.jpg|Leopold Blumenfeld (1858)
 File:Circus_E._Blumenfeld_Wwe_poster.jpg|Circus E. Blumenfeld Wve. Poster (1891)
 File:Simon_Blumenfeld_Family.jpg|Simon Blumenfeld and his family (c.1900)
 File:Magdeburg_Circus.jpg|The Magdeburg Circus (c.1910)

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:00, 23 August 2026
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	Advertising postcard by Adolph Friedländer for Circus Jansly (c.1895) — ''Dominique Jando Collection''		Advertising postcard by Adolph Friedländer for Circus Jansly (c.1895) — ''Dominique Jando Collection''
		+
		+	==See Also==
		+
		+	* History: [[The Blumenfeld Family]]
		+
		+	[[Category:Art Gallery\|Blumenfeld Circus]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:30, 22 August 2026
(One intermediate revision by the same user not shown)
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	Simon Blumenfeld and his family (c.1900) — ''Jean-Pierre Raufman Archive''		Simon Blumenfeld and his family (c.1900) — ''Jean-Pierre Raufman Archive''
		+
		+	==See Also==
		+
		+	* History: [[The Blumenfeld Family]]
		+
		+	[[Category:Photo Archive\|Blumenfeld, Simon)]]

@@ Line 101: / Line 101: @@
 With seven brothers pretending to be Simon’s successors, not to mention Simon’s four daughters and the children of his brothers, reviving the Zirkus E. Blumenfeld could have led to unforeseen problems. Therefore, in the summer of 1919, Simon’s sons Alex, Alfons, and Arthur purchased the former ''Zircus E. Blumenfeld Wwe.'' company from the family. Then, they announced the creation of a new touring company called ''Zirkus Gebr. Blumenfeld''. They also let it known that they remained co-owners of the Magdeburg circus and set 1920 as the date for the debut of their traveling circus. It wasn’t an easy task: They had to rebuild their entire touring operation from scratch!
-They purchased a large circus tent, 44 meters in diameter (approximately 144 feet) and with a capacity of 2,000 people. This made their circus a major enterprise&mdash;although it would soon pale in comparison to giants like [[Circus Krone|Krone]], [[Circus Sarrasani|Sarrasani]], [[Circus Gleich|Gleich]], and even the circus of their Strassburger cousins. Alex, Alfons, and Arthur Blumenfeld could rely on their large family for support: Their brothers, Fritz and Alfred, took care of the administrative aspects of the circus, and Eugen supervised the important concessions department. Other family members were also available to help and perform in the show.
+They purchased a large two-pole circus tent, 44 meters in diameter (approximately 144 feet) and with a capacity of 2,000 people. This made their circus a major enterprise&mdash;although it would soon pale in comparison to giants like [[Circus Krone|Krone]], [[Circus Sarrasani|Sarrasani]], [[Circus Gleich|Gleich]], and even the circus of their Strassburger cousins. Alex, Alfons, and Arthur Blumenfeld could rely on their large family for support: Their brothers, Fritz and Alfred, took care of the administrative aspects of the circus, and Eugen supervised the important concessions department. Other family members were also available to help and perform in the show.
 The new Blumenfeld Circus made its debut in Dessau, not far from Magdeburg, on April 3, 1920. The show featured many family members: Alfons presented liberty acts with Amanda Lorch. Willy appeared in a high-school presentation with his sister-in-law and cousin Victoria (Arthur’s wife), and also doubled as the clown Kucki. Arthur, riding a horse, presented two trained bulls. Of course, there were also many hired performers in the show, including a team of acrobats and a motorcycle stunt act. In November,  the Blumenfeld brothers returned to their circus in Magdeburg for the winter season, which at long last returned to hosting circus shows.
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 File:Leopold_Blumenfeld.jpg|Leopold Blumenfeld (1858)
 File:Circus_E._Blumenfeld_Wwe_poster.jpg|Circus E. Blumenfeld Wve. Poster (1891)
 </Gallery>
 [[Category:History|The Blumenfeld Family]][[Category:Circus Owner and Directors|The Blumenfeld Family]][[Category:Equestrians|The Blumenfeld Family]][[Category:Artists and Acts|The Blumenfeld Family]]

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	Photograph of the Magdeburg circus building on Königstrasse (c.1910) — ''Circopedia Archive''		Photograph of the Magdeburg circus building on Königstrasse (c.1910) — ''Circopedia Archive''
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		+	==See Also==
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		+	* History: [[The Blumenfeld Family]]
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		+	[[Category:Photo Archive\|Magdeburg Circus]]

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	Leopold Blumenfeld, equestrian and circus owner (1858) — ''Circopedia Archive''		Leopold Blumenfeld, equestrian and circus owner (1858) — ''Circopedia Archive''
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		+	==See Also==
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		+	* History: [[The Blumenfeld Family]]
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		+	[[Category:Photo Archive\|Blumenfeld, Leopold]]

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 Be that as it may, the family eventually dispersed, and several circuses bearing the Blumenfeld name appeared across Germany with varying degrees of success. Some became major German traveling circuses of their times&mdash;including Emanuel Blumenfeld’s circus, which survived him under the management of his widow and then his sons; it was to become the Circus Blumenfeld of reference and will be treated later. Nevertheless, many others ''Circus Blumenfeld'' are worth mentioning.
-''Zirkus Blumenfeld & Söhne'', created by Meyer Blumenfeld, Emanuel's younger brother, was active between 1884 and 1892. Meyer had married twice. His first wife was Setta Hartog (!814-1852), the sister of Jette Hartog, Emanuel's wife: both brothers married the same day, on January 24, 1839.  Meyer and Setta had five children, Leopold (1841-1901), Minna (b. 1843), Josef (b.1845), Nathan (1846-1852), and Sofie; then, after Setta's death, Meyer married Gundula Sara Jonas (b.1812), who gave him another son, Jansly (Samson) (1853-1935). In turn, Jansly and Leopold created two major traveling circuses.
+''Zirkus Blumenfeld & Söhne'', created by Meyer Blumenfeld, Emanuel's younger brother, was active between 1884 and 1892. Meyer had married twice. His first wife was Setta Hartog (1814-1852), the sister of Jette Hartog, Emanuel's wife: both brothers married the same day, on January 24, 1839.  Meyer and Setta had five children, Leopold (1841-1901), Minna (b. 1843), Josef (b.1845), Nathan (1846-1852), and Sofie; then, after Setta's death, Meyer married Gundula Sara Jonas (b.1812), who gave him another son, Jansly (Samson) (1853-1935). In turn, Jansly and Leopold created two major traveling circuses.
 In 1844, Jansly Blumenfeld, who had married his cousin Wilhelmine, daughter of his uncle David, operated ''Circus Jansly & Leo'' with his brother Leopold. It became ''Circus Jansly'' the following year, when Leopold left to establish his own circus. Active from 1885 to 1901, Circus Jansly suffered a devastating train accident and a stable fire in 1900, which killed many of its horses. After a run of forty-six years, the circus could not survive these catastrophes and closed in Berlin in 1901.
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 Emanuel established his circus’s base in the province of Westphalia, in Prussia, and during its early years ''Zirkus E. Blumenfeld'' toured the Kingdom of Prussia exclusively. The Franco-Prussian War of 1870 brought a major disruption: Emanuel’s elder sons Moritz, Leopold, and Meyer, enrolled in the army. Their military service may have encouraged a greater sense of independence, and they eventually left the family circus. Emanuel died on May 23, 1885 in Tilsit, where the circus was performing. Jeanette, whose strength of character suggests that she had likely been involved in managing the circus alongside her husband despite her many duties as a mother, took over its direction.
-With such a large family, Jeanette had the support she needed to run the circus. Simon, Alexander, and Louis oversaw day-to-day operations; Adolf became general manager; and Hermann, as advance man, organized the tours. Under her management, the circus grew in importance, and its stables—always a distinctive Blumenfeld asset—doubled in size. The circus also changed its name to ''Zirkus E. Blumenfeld Wwe'' (Circus E. Blumenfeld Widow). In 1891, the family moved to much-needed larger winter quarters in the town of Gurhau, in Lower Silesia (today Góra, in Poland), where they had found a large ensemble of abandoned military stables.
+Jeanette came from a circus family, and she had brought her family's circus into her marriage: Consequently, Zirkus E. Blumenfeld had grown in importance, but with such a large family, Jeanette had the support she needed to run it. Simon, Alexander, and Louis oversaw day-to-day operations; Adolf became general manager; and Hermann, as advance man, organized the tours. Under her management, the circus grew in importance, and its stables—always a distinctive Blumenfeld asset—doubled in size. The circus also changed its name to ''Zirkus E. Blumenfeld Wwe'' (Circus E. Blumenfeld Widow). In 1891, the family moved to much-needed larger winter quarters in the town of Gurhau, in Lower Silesia (today Góra, in Poland), where they had found a large ensemble of abandoned military stables.
 Jeanette Blumenfeld died in Gurhau on April 30, 1896, at age sixty-one. Her death might have led to the breakup of the enterprise and a new proliferation of Blumenfeld circuses, but Emanuel and Jeanette had foreseen that possibility: They wrote a will in 1872 that established a clear succession, both for the circus business and for the family’s responsibilities. It not only defined the siblings' positions and tasks in the running of the circus&mdash;which, it specified, couldn't be dismantled or split between them&mdash;but also, their commitment to their family and to their Jewish faith. Jeanette's strong hand is apparent in such a strictly ordered will, and its provisions were duly followed by her descendants.
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 Magdeburg was the capital of Saxony. Located in what today is Saxony-Anhalt, it was an important city that had hosted several circus buildings over the years. Nothing exceptional there, since major German cities had circus buildings, but Magdeburg location was relatively central in the German Empire, which could make it a good base for a traveling circus. In 1896, an entrepreneur named Hahn built a new circus in the city. Already, in 1886, Hahn had acquired [[August Krembser]]'s circus building in Berlin, which he rented out to major circus companies such as [[Gotthold Schumann]]'s&mdash;before Schumann opened his own circus building in the Prussian capital. A master-carpenter, he had already erected a wooden "construction" in Madgeburg in 1892.
-Hahn was not a circus man, but a businessman and landlord who rented out his facilities to circus companies and other tenants. His new Magdeburg circus, located on Kaizer Wilhelm Platz (today's Universitätsplatz) and Köningstraße 62/63, a major thoroughfare, was a large building: With a surface area of nearly 4,000 m2 (approximately 154 x 266 feet), it included not only the circus itself, which could be fitted with a removable stage for concerts and theatrical productions and boasted a capacity of 2,800, but also a restaurant, wardrobe shops, a saddlery, a prop workshop, stables for 110 horses, and a small variety theater. It opened on September 30, 1896, with [[Circus Renz]] as a tenant.
+Hahn was not a circus man, but a businessman and landlord who rented out his facilities to circus companies and other tenants. His new Magdeburg circus, located on Kaizer Wilhelm Platz (today's Universitätsplatz) and Köningstraße 62/63 (today's Walther-Rathenau-Straße), a major thoroughfare, was a large building: With a surface area of nearly 4,000 m2 (approximately 154 x 266 feet), it included not only the circus itself, which could be fitted with a removable stage for concerts and theatrical productions and boasted a capacity of 2,800, but also a restaurant, wardrobe shops, a saddlery, a prop workshop, stables for 110 horses, and a small variety theater. It opened on September 30, 1896, with [[Circus Renz]] as a tenant.
-The Blumenfelds performed there in 1904, 1911, and 1913. Since 1907, the building had been used principally as a movie house, and by 1913, it was in disrepair. After Hahn's death, it had passed to his daughter, who was eager to sell. The Blumenfelds had long wanted to move their winter quarters from Gurhau to a more central location, and Magdeburg suited their needs. In 1913, they offered to buy and restore the property, and Ms. Hahn accepted; then they secured a thirty-year lease with the city, which owned the land, and they could finally move their operations to Magdeburg. After adding a large foyer to the building, they were ready to use it for their winter seasons.
+The Blumenfelds performed there in 1904, 1911, and 1913. Since 1907, the building had been used principally as a movie house, and by 1913, it was in disrepair. After Hahn's death, it had passed to his daughter, who was eager to sell. The Blumenfelds had long wanted to move their winter quarters from Gurhau to a more central location, and Magdeburg suited their needs. During their visit in 1913, they offered to buy and restore the property, and Ms. Hahn accepted; then they secured a thirty-year lease with the city, which owned the land, and they could finally move their operations to Magdeburg in 1914. After adding a large foyer to the building, they were ready to use it for their winter seasons.
-Thus, in March 1914, after World War I had broken out and the Blumenfelds had effectively lost their traveling enterprise, they went home to Magdeburg. Since the European theater of war was soon confined to a line of fortified trenches stretching from the English Channel to Switzerland, Germany’s interior remained unaffected. The Blumenfelds were able to rent out the building, though for purposes other than circus performances; they even re-converted it into a movie theater.
+Thus, in March 1914, after World War I had broken out and the Blumenfelds had effectively lost their traveling enterprise, they went to their new home in Magdeburg. Since the European theater of war was soon confined to a line of fortified trenches stretching from the English Channel to Switzerland, Germany’s interior remained unaffected. The Blumenfelds were able to rent out the building, though for purposes other than circus performances; they even re-converted it into a movie theater.
 During that time of circus inactivity, the directors of the third generation disappeared or retired. Adolf had died in Dresden in 1913, Alexander and Hermann called it quits (they would pass away in 1921 and 1933 respectively), and finally, Simon, the father of the "Magdeburg Line," died in Magdeburg on July 22, 1918, shortly before war's end. The Gurhau winter quarters were sold at the end of the war, and with the Magdeburg building used for unrelated activities, it could have been the end of the ''Zirkus E. Blumenfeld''.
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 To be sure, they were not the only circus to quit the business: Between 1926 and 1930, no less than seven German circuses went bankrupt. However, the Blumenfelds were a powerful circus family with a permanent base in a major German city. They had always been respected citizens there, but unfortunately, Magdeburg became increasingly hostile under Nazi influence, and their circus building, like their touring show, became unprofitable. To recoup their losses, they tried to sell the building to the municipality.
-It seems that there were various forces involved to undermine any potential deal. The plan failed, and the Blumenfelds were forced into bankruptcy in 1927. The building wasn’t sold until ten years later, and even then, the proceeds went directly into the bankruptcy estate. Meanwhile, the bankruptcy trustees continued to rent the building out for purposes other than circus. The bankruptcy was finalized in 1940, but the once respected ''Zirkus Geb. Blumenfeld jun.'' had already ceased to exist. As for the Magdeburg circus building, it never resumed its circus activities and was eventually destroyed during the Allied bombing of the city.
+It seems that there were various forces involved to undermine any potential deal. The plan failed, and the Blumenfelds were forced into bankruptcy in 1927. The building wasn’t sold until ten years later, and even then, the proceeds went directly into the bankruptcy estate. Meanwhile, the bankruptcy trustees continued to rent the building out for purposes other than circus. The bankruptcy was finalized in 1940, but the once respected ''Zirkus Geb. Blumenfeld jun.'' had already ceased to exist. As for the Magdeburg circus building, it never resumed its circus activities and was eventually destroyed in the January 16, 1945 of the Allied bombing of the city.
 ===The Nazi Era===
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 Arthur Blumenfeld and his wife Victoria (also born Blumenfeld) and his two daughters Rita and Eva, settled in Berlin in 1933. Playing with the unusual similarity of their family names, Victoria managed to register herself as an adopted child of unknown Aryan origin. Their union became therefore a "mixed marriage," which made the family safe from deportation, even though the German authorities subjected Arthur to the usual discrimination, like forced labor and the wearing of the Jewish yellow star. But they survived...
-Many other members of the extended Blumenfeld family were killed during this dark period: It has been estimated that about 150 members of the entire family were killed between 1933 and 1945. Arthur Blumenfeld lost nine brothers and sisters during that time: He and his sister Jeanette, who lived in England, were the only survivors of Simon and Rosa Blumenfeld's eleven children!
+Many other members of the extended Blumenfeld family were killed during this dark period: According to various sources, up to 150 members of the entire family were killed between 1933 and 1945. Arthur Blumenfeld lost nine brothers and sisters during that time: He and his sister Jeanette, who lived in England, were the only survivors of Simon and Rosa Blumenfeld's eleven children!
 ===Epilogue===
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 By then, there were already two resident circuses in Barlin: Paula Busch had just opened a circus in the old planetarium of the Zoological Gardens in West Berlin, and [[Harry Barlay]] had erected a large "construction" on Friedrichstraße, among the ruins of Berlin Mitte, then located in the Soviet zone of Berlin. Yet, the Blumenfelds, who were touring within the city&mdash;which didn't go without its share of problems&mdash;were very competent circus directors and could have prospered enough to take the road again.
-Unfortunately, the Blockade of Berlin started on June 23, 1948, and, in an already uneasy situation, major problems began to arise, notably to find food for the animals&mdash;for which the three circuses had to resort to a very expensive black market. Eventually, some animals had to be given away, and a few horses had even to be killed. The financial situation of the three circuses was dismal, even more so for the Blumenfelds, who had re-started from scratch and didn't have the reserves of Paula Busch or Harry Barley.
+Unfortunately, the Blockade of Berlin started on June 23, 1948, and, in an already uneasy situation, major problems began to arise, notably to find food for the animals&mdash;for which the three circuses had to resort to a very expensive black market. Eventually, some animals had to be given away, and a few horses had even to be killed. The financial situation of the three circuses was dismal, even more so for the Blumenfelds, who had re-started from scratch and didn't have the resources of Paula Busch or Harry Barley.
 Arthur Blumenfeld staged his final show in 1949 at the Berlin Zoo, where he had set up his circus. Apart from the few horses he had managed to keep, the program was largely a variety show, and its income was not enough to sustain the enterprise. The once prosperous and celebrated ''Zirkus Blumenfeld'' gave its last performance in June of that year. Arthur sold his equipment and the few animals he had left to Paula Busch. With that, the Blumenfeld name forever disappeared from the roster of German circuses.