Cirkus Benneweis - Revision history

Djando: /* Eli Benneweis */

2025-07-06T03:30:58Z

‎Eli Benneweis

Djando: /* Eli Benneweis */

2025-07-06T03:29:40Z

‎Eli Benneweis

Djando at 03:28, 6 July 2025

2025-07-06T03:28:03Z

Djando: /* The Benneweis Family Today */

2020-12-22T18:00:56Z

‎The Benneweis Family Today

Djando: /* The Benneweis Family Today */

2020-03-14T19:02:44Z

‎The Benneweis Family Today

Djando: /* Image Gallery */

2019-08-31T02:10:44Z

‎Image Gallery

Djando: /* Image Gallery */

2019-08-30T20:41:48Z

‎Image Gallery

Djando at 00:57, 27 August 2019

2019-08-27T00:57:54Z

Djando at 19:31, 26 August 2019

2019-08-26T19:31:07Z

Djando: /* Image Gallery */

2019-01-03T18:14:28Z

‎Image Gallery

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 On November 26, 1936 Eli Benneweis married a German foot juggler, Eva Charlotte Susanne Stensch (January 4, 1910-September 11, 1999). When her husband, Ferdinand, died on April 10, 1945, Irene inherited Cirkus Benneweis, which Eli managed first in association with his mother. Eli Benneweis proved a smart and ambitious manager, and he quickly became the sole person in charge. Under his watch, Cirkus Benneweis evolved from a mid-sized traveling circus into Denmark’s&mdash;and one of Europe’s&mdash;largest and most respected circus, and the Benneweis empire expanded beyond the boundaries of a single traveling circus.
-Right after WW II, the circus industry experienced an extraordinary boom all over Europe, but animal acts, which had become popular before the war, were still very scarce. One of Eli’s first moves was to reduce the large number of horses the show carried, and replace a good number of them with exotic animals and wild cats that Benneweis could rent out to other circuses. Through engagements of their animal acts in various European circuses, Manfred and Sonny Benneweis became well-known international circus personalities.
+Right after WW II, the circus industry experienced an extraordinary boon all over Europe, but animal acts, which had become popular before the war, were still very scarce. One of Eli’s first moves was to reduce the large number of horses the show carried, and replace a good number of them with exotic animals and wild cats that Benneweis could rent out to other circuses. Through engagements of their animal acts in various European circuses, Manfred and Sonny Benneweis became well-known international circus personalities.
 [[File:Cirkus_Benneweis_Copenhagen_(c.1985).jpg|thumb|left|400px|Cirkus Benneweis in Copenhagen]]One of Eli’s most successful associations was with the Italian circus Palmiri. Its director, [[Egidio Palmiri]], didn’t have a large family, and didn’t own animals, which put him in a difficult position with regard to his competition: Major Italian circuses were large family affairs traveling with important menageries; their numerous animal acts (as well as most of their other acts) were presented by various family members. This was the case for the [[The Togni Family|Tognis]], the [[The Orfei Family|Orfeis]], and the [[The Casartelli Family|Casartellis]], but also for smaller circuses. Palmiri struck a deal with Eli Benneweis, and toured the ''Circo Italo-Danese Palmiri Benneweis'' in Italy from 1957 to 1965, with hired acts (mostly Italian), and a menagerie base from Cirkus Benneweis.

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 ===Eli Benneweis===
-[[Image:Eli_Benneweis_(1991).jpg|thumb|right|400px|Eli Benneweis in 1991]]In 1915, however, Ferdinand and Irene Benneweis had adopted a son of their own, Eli Johan Holte, who was four years old when his mother abandoned him in Gørlev, where the circus performed in July of that year. Eli Benneweis (1911-1993) was born on August 7, 1911 in Kalundborg, Denmark. He was to become one of Europe’s most successful circus entrepreneurs. Eli was trained in all basic circus disciplines within his adoptive family, and specialized in the presentation of horses, whose number had increased over the years in the circus'stables.
+[[Image:Eli_Benneweis_(1991).jpg|thumb|right|400px|Eli Benneweis in 1991]]In 1915, however, Ferdinand and Irene Benneweis had adopted a son of their own, Eli Johan Holte, who was four years old when his mother abandoned him in Gørlev, where the circus performed in July of that year. Eli Benneweis (1911-1993) was born on August 7, 1911 in Kalundborg, Denmark. He was to become one of Europe’s most successful circus entrepreneurs. Eli was trained in all basic circus disciplines within his adoptive family, and specialized in the presentation of horses, whose number had increased over the years in the circus's stables.
 On November 26, 1936 Eli Benneweis married a German foot juggler, Eva Charlotte Susanne Stensch (January 4, 1910-September 11, 1999). When her husband, Ferdinand, died on April 10, 1945, Irene inherited Cirkus Benneweis, which Eli managed first in association with his mother. Eli Benneweis proved a smart and ambitious manager, and he quickly became the sole person in charge. Under his watch, Cirkus Benneweis evolved from a mid-sized traveling circus into Denmark’s&mdash;and one of Europe’s&mdash;largest and most respected circus, and the Benneweis empire expanded beyond the boundaries of a single traveling circus.

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:28, 6 July 2025
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−	Cirkus Benneweis was, until 2015, Denmark's premier circus, and one of Europe's oldest circuses still in the hands of the same family: It celebrated its first one-hundred years in 1987, and was still going strong after more than 130 years of uninterrupted activity—until its "temporary" closure in 2015 for a "revamping" of the organization that ~~has not~~ materialized.	+	Cirkus Benneweis was, until 2015, Denmark's premier circus, and one of Europe's oldest circuses still in the hands of the same family: It celebrated its first one-hundred years in 1987, and was still going strong after more than 130 years of uninterrupted activity—until its "temporary" closure in 2015 for a "revamping" of the organization that never materialized.
	===Roots===		===Roots===

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 [[File:Nadia,_Diana_and_Dawid_Benneweis.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Nadia, Diana & Dawid Benneweis (2015)]]Eli Benneweis passed away, after a long a painful illness, on December 23, 1993. He was 83 years old. Eli and Eva had an adopted daughter, Diana (born in 1947), who was the biological daughter of Manfred Benneweis. Diana, who had long been the circus’s principal equestrienne and a fine animal trainer, inherited the family circus, and maintained its stellar reputation as Denmark’s premier circus.
-Sonny Benneweis married Lis Tolver Jensen (b.1936) on November 12, 1955, with whom he had three children: Kim, born June 12, 1956, who specialized in the presentation of elephants; Michael (known as Miller), born January 20, 1958, who took care of horse presentations, and died February 21, 2020; and Jacqueline (born April 26, 1966). Kim and Miller stayed with the circus until 1995, and then went on to work in other Danish circuses. Kim has since returned to the family circus to help his cousin Diana stage several of Cirkus Benneweis’s new productions.
+Sonny Benneweis married Lis Tolver Jensen (b.1936) on November 12, 1955, with whom he had three children: Kim, born June 12, 1956, who specialized in the presentation of elephants; Michael (known as Miller), born January 20, 1958, who took care of horse presentations, and died February 21, 2020; and Jacqueline (born April 26, 1966). Kim and Miller stayed with the circus until 1995, and then went on to work in other Danish circuses. Kim then returned to the family circus to help his cousin Diana stage several of Cirkus Benneweis’s new productions.
 Sonny and Lis Benneweis divorced in the late 1970s. On April 9, 1977, Sonny remarried Nelly Jane (Annette Otto Jensen&mdash;June 15, 1934-May 21, 2009), the very popular ringmistress of Cirkus Benneweis from 1971 to 1996, who also took care of the circus’s administrative duties.

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 [[File:Nadia,_Diana_and_Dawid_Benneweis.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Nadia, Diana & Dawid Benneweis (2015)]]Eli Benneweis passed away, after a long a painful illness, on December 23, 1993. He was 83 years old. Eli and Eva had an adopted daughter, Diana (born in 1947), who was the biological daughter of Manfred Benneweis. Diana, who had long been the circus’s principal equestrienne and a fine animal trainer, inherited the family circus, and maintained its stellar reputation as Denmark’s premier circus.
-Sonny Benneweis married Lis Tolver Jensen (b.1936) on November 12, 1955, with whom he had three children: Kim, born June 12, 1956, who specialized in the presentation of elephants; Michael (known as Miller), born January 20, 1958, who took care of horse presentations; and Jacqueline (born April 26, 1966). Kim and Miller stayed with the circus until 1995, and then went on to work in other Danish circuses. Kim has since returned to the family circus to help his cousin Diana stage several of Cirkus Benneweis’s new productions.
+Sonny Benneweis married Lis Tolver Jensen (b.1936) on November 12, 1955, with whom he had three children: Kim, born June 12, 1956, who specialized in the presentation of elephants; Michael (known as Miller), born January 20, 1958, who took care of horse presentations, and died February 21, 2020; and Jacqueline (born April 26, 1966). Kim and Miller stayed with the circus until 1995, and then went on to work in other Danish circuses. Kim has since returned to the family circus to help his cousin Diana stage several of Cirkus Benneweis’s new productions.
 Sonny and Lis Benneweis divorced in the late 1970s. On April 9, 1977, Sonny remarried Nelly Jane (Annette Otto Jensen&mdash;June 15, 1934-May 21, 2009), the very popular ringmistress of Cirkus Benneweis from 1971 to 1996, who also took care of the circus’s administrative duties.

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 Image:Diana_Benneweis_and_friend_(1956).jpg|Diana Benneweis in 1956
 File:Cirkus_Benneweis_in_Copenhagen_(c.1975).jpg|Cirkus Benneweis in Copenhagen (c.1975)
 File:Cirkus_Benneweis_Copenhagen_(c.1985).jpg|Cirkus Benneweis in Copenhagen (c.1985)
 File:Benneweis_-_Popov.jpeg|Program Cover (1987)

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 File:Cirkus_Benneweis_in_Copenhagen_(c.1975).jpg|Cirkus Benneweis in Copenhagen (c.1975)
 File:Cirkus_Benneweis_Copenhagen_(c.1985).jpg|Cirkus Benneweis in Copenhagen (c.1985)
 Image:Eli_Benneweis_(1991).jpg|Eli Benneweis (1991)
 Image:Benneweis_Ad_Flyer_(1993).jpg|Advertising Flyer (1993)

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 * Diana Benneweis, ''Livet bliver ikke genudsendt'' (MP3-lydbog, 2002)
 * Diana Benneweis and Britta Bjerre, ''Alting har sin pris'' (Bogklubben, 2003)
 ==Image Gallery==

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-[[Image:CIRKUS_BENNEWEIS.jpg|right|370px]]
+[[Image:CIRKUS_BENNEWEIS.jpg|right|400px]]
 ''By Dominique Jando''
 Cirkus Benneweis was, until 2015, Denmark's premier circus, and one of Europe's oldest circuses still in the hands of the same family: It celebrated its first one-hundred years in 1987, and was still going strong after more than 130 years of uninterrupted activity&mdash;until its "temporary" closure in 2015 for a "revamping" of the organization that has not materialized.

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 Image:Diana_Benneweis_and_elephant.jpg|Diana Benneweis
 Image:Diana_Benneweis_and_horses.jpg|Diana Benneweis
 File:Nadia,_Diana_and_Dawid_Benneweis.jpg|Nadia, Diana & Dawid Benneweis (2015)
 </Gallery>