Bruno Schenk

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bruno Schenk

Friedrich Wilhelm Bruno Schenk (born April 29, 1857 in Breslau , † November 29, 1932 in Oberhausen ) was a German magician and director of one of the largest traveling magic theaters in Europe.

From the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century he traveled to many European countries with his magic theater, which was first called the “Cagliostro Theater” and later the “Eden Theater”. In addition to his magic tricks, a large variety program was presented. The wooden theaters used for this could hold up to 2,000 spectators. From 1918 to 1924 he was the 69th member of the Magic Circle of Germany.

Life

Bruno Schenk spent his childhood in Breslau as the son of a small business owner without any material worries. The Christmas presents of 1871 steam engine, magic lantern and magic box were the impetus for him to become increasingly interested in science, technology and especially magic.

During his school days and his business apprenticeship, he attended all the appearances of magicians at that time in Wroclaw, watched many magic tricks and slowly built up his own repertoire. His first successes with appearances in the family circle, in the commercial association and at a large charity event in the Thalia Theater in front of about 2000 spectators encouraged him in his choice of the later profession. When the magician Josef Basch died during a guest performance in Breslau in 1877, he was able to purchase a large number of his props.

From June 1878 he traveled with the demonstration of magic tricks, electrical and optical effects through the German countryside, initially mostly smaller cities. In 1879 he expanded his repertoire and now calls his company the “Cagliostro Theater”.

His breakthrough came with 120 performances in Berlin in the winter of 1881 and from now on he only traveled to large cities at home and abroad. In June 1881 he performed in Gdansk for the first time in his own wooden theater building, which could hold 1900 spectators.

Bruno Schenk's Eden-Theater in Düsseldorf 1894

From 1883 he called his theater the "Eden Theater", and when he traveled abroad, he often called it the "Continental Eden Theater". In addition to Germany, he traveled to the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria-Hungary, Switzerland, Italy, Romania, Scandinavia and often Russia - from Riga to the Caucasus.

His theater program comprised up to 124 pieces, in addition to small magic tricks and large illusions, music, ballet and artistry performances, demonstrations with the emerging cinema technology and, at the end of the program, colorful water games.

After getting married in 1888, he chose Dresden as his place of residence from 1889 for the next few decades and only made guest tours from August to April. In the winter months he often set up his Eden Theater in Dresden on Grunaer Strasse. From May 1900 he devoted himself to his second great passion, the emerging motoring, in the warmer months.

The First World War brought an interruption in his performance. The increasing variety and cinema theaters changed the conditions for the continuation of his company. From now on he traveled with his performances on a much smaller scale from theater to theater.

At the beginning of the 1920s, he stopped his appearances and from then on devoted himself only to automobile sport.

In 1932 he moved with his wife to his daughter's family in Oberhausen and died there in November after a serious illness. He was buried in the family grave on the Johannisfriedhof in Dresden-Tolkewitz, which is still there today.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ "50 Years of a Magician" - personal memories of Bruno Schenk; In the holdings of the Varieté, Circus, Cabaret collection at the Stadtmuseum Berlin
  2. ^ Bruno Schenk estate, part of the Varieté, Circus, Cabaret collection at the Stadtmuseum Berlin
personal data
SURNAME Schenk, Bruno
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Schenk, Friedrich Wilhelm Bruno
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German magician
DATE OF BIRTH April 29, 1857
PLACE OF BIRTH Wroclaw
DATE OF DEATH November 29, 1932
Place of death Oberhausen