Circus gymnasticus (Vienna)
The Circus gymnasticus in Vienna was a wooden circus building built in 1808 by the art rider Christoph de Bach in the Vienna Prater , which existed until 1852. A building with the same name also existed in Hamburg from 1841 . It was a forerunner of today's operetta house .
prehistory
The equestrian troops of the 18th and early 19th centuries were initially referred to as "the English riders". The first circus as it is today arose in London from the riding school founded by Philip Astley in 1772 .
In 1770 the art rider Potts had already performed successfully in the Viennese hate theater , in 1776 the Englishman Simon with his wife, in 1777 the grotesque rider John Hyam became a sensation there. In 1784 Hyam was allowed to perform with his own company at the Imperial and Royal Riding School, which proves the interest of the highest circles in this entertainment.
The circus gymnasticus
In view of these favorable circumstances, the head of an equestrian company, Christoph de Bach, who was born in Courland in 1768, had the wooden "Circus gymnasticus" built by Joseph Kornhäusel in 1808 on what is still known as the circus meadow in the Prater , with space for 3,000 people. Since the circus was only allowed to play in the afternoons so as not to compete with the theaters, the dome building was generously lit through the glass windows in the drum .
The circus experienced a particular heyday during the Congress of Vienna . After de Bach's death, the circus continued for a few years. A renovation did not come off. In 1852 the building was demolished.
literature
- City Chronicle Vienna . Vienna 1986, p. 202
Web links
Coordinates: 48 ° 12 ′ 46 " N , 16 ° 23 ′ 56.6" E