Fredy Knie senior
Fredy Knie (born May 29, 1920 in Geneva ; † October 11, 2003 in Rapperswil SG ) was a Swiss circus director . From 1941 to 1992 he directed the Swiss National Knee Circus .
Life
At the age of four, Knie was already an acrobat in the arena. At the age of ten he celebrated successes across Europe as the youngest dressage and show jumper in the world. Eight years later he showed his own horse training.
At the age of 21, Fredy Knie and his younger brother Rolf took over the circus in the fifth generation from his parents Friedrich and Margrit Knie-Lippuner in 1941, which he then ran for 51 years. In 1943 he survived a bombing in Berlin during a performance during World War II. Fredy Knie married the multiple Swiss tennis and ice pair skating champion Pierrette Dubois (1921-2013) in 1945 , their children are Fredy Knie junior (born September 30, 1946) and Rolf Knie junior (born August 16, 1949). His second marriage was to Erika Sigel. In 1962 he opened Knies Children's Zoo , a petting and adventure zoo , in Rapperswil . He directed several thousand circus performances and delighted visitors and professionals with his horse training.
In the mid-80s, Fredy Knie withdrew from active circus life. He had his last appearance in 1985 and a year later the sixth generation Knie took over the national circus. At the end of 1992, Fredy Knie senior resigned from the board of directors.
Horse training
Fredy Knie is considered to be the founder of “ humane horse dressage ”. He shaped horse dressage internationally and classic riding in Switzerland. His work with animals was based on reward. Together with scientists and animal behavior researchers, he continuously developed this method. His dressage work was always public and Fredy Knie commented on his activity, so that a learning field for horse connoisseurs and lovers was created.
His pioneering work in horse training was continued by his son Fredy Knie junior and his granddaughter Géraldine Knie . His nephew Franco Knie carried out his work in the dressage of elephants.
Awards
In 1977 Prince Rainier of Monaco presented him with the Golden Clown , the most coveted award in the circus world. His life's work was awarded the Ehren-Prix-Walo in 1999.
literature
- Sigrid Eicher: Fredy Knie. The Gentle Way to Handle Horses , 1994, ISBN 344006672X
- Horst Becker: Horse training according to Fredy Knie Sen. Part 1 • The Lunge ABC , Video, ISBN 3-931394-02-6
Web links
- Gebrüder Knie, The story of a circus dynasty (PDF; 100 kB)
- Family tree of the Knie dynasty (PDF; 33 kB)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Pierrette Knie-Dubois died on Mallorca. In: Tages-Anzeiger from April 3, 2013
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Knees, Fredy senior |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Knees, Fredy |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Swiss circus director |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 29, 1920 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Geneva |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 11, 2003 |
| Place of death | Rapperswil SG |