Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser Memorial Ring

The Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser Memorial Ring

The Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser Memorial Ring ( Hofzinser Ring for short ) is an award for magicians that was first awarded in 1933. It consists of a finger ring that shows a capital "H" together with a small diamond.

History and foundation

In 1933, in memory of Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser , Robert Farchmin donated the Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser Memorial Ring, which was to be awarded for three years to the magician who had made a special contribution to the art of magic. The ring was designed by Anton Stursa , a well-known Austrian magician and graphic artist. After the death of the last sponsor, Werner Geissler- Werry, the Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser Memorial Ring Foundation was set up in May 2009 . The founder is Inge Geissler, widow of W. Geissler-Werry, the sponsor is the German magician Wittus Witt . The benefactors have appointed a board of trustees to elect the award winners, which consists of the sponsor and six members.

The Swiss Magic Band MRS ( Magic Ring of Switzerland ) has been a member of the foundation sponsor since May 2019 .

The bearers of the Hofzinser ring

Ottokar Fischer received it in 1933 for saving the Hofzinser inheritance.
In 1936 the ring went to Helmut Schreiber (known as Kalanag ), who had made a name for himself in the club magazine “Magie”. In 1939 the ring was not awarded and Schreiber was allowed to keep it. During the war years, it was not awarded again until 1948.
In 1948 Ludwig Hanemann (Punx) became the third carrier. Punx had developed a new style of demonstration in magic. Punx divided his evening performances into four acts and performed with a different character in each act.
In 1950 the ring was awarded to Punx again, but this time for life. Punx was the first and, to this day, the only German magician to appear on the front page of the news magazine Der Spiegel .
On April 13, 1985, on the occasion of a gala of the Magische Nordlichter eV in Hamburg, the Hofzinser-Ring changed hands for the fourth time. Punx presented it to Werner Geissler (Werry) on stage . Although Punx had received the ring for life, it also acquired the right to dispose of it. For Punx, Werry was a worthy successor. With the publication of the specialist magazine " Magische Welt " Werry had created something unique in the German-speaking magic scene. Geisler died on June 19, 2000. Since then his widow, Inge Geissler, has kept the ring. With the transfer to a foundation set up by her, the tradition of the ring in the sense of Robert Farchmin and previous bearers is to be continued.
On December 12, 2010, the ring was re-awarded for the first time in 25 years. The ceremony took place during the 4th Magic Theater Festival in the Theater an der Ruhr , Mülheim, North Rhine-Westphalia. For the first time since Ottokar Fischer 77 years ago, a president of his origin, Magic Christian , is the bearer of the ring. Magic Christian has reworked the life of Hofzinser and published four extensive volumes on it, which were published in Edition Volker Huber .
On August 29, 2013, on the occasion of the 5th European Magic Historians Conference in Hamburg, the ring was awarded to two artists for the first time in its history: Frascatelli and Tre Face . The specialty is not only that for the first time a duo who regularly hosts magic evenings in their own mill receives the ring, but also that for the first time a woman is honored with it. Both artists are respected and often discussed artists in the world of magic, who have been ensuring sold out performances in their own magic theater with individual programs for over 10 years.

Although the ring was awarded every three years, no new bearer of the ring was determined in 2016. However, a new committee has been put together with which the next award is planned for 2017.