Press release 20.07.2014/Pa, W 17 Once upon a time and still today: Traditions of Showmanship at the Wiesn About 90% of the 173 sideshow operators that are represented at the Wiesn have their origin in the 19th century. Today many of these nostalgic rides are only set up at the Oktoberfest and are run not just by showmen but also by private individuals. They embody a living sideshow tradition. Bumper Car “Dodgem” was the name of the first bumper car attraction to thrill funfair visitors in the USA and Great Britain beginning in 1921. The first major German amusement park operator, Heinrich Haase, brought this innovative festival attraction to his country in 1926. Still in the 1920s, the Munich sideshow operator Willi Lindner took the bumper cars over from Haase. He imported the sleek speedsters from America to the Wiesn. Since then the Lindner name has been linked with the operation of bumper cars at the Oktoberfest. The first ones were still American and British imports, but in 1926/27 German manufacturers began making bumper cars. The German name “Autoskooter” emerged around 1939 and became a standard term after the Second World War. Published by: City of Munich, Department of Labor and Economic Development Herzog-Wilhelm-Straße 15, 80331 Munich, Germany, http://www.munich.de/business Contact: Wolfgang Nickl, Tel.: +49(0)89 233-2 25 97, Fax: +49(0)89 233-2 76 51 Email: [email protected] In 1958 Heinz Distel introduced the chip for bumper cars in Germany. With the automatic dodgem he paved the way for the continuation of this funfair ride. Today the Wiesn presents ultramodern bumper cars as well as nostalgic ones from the last century. Kurt Geier Jr. brings a restored dodgem made from wooden posts from 1956 to the Oide Wiesn. Wooden posts with original mosaic mirroring, a cash register made of wooden shingles and 18 vintage car chassis (Ihle Mercedes 1968-72, Ihle single seater Go-Kart 1968 and Reverchon Europe 1963) guarantee a proper Rock 'n' Roll feeling with petticoat and Elvis ducktail. Locations: Wirtsbudenstraße 80, street C/ no.7, Schaustellerstraße 1, 19, 35 and 49 as well as at the Oide Wiesn Big Bertha Ways to demonstrate strength have been popular at folk festivals for a long time. The earliest records go back to France around 1820/40. With the simplest devices a contestant punched a cushion which registered the impact on a pointer. More elaborate ones involved decorated impact hammers, as “high strikers” are officially called. Of course, there are numerous other options for people to prove their strength at lifting, pulling and hoisting weights, at dealing blows, squeezing hands or at showing off the power of their lungs. With its cannon weighing 66 pounds, Big Bertha was named after a famous gun from the First World War that had been well-known due to its size and striking force. Big Bertha, which was common at folk festivals up to the 1960s, functions according to the principle of the Boer Cannon (around Seite 2 1900): A heavy cannon or bomb is pushed upward on a track. If it can be made to hit the top, a detonator sets off a loud bang. Location: Oide Wiesn Calypso The Munich sideshow operators Anton Bausch and Eugen Distel were both known for their innovations. In 1958 they brought this type of merry-goround, which was constructed by the Mack company in Waldkirch, to the Wiesn for the first time. A contemporary dance from the Caribbean was the source of inspiration both for the name and the sophisticated construction. Its design, which is typical for the 1950s, its swift motion and the erratic shifts in direction soon turned Calypso into a major funfair attraction. The Calypso displayed at the Oide Wiesn dates back to 1962. To the great pleasure of its numerous fans, Hubert Winheim put this fun ride back into running order for the Anniversary Oktoberfest 2010. Location: Oide Wiesn Ride to Paradise In the original roller coaster, eight to ten persons at a time ride in eight cars in a circle over two mountains and through two valleys. These merry-gorounds were probably invented as “switchbacks” in England in the 1880s. Around 1890, Hugo Haase was one of the first German manufacturers of roller coasters. In the same year the companies Bothmann and Stuhr also launched this novelty. The four-hill roller coaster “Ride to Paradise” was built in 1939 in the renowned carousel factory of Friedrich Heyn in Neustadt an der Orla, Seite 3 Thuringia. It had been commissioned by the sideshow operator Jacob Pfeiffer. In the 1950s the amusement ride was put into storage. It was preserved in its original condition until it was taken over and elaborately renovated by Toni und Jakob Schleifer in 2003. Owing to the excellent original material with its magnificent paintings and gracious figurines, the renovation resulted in a nostalgic gem which attracted much attention. The Freundeskreis Kirmes und Freizeitparks e.V. (Friends of Funfairs and Amusement Parks) granted Toni Schleifer the FKF Award 2011 for special merits and accomplishments to the industry of sideshow operators and amusement parks. Location: Oide Wiesn Flea Circus In 1948 the flea circus of the Mathes family set up camp at the Oktoberfest for the first time. This old Nuremberg dynasty of showmen had run a flea circus for approximately 150 years. In 2010 Robert Birk, who had worked for the Mathes family for many years, took over the flea circus and has continued this time-honored tradition ever since. Location: street 1/ no. 7 Ghost Trains The first ghost train was located at the Hamburg DOM in 1931. The success of this novelty must have been tremendous, since only one year later there were four ghost trains at the Oktoberfest. Today there still are four such rides that give Wiesn visitors the chills. Locations: Schaustellerstraße 15 (Shocker), Schaustellerstraße 58 (Ride to Hell), street C/ no. 3 (Palace of Ghosts) and Matthias-Pschorr-Straße 50 (Nostalgic Ghost Train) Seite 4 Hanging Carousel For generations Karl Heinz Wittmann’s hanging carousel for children has been a family possession. It is one of the last of its kind. In 1905 Anton Wittmann, the great-grandfather of today’s owner commissioned the construction of a flyer carousel with hanging baskets and horses in Stuttgart. At first it was driven by muscle power. In the middle of the 1920s it was converted to axis propulsion by means of a steam engine. Since 1928 the carousel has been turned by an electric slip-ring motor manufactured by Siemens. The hanging carousel survived World War II wrapped up in oil cloth and buried on the grandfather’s property in Illertissen. By then the paint coat had suffered considerable damage and had to be replaced. For this purpose Wittmann’s grandfather Karl hired the Augsburg painter Josef Wallner in 1956. Wallner had worked for the carousel factory Zierer for a long time and was known in the showmen’s industry. Wallner had good contacts in the USA and suggested using Mickey Mouse motifs for the hanging carousel for children. Walt Disney is said to have personally granted his permission and is believed to have sent many motifs. Thus an old amusement ride was one of the first carousels in Germany to get an ultra-modern appearance. The original painting has mostly been preserved to the present day. The hanging carousel is documented to date back to the early 18th century and can thus pride itself on the longest tradition of all carousels. The construction is simple: seats, frequently wooden horses, are attached to chains or poles which are suspended from the horizontal arms of a bogie. Location: Oide Wiesn Seite 5 Witch’s Swing Called the illusionary swing or the "revolving house", this is one of the oldest funfair illusions and was introduced into Germany in 1894 following an American idea. In this amazing deception the sense of balance is disturbed by the space outside turning round the axis of the swing. Only a few examples of the witch's swing have held out at fairs until now. Locations: Schaustellerstraße 31 and Oide Wiesn Maze There are records of these funfair amusements as travelling shows going back to the 1890s. They are famous for their melodious names such as "The Curse of the Pharaoh" or "Atlantis". At the Oktoberfest, visitors can attempt to navigate their way through the largest travelling two-story glass maze, by Edgar and René Rasch. Location: street 2/ no. 7 Funfair Photography Since around 1880 professional photographers have done business at the funfairs. In 1886 there were twelve photographers' stalls at the Oktoberfest. Today visitors to the Oktoberfest can have their photos taken in a nostalgic or a humorous motif; not to be forgotten are the roving snapshot photographers, who offer photos of the beer tent guests as key ring fobs. Locations: Schaustellerstraße 17 (nostalgic photographer), street 1/ no. 22 (humorous photographer) Seite 6 Chair o'plane One of the oldest fairground attractions at the Oktoberfest is Kalb's chair o'plane, created by the Berlin firm of Gundelwein and Fischer in 1919. It bears an original painting of the decorated parts by the fairground painter Konrad Ochs. The chair o'plane is today run by third-generation proprietor Hans Martin Kalb and his son Florian. The first small chair o'planes probably appeared around the turn of the last century and were inspired by the development of aviation (Zeppelin, Wright Brothers, etc). Location: Oide Wiesn Krinoline Documentation indicates that the forerunners of this type of roundabout go back to the end of the 19th century; the name “Krinoline” was first used around 1900. The construction with a swaying platform was initially driven by hand. Not until 1909 did a Sachs electromotor power this kind of funfair amusement. Together with the swings, roundabouts like the Krinoline were the first funfair attractions at the Oktoberfest. The Krinoline was still driven by muscle power when this type of roundabout first delighted Oktoberfest visitors in 1925. This merry-go-round found its way from the Spree river in Berlin to the Isar. During the first few years it was all the rage among the amusements offered. When in about 1937 the Zugspitz trains became dangerous competition as a novelty, the owner of the Krinoline, Michael Grossmann, had an idea with a future. He equipped his funfair attraction with electric power using planetary gearing and a tension-spring swinging mechanism. In addition, he hired a brass band to accompany the ride with musical entertainment. To the great enjoyment of all Krinoline fans this tradition has been continued by his grandson Theo Niederländer who Seite 7 passed the merry-go-round with cult character on to his son Matthias in 2009. Location: Schaustellerstraße 48 The Munich Puppet Theater The long tradition of the Munich Puppet Theater dates back to 1858 when the citizen and club actuary Josef Leonhard Schmid – who later became famous as "Papa Schmid" – turned to the city of Munich with the request for an appraisal of his plan to “establish a permanent puppet theater for children”. His intention was to present Munich children only with plays of “decent, religious and moral content” and therefore differed from the coarse buffooneries that were commonly staged at fairs and puppet shows. Even before the city came to a decision, Papa Schmid addressed the Munich youth author, court official and artist Franz Graf von Pocci and asked for his support. Pocci immediately offered his help and protected and promoted the idea from the very beginning. He also created the famous character “Kasperl Larifari” who has ever since been the “host” of the Munich Puppet Theater. More than 45 Kasperl plays for the theater originated from his pen. Siegfried Böhmke, who builds puppets and brings them to life, is the director of the Munich Puppet Theater headquartered on Blumenstrasse in downtown Munich. Location: Oide Wiesn Caterpillar Ride The caterpillar ride is a variation of the roller coaster whose first models were put into operation in 1925. During the ride a canopy suddenly slides over the passengers, causing the cars to resemble a caterpillar creeping at Seite 8 high speed. Peter Buchholz brings the largest travelling original caterpillar ride consisting of 24 cars to the Oide Wiesn. The ride was built by the Bothmann company in Gotha around 1926. Location: Oide Wiesn Revue of Illusions Gaby Reutlinger‘s revue presents a program featuring some of the classical illusions which travelling variety shows staged already one hundred years ago: “the Woman without a Belly”, “the Woman without a Head”, “the Floating Virgin”, and “the Talking Head” have baffled spectators to the present day. This theater of illusions is probably the last of its kind in Europe. The showwoman is always in search of other historical illusions and sets great store upon upholding the tradition of this funfair attraction. In the second half of the 19th century, variety shows made their entrance at folk festivals. They entertained spectators with a broad range of acts featuring dancers, singers, puppet players, acrobats and magicians presenting tricks based on optical, chemical and mechanical effects. Since the 20th century the popularity of these acts continuously decreased due to the boost of funfair rides and the development of film, broadcasting and television. Location: Schaustellerstraße 8 The Giant Wheel The forerunner of the giant wheel is the Russian swing with vertical circular movements, which in the 18th century was widespread especially in Seite 9 Russia and the Middle East (earliest record 1620, Turkey). Travelling Russian swings, also called "Russian wheels" or "pleasure wheels" (USA) were first built in 1880/1890. They had a maximum height of twelve meters and were furnished with six to twelve gondolas. The first giant wheel as we know it was constructed on the occasion of the 1893 World Exhibition in Chicago; the "Ferris wheel" was a stationary steel construction rising to 76 meter in height. Of the permanent copies in London (1894), Vienna (1897) and Paris (1898), only the giant wheel at the Prater in Vienna has been preserved. It was not until 1960 that the present-day travelling giant wheels made of steel were developed. In Germany the giant wheels are operated by a small group of showmen's families, and competition has made them grow taller and taller. Munich's giant wheel, belonging to the Willenborg family and built by the Schwarzkopf company in 1979 is 50 meters in height and offers a breathtaking view of the Theresienwiese and the entire city. Location: street 5/ no. 2 The Russian Wheel The small giant wheel also called Russian Wheel belongs to the Koppenhöfer family. It excels by its ornate old concert organ by the Bruder brothers from Waldkirch in Breisgau and is a regular guest at the Oktoberfest. In 1925 Josef Esterl commissioned the carousel factory Gundelwein in Wutha/Thuringia to build a "Russian swing". In June 1925 Esterl put his new fairground attraction into operation. Originally it had a carved facade with painted pictures, which were exchanged for the present ones in the 1950s. With its 12 gondolas and a height of 14 meters it was considered to be the largest transportable giant wheel in southern Seite 10 Germany until around 1960. In the third generation Herbert Koppenhöfer and his sister Edith Simon, Josef Esterl's grandchildren, are carrying on the family business. Location: Schaustellerstraße 44 Rolling Barrels Non-stop laughter is the mood in this funhouse which first appeared at funfairs as “the Funny Tubes” in 1912. The principle is simple but efficient: Two cushioned barrels that are about two meters in diameter are placed after one another and slowly turn in opposite directions. The goal is to walk upright through the barrels. To the great joy of the spectators, this is easier said than done! Willy Fellerhof renovated the amusement ride that was built in 1921. His “Rolling Barrels” is the only remaining funhouse with an original linen cloth facade that is still in operation. The LED lights in the style of filament bulbs from the 1930s are a concession to protecting the environment. Location: Oide Wiesn Target Shooting The shooting gallery by Maximilian Fritz is set in an authentic 1900 era environment and will be on display for the first time at the Oide Wiesn. In 1986 the antiques dealer purchased the shooting gallery which dates back to the first half of the 20th century from the long-standing Wiesn supplier Kunigunde Keppler. Fritz lined the old shooting gallery with a facade from the “Schießhalle B. Dietrich” from 1920 that originated in the Erbach area in Odenwald. This historical facade was carved from wood and decorated with oil paintings on canvas. The lavish pearl decoration has turned this Seite 11 piece into a genuine treasure. Together with the historical facade, Maximilian Fritz was also able to purchase original moving targets dating back to the period from 1880 to 1920 which were created by the famous manufacturers O. Will and J. Ratschek. The figures and targets made of painted iron sheets are for the most part equipped with clay pipes. They present funny motifs, such as a dentist with his patients, and move to some extent by means of a mechanism that used to require a lot of manpower when operated manually. Today they are run electrically. Mechanical targets probably developed in Germany around 1870 and were in use until the 1970s. Location: Oide Wiesn Old Bavarian Clay Pot Shooting The first shooting stands made their arrival as shooting galleries at fairs around 1840. In the 1870s the first rifle ranges were set up; today modern shooting vehicles are present at folk festivals. In the 1880s shooting at clay objects made its appearance. Tobacco pipes, animal figures, little discs, round or star-shaped, or clay pots were the items that gallery owners at that time ordered almost exclusively from factories making clay goods or clay pipes in the Westerwald "Kannenbäckerland". The familiar form of shooting at brightly colored artificial flowers or other objects was first introduced in the 1930s. At that time the targets were mounted on small clay pipes; today plastic holders are used for this purpose. At the Oktoberfest, however, it is possible to get to know that special feeling of shooting at clay. Mary Schröder (1899 - 1975) built a shooting gallery in the first years after the Second World War. In 1949 she was present at the first Oktoberfest Seite 12 after the war with her "Old Bavarian Pot Shooting Gallery". In 1965 the old booth was modernized to comply with state-of-the-art safety standards without changing the basic structure. The appearance has remained the same to the present day, as is documented by old photographs of the gallery. The family tradition is carried on by the granddaughter, Ursula-Josy Steinker. She took over the gallery, which is only set up at the Oktoberfest, from her mother Lilo Steinker-Schröder in 1994. Here marksmen can shoot as in earlier times – at original clay pipes and pots. Location: street 5/ no. 16 (adjacent to the Odyssee adventure ride) Schichtl In 1871 Papa (Johann) Schichtl, the owner of the "Original Theater of Magic Specialties", recommended his "extra gala performance with hitherto unknown sensations" with the words "Raise the Curtain at Schichtl's". In the legendary Oktoberfest variety show, which entertained the baffled public with magic, puppet plays, curiosities and much more, the "Beheading of a Living Person by Guillotine" has been staged to the present day. Another highlight of the variety program is Elvira's traditional butterfly dance. Manfred Schauer, himself an authentic Munich character, takes pride in being called “Mr. Schichtl” and is presently director of the variety show. In 1985 he embarked upon his Oktoberfest career as Schichtl – still under the former principal Franziska Eichersdörfer – with the slogan “show what you can do and hide what you can’t”. In 1986 he first became partner in the enterprise; since 1999 he has run the show single-handedly. It is definitely worth watching when Manfred Schauer skillfully presents the Schichtl troupe in his parade accompanied by the music from Blues Brothers prior Seite 13 to every performance, when he thrills his audience with cheeky remarks and comments on daily events with subtle to coarse humor. Location: Schaustellerstraße 54 Swingboat Around 1890 the two-person swingboat that is common today first appeared. There is evidence of the forerunners of this funfair attraction already in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, for example at the Prater in Vienna. Today swingboats are the only funfair attraction where the rider himself produces the movement; the appeal of one's own activity is the reason for the unabated popularity of this rather nostalgic ride. Swings that perform a complete rollover and group swings were regarded as advancement in the 1930s and culminated in the "Flying Dutchman" of the 1980s. Locations: street 4/ no. 4 (cage swing), Matthias-Pschorr-Straße 14 (rollover swing) and Oide Wiesn (swingboat) Jumper Horse Merry-go-round “Evergreen” According to Florian Dering from the Munich City Museum, the construction of the ground carousel is reported to date back to the 1870s. It is considered to be the most typical form of roundabout. Until the period following the First World War it was the common version of a simple merrygo-round. A special form of the ground carousel with fixed surroundings is the jumper horse merry-go-round. These rides imitated the horses’ gallop by means of mechanical springs. Frequently the carousel is also equipped with curved swingboats driven by the rider’s own power. Jumper horse merry-go-rounds made their first appearance in the catalogs of funfair ride manufacturers in the 1880s and 1890s. Seite 14 Guests of the Oide Wiesn (Vintage Wiesn) can revel in nostalgic delight when riding the jumper horse merry-go-round “Evergreen” from 1910. The showmen’s family Ernst discovered an old carousel ruin in Vechta and spent many hours restoring it. The historic ride was largely built from original components dating back to the period around 1900. In the course of its existence some details had already been remodeled and completed; there is evidence of such work done in the 1950s. All horses originate from the famous “Caroussell-Pferde und Kunstfiguren-Fabrik Friedrich Heyn” (factory for carousel horses and artificial figurines) which operated in Neustadt an der Orla from 1870 to 1959. The animals are worth a closer look: Every single original horse is unique and testifies to a cultural epoch. The wooden horses are richly decorated with carvings, brass appliqués, cut mirrors, tails made of real horse hair and distinctive saddles. Although the horses were once manufactured as a series, they are only identical in stature, head and type of mane. Countenance and decoration represent the individual style of the respective wood carver. Coloration and expression reflect the artistic taste of the period. In addition to the horses, the carousel is equipped with an elephant and two splendid sledges. The wooden floor is still attached to the original brass rods. The well-preserved oil painting on canvas for the ceiling and the funnel pictures are genuine rarities. An organ facade by the company Wrede from Hannover tops off the unique experience of this “museum exhibit”. Location: Oide Wiesn The Devil's Wheel This funfair amusement, also called "Taifun" or "Pleasure Wheel", made its first appearance around 1910. It is a test of skill for the passengers and Seite 15 encourages the mischevious glee of the onlookers. The success of a devil's wheel depends on the barker, who animates the public and comments on the "participants". Already Karl Valentin and Liesl Karlstadt amused themselves in “Feldl’s Teufelrad” which is only set up at the Oktoberfest. Location: Schaustellerstraße 5 Toboggan There have been slides since the early 19th century. In 1906 Anton Bausch from Baden built what was probably the first toboggan following the example in Paris, an originally American tower slide. The word "toboggan" comes from the language of the Canadian Algonquin Indians and refers to a light snow sledge. At the 1908 Oktoberfest there were three of these toboggans – which require quite a large staff. The attractions were greatly appreciated by the spectators and the sliders: the ascent of the customers to the top of the tower by means of a conveyor belt was not without its comical aspects; the gentle slide down was fun. It is still the same at the Oktoberfest today, and it is unique in Germany. In view of transport costs this traditional funfair attraction belonging to Astrid and Claus Konrad no longer yields a profit. Location: Matthias-Pschorr-Straße 59 Velodrome “Whether you watch or participate – you will enjoy a hearty laugh!” This was how a billboard advertised the visit to the “Humoristic Velodrome” at the Oktoberfest as early as 1910. A unique bicycle race takes place on a wooden track: Riders are challenged to move on joke bikes which test the Seite 16 riding skills of the bikers to the sound of a concert organ. They are cheered on in their efforts by rollicking spectators. This funfair attraction was a regular institution at the Oktoberfest from 1901 to 1962. Eduard Pirzer, who operated one of the first bicycle factories in Munich since 1888, passed the velodrome on to Hermann Kretschmar in 1908 whose sons continued operating it until the 1930s. In 1988 the entire business including facade, tent, caravans, storage vans as well as bicycles was acquired by the Münchner Schausteller-Stiftung (Foundation of Munich Sideshow Operators) for the Munich City Museum. At the Oide Wiesn the Foundation of Munich Sideshow Operators has recreated a velodrome according to the old patterns. Location: Oide Wiesn Ball-Toss Booths In 1818 the Munich landlord Anton Gruber set up a "pigeon disk" for the amusement of his Oktoberfest guests. It was a stationary stand for throwing, also called "pigeon throwing"; as we know from the records, it already existed at the beginning of the 19th century at the Prater in Vienna. This kind of stand was set up at folk festivals until the 1950s. In the 1880s the list of amusements included throwing of plates, knives, rings and balls. Records from 1910 mention the ball-throwing stand "Bring the Top Hat Down", which has been carried on by the Gaukler-Michel family since 1957. With great care the historical ball-toss booth is only set up for the Oktoberfest, as it can no longer be transported. A set of the jolly wooden heads with the black top hats that had to be knocked down with a leather ball is now exhibited in the Collection of Fairground Attractions in Munich's City Museum. Long-time customers relate that as children they were Seite 17 allowed to replace the hats on the heads to earn a little pocket money. Even today, especially the young visitors to the Oktoberfest love these balltoss booths. With its uniqueness, the stand and not least the owner Annemarie Neumeier and her family contribute to the special mix of the Oktoberfest. In their ball-toss booth, Thomas Hofele and Peter Ludwig have visitors throw balls at original figures from 1920. Locations: Oide Wiesn Press Contact Wiesn press office Dr. Gabriele Papke Phone: +49 (0) 89 233-82 812/ 813 Fax: +49 (0) 89 233-82810 Email: [email protected] Internet: www.oktoberfest.eu Oktoberfest – the Festival of the City of Munich Seite 18
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