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... to make his fortune in foreign lands.
The wizards for the Bude Fairs representing usually the second set of their craft, talking the stars of the 19th Century audience in halls and theaters. A magic booth could also serve as a springboard for a very large career :
The Munster Alexander Heimbürger (. 1819 1909) occupied as a child with mechanical and physical experiments. A guest performance by the famous magician Ludwig Doebler the city theater impressed the 16-year-old became so much that he self taught the basics of the "magic plant" learned and finally his body gave up as a law clerk to relax after an adventurous Travel penniless to join the "Professor of Magic" Friedrich Becker and take with him on trade fairs and large fairs.
Heimbürger had among others the function of a "reconnaissance mission": he sought quarters, was the printing of advertising flyers in order, hired the musicians and had built according to existing plans by local craftsmen, the big show booth.
Another task was to write positive reviews of the programs that the newspapers of the venues have been leaked. Such euphoric reports of supposed "art lovers" over the performances of magicians, trick rider companies and the like were in the 19 Century, a very common Advertising.
With guest appearances at fairs, the parade provided, however, the most important advertising dar. Heimbürger neglected this promotional tool with his first steps into independence after the breakup of Becker first:
"A terrible chaos of all sorts of musical and unmusical sounds filled the afternoon air, the individual stall holders outdid themselves in bringing forth the Free Spectacel. crier, harlequins, Fanfaronadenmacher shouted themselves hoarse to persuadiren the flocked spectators crowd into the individual stalls inside also had the opposite us located concurrent one. such a classical orator does not disdain, which was supported by two life-size machines, of which one blew the trumpet and the other the drum beat to it. With the traditional animated gesticulation, he pointed out the sights of his booth: 'Come in, come in, gentlemen! " was his stereotypical manner of speaking, 'what you see here in front of the booth is just a breeze. You have to come in, to admire the ne plus ultra of human ingenuity. Here one is preceded in the world for a hundred years. What art and science are able to make extraordinary, it can be here to convince some pennies themselves. One must see it to believe! Come in, gentlemen, will begin at once the idea. (...) 'Then came the machine, his trumpet, the drummer did the drum and the curious crowd pushed through the back whipped with white fringes, red curtain draped in a huge gold chain with a corpulent lady, the office of Cassirer managed, and during the temptations and loud praises of the great equanimity apparently Herangueurs under a gray parrot talked, standing in a shiny cage on the table.
As we were two poor fellow-artists at sothanem courage to play, which itself makes an ordinary citizen of the world hardly a household name.
We tried a contemptuous, pitying smile provoking, but could hardly jealous rage to hide, as we have seen that the accumulated amount hastened to take the advertised miracle in appearances, while a fresh audience rushed to that large signs and paintings covered booth to watch.
were in the same way, the other stands with the advertising resources wisely. Only we were alone in the midst of a very sober constitution. Confident of our services, which break in our humble opinion by its solidity even train had, we had installed only a few of our announcement list to the outside of the booth, but engagirt a very good orchestra, which was heard from time to time within the same. Now and then stood a few curious our list, but were soon through the off locks in the vicinity offered more effective attractant of us. "*
Only the merger with a tightrope walker company still on the same fair kept home fellow citizens, and his partner the complete ruin. The two ended after unsuccessful closed its citizens at home and cooperation showmen, the day a "glass spinning" and operated in the evening performances 'Hydraulic and pyrotechnic gas experiments', presented the home with its citizens enriched magic.
During a guest appearance in Hamburg was the clever and talented Heimbürger the way to grand salons and soon afterwards was one of "Lord Alexander" the most successful magicians of Germany, with an ever-growing sophisticated repertoire of large halls and theaters primarily in northern Germany completed and was invited to private performances by important personalities.
Alexander Heim citizens wanted to be "world famous" and ventured at the age of 24 years on a tour to America, from the he after 11 years in fact a rich and famous man returned to Munster. He could now live as a diverse society dedicated private person, he said the sale of a "wound and laxative" additional income. The father of 10 children died at the age of 89.
Heimbürger celebrated after some initial difficulties acclaimed successes in North and South America. Among his admirers were rulers, writers and great magician. Houdini started up in 1903 specifically to Munster, a visit to his esteemed colleague and Herman Melville mentions him in "Moby Dick":
Go and gaze upon
the iron emblematical harpoons round yonder lofty mansion, and your question will be answered. Yes; all these brave houses and flowery gardens came from the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. One and all, they were harpooned and dragged up hither from the bottom of the sea. Can Herr Alexander perform a feat like that?
... Heimbürgers Grab auf Münsters Zentralfriedhof * Alexander Heimbürger: Ein moderner Zauberer. Erster Band. Münster 1882, S.263ff
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