Circus Roncalli
Encyclopedia
Circus Roncalli is a German circus
founded in 1976 by Bernhard Paul and André Heller
. According to Bernhard Paul, the name was inspired by a film script of his fellow Austrian Peter Hajek, "Sarah Roncalli, Tochter des Mondes" ("Sarah Roncalli, daughter of the moon", sometimes also cited as "widow of the moon"). The reminiscence to the popular Pope John XXIII
(1881–1963), whose legal name was Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, served as a key to the success.
, and the tour finished on 16 August 1976 in Munich
. After the first season, Paul and Heller disagreed about the concept and rights, so that at the next performance on 4 June 1980 in Cologne
, Bernhard Paul directed the circus on his own. Since then, the circus has toured in Germany and abroad, including the first appearance of a West German circus in the Soviet Union
in 1986.
are no longer in use.
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
founded in 1976 by Bernhard Paul and André Heller
André Heller
Franz André Heller is an Austrian artist, author, singer and actor.- Biography :Heller was born in Vienna into a wealthy Jewish family of sweets manufacturers . His almost daily visits to the Café Hawelka were in his opinion a key element in the development of his literary orientation...
. According to Bernhard Paul, the name was inspired by a film script of his fellow Austrian Peter Hajek, "Sarah Roncalli, Tochter des Mondes" ("Sarah Roncalli, daughter of the moon", sometimes also cited as "widow of the moon"). The reminiscence to the popular Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
(1881–1963), whose legal name was Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, served as a key to the success.
History
The first performance of the circus was on 18 May 1976 on the Hofgartenwiese in BonnBonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
, and the tour finished on 16 August 1976 in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. After the first season, Paul and Heller disagreed about the concept and rights, so that at the next performance on 4 June 1980 in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Bernhard Paul directed the circus on his own. Since then, the circus has toured in Germany and abroad, including the first appearance of a West German circus in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in 1986.
Winter quarters
The winter quarters of the circus have been at Neurather Weg 7 in Mülheim, Cologne since 1984. The building belonged to Circus Williams beforehand, and was rebuilt to accommodate Circus Roncalli, following which it was officially opened on 27 April 1986.Roncalli Museum
Bernhard Paul owns one of the largest circus collections in Europe, including old costumes, circus books and posters, which he plans to display in a museum.Projects
Circus Roncalli has taken part in a number of projects:- The "Höhner rockin Roncalli Show" – Tours with the musical group De Höhner.
- "Circus meets Classic" – Performances by artists based on classical music performed by various symphony orchestras.
- Performances with the musical group the Kelly FamilyThe Kelly FamilyThe Kelly Family is an Irish-American-European music group consisting of a multi-generational family, who play a repertoire of rock, pop and folk music. They have had chart and concert success in Europe and other parts of the world, especially in Germany, the Benelux countries, Scandinavia, Eastern...
in 2003 and 2004 (Phantasie verboten), and in 2005 and 2006 ("Music meets Circus – Circus meets Music"). - A Christmas circus (Roncalli Weihnachtscircus), which has been held in the Tempodrom in Berlin from December to January since 2004
- The dinner show "Witzigmann & Roncalli Bajazzo", together with Eckart WitzigmannEckart WitzigmannEckart Witzigmann is an Austrian chef.After his chef-apprenticeship in the Hotel Straubinger in Bad Gastein , Witzigmann moved on to numerous positions in prestigious restaurants around the world, among others as a student of Paul Bocuse in Lyon, France.His work in Germany began in 1971 at the...
since autumn 2006 - Historical Christmas market in front of the Hamburg RathausHamburg RathausThe Hamburg Rathaus is the Rathaus—the city hall or town hall—of Hamburg, Germany, it is the seat of the government of Hamburg, located in the Altstadt quarter in the city centre, near the lake Binnenalster and the central station...
.
Transport
Bernhard Paul prefers railway transport, which is becoming more difficult because some of the loading facilities of the Deutsche BahnDeutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
are no longer in use.