History

Ottokar Fischer Marteau, also known as (born) Ottokar Fischer (November 10, 1873, Leschan  - December 1, 1940) was born in a small village Leschan in Austrian Empire. In 1883 his parents moved to Vienna

Vienna

Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...

, where he saw Charles Obra, Mellini, Ben Ali Bey, and other noted performers. He gave his own first public performance at age 18. He billed himself as "O.F. Marteau".

In 1896 Fischer met George Heubeck, who was the successor of Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser

Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser

Johann Nepomuk Hofzinser was a minor employee at the financial department of the Austrian-Hungarian Monarchy. He was never a doctor of philosophy; there is no such title in his working descriptions. He used the name Dr. Hofzinser as a stage name after retiring in 1865...

, who taught him all of Hofzinser's effects. Fischer also previously had studied with A. Fredmar the only pupil of Compars Herrmann

Compars Herrmann

Carl Herrmann was a German illusionist.The Herrmann family name is known as the "first-family of magic". Alexander's father Samuel, a practicing German physician, was the first to enjoy magic as a hobby. Samuel's first son Carl , was born in 1816 and left medical school at an early age to pursue...

.

Fischer confessed that he did not find a lot of personal information about Hofzinser. He based his knowledge mainly on delivered stories and information by Hofzinser's friends and pupils and on detected letters and manuscripts as well as on several magic props of Hofzinser which he got from his friends.

Starting in 1898 he managed and appeared regularly at the Kratky Baschik theatre in Vienna

Vienna

Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...

, a magic theatre with nearly 1000 seats. For 12 years he performed daily with a two and a half-hour show of magic. Several times Fischer performed before the Imperial Court

Emperor of Austria

The Emperor of Austria was a hereditary imperial title and position proclaimed in 1804 by the Holy Roman Emperor Francis II, a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, and continually held by him and his heirs until the last emperor relinquished power in 1918. The emperors retained the title of...

 of Austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

 and before other crowned heads.

He performed for many years as a magician, before retiring after World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 to write a history of the art of magic.

Fischer was the founder of the "Wiener Magischer Klub" and its president for many years.

April 1936, was on cover of International Brotherhood of Magicians

International Brotherhood of Magicians

International Brotherhood of Magicians is the world's largest organization for professional and amateur magicians, with approximately 15,000 members worldwide. The headquarters is in St...

 magazine 'The Linking Ring'.

In 1939 the Society of American Magicians

Society of American Magicians

The Society of American Magicians is the oldest fraternal magic organization in the world. Its purpose is "to advance, elevate, and preserve magic as a performing art, to promote harmonious fellowship throughout the world of magic, and to maintain and improve ethical standards in the field of...

 made Fischer an honorary member.

Published works

• J. N. Hofzinser's Card Conjuring - Kartenkünste (1910)
• Illustrated Magic (Das Wunderbuch der Zauberkunst) (1929) Translated into English by J. Barrows Mussey and Fulton Oursler. THis book was republished in Canada by Coles in 1980 under the same name, Illustrated Magic.
• Aus Eins mach Zehn... (ein Wiener Zauberbuch) (1933)
• The Magic of J.N. Hofzinser - J. N. Hofzinser Zauberkünste (1942) Translated in to English by Richard Hatch

See also

• Anton Kratky-Baschik (de)
• Card magic
• List of magicians

External links

• German Wikipedia entry Ottokar Fischer
• Ottokar Fischer biography
• Ottokar Fischer biography (german)
• Magischer Klub Wein - Historical Pictures