My father, Colya Francesco, on his beloved horse Mimi
Our modern circus, the way it still performs today, was created in England in the 1770's. Philip Ashley, a horse breaker and trainer, retired from the cavalry and started showing his horsemanship in a large ring in London. His show became even more popular when he added acrobats, jugglers, rope dancers, and clowns. Ashley also introduced his circus to Paris, and from there, it conquered the world.
The Francesco circus at the end of WWII
The circus ring was soon covered first with a wooden roof, and then is became established in buildings especially built for circus performances. Eventually, circus owners realized they could get more attendance if they traveled, and the traveling circus with its tent-covered ring was born.
My mother, Margot Edel, selling tickets for the circus
In Nazi Germany, the Nazis chose not to break this tradition, since, besides the radio and occasional movies, the circus was the main entertainment for the German populace. The Nazi government wanted to keep the common people happy and distracted, so the circus was a rare exception to the rampant racial persecution the Nazis committed everywhere else.
A Poster for Circus Althoff, the first Circus Mutti hired on in
And that's why my mother, never saw the inside of a concentration camp. That's why her life was and still is, a miracle. Mutti, however does not see it that way.
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