Dates

• Existence: c1675 - 1999

Biography

The Althoff circus dynasty was one of the oldest in the world, tracing back to the late 1600s in Freialdenhoven, North Rhine-Westphalia with Michael Aldenhoven. In the early years the family used the name ‘von Aldenhoven’ and travelled their show around German villages and towns as itinerant performers delighting the public with feats of acrobatics, acting and juggling. Eventually they changed their name to Althoff and overtime there could be found more than 70 companies, which branched out from the original troupe, using the name Althoff. By the mid-1700s, Althoff’s circus had achieved international fame touring not only Germany but also France.

Over time Althoff Circus became the most successful German circus and gained fame for the technical perfection of its acts.

By the mid of the 1940s Carl Althoff, became the head of the circus. During the Second World War him and his wife Maria protected several Jewish performers from the Nazis, providing fake identities and sheltering them in their circus. Their actions were honoured, in 1995, by the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Israel. The circus survive the war and during the post war years expanded to reach its former glory and in the 1970s, it was the first western circus to perform in the USSR.

The expansion of the family also continued after the war with Carola Althoff marrying Harry Williams and creating Circus Williams, which eventually went to America to form the basis of a new second unit for the Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus. Franz Althoff formed a huge three ring circus that travelled in Germany until the late 1960s and was featured in the 1964 John Wayne film The Magnificent Showman.

Members of the Althoff family also were responsible for the creation of the Friederike Hagenbeck Circus.

On their return to Europe from America, they formed Circus Althoff Williams, buying the Williams title from Carola, who stayed in America. Later they toured the Moscow State Circus throughout Germany and regularly took their show to Sweden in partnership with Cirkus Scott until the end of the twenty century.

Found in 4 Collections and/or Records: