Cirkus Benneweis (1887 - 2015)
Dates
- Existence: 1887 - 2015
Biography
Cirkus Benneweis was founded by Gottfried Binneweitz (1865-1933), in 1887 in Denmark. Gotffried was the son of an itinerant German musician who moved to Denmark in the second half of the nineteenth century. Gotffried also became an itinerant performer and formed his own circus after marrying Marie Bruun in 1887. At the beginning Circus Binneweitz was a small outifit consisting of the couple, Marie’s siblings Josefine and Alexander and a handful of domestic animals. Overtime the circus name changed from Binnewwitz to Benneweis.
Gottfried and Marie had a son, Ferdinand (1888-1945), who performed as an acrobat and clown and eventually took charge of the family circus upon his father’s death in 1933.
Ferdinand had three sons, the oldest of whom Eli Johan Holte Benneweis (1911-1993) became one of Europe’s most successful circus entrepreneurs. Upon Ferdinand’s death, Eli took over the business with his mother. He proved to be a shrewd businessman and under his management Cirkus Benneweis developed into Denmark’s largest and most successful circus.
Between 1957 and 1965 Cirkus Benneweis partnered up with Italian circus Palmiri to tour the Circo Italo-Danese Palmiri Benneweis in Italy. Between the late 1940s and 1950s they also owned other circuses including Cirkus Korona, Cirkus Belli and Circus Buster and had business interests in Germany's Circus Barum from 1963 to 1967. In 1970 as well as travelling shows, Cirkus Benneweis started to rent the historic Cirkus Schumann building in Copenhagen to produce summer shows, which they run until 1990. The period of expansion however came to a halt in the 1980s and the business started to contract until its closure in 2015 after over 130 years of uninterrupted activity.
Found in 7 Collections and/or Records:
Benneweis Cirkus by Gningen Programme, 1975
Elephants and horses, Les Francescos-clowns, Guzman and Monique motorbike trapeze act, Dobritch balance act, Nelly Jane ringmaster, Luc and Bella chimpanzees, Balkan Troupe trampoline act, Bob Rosetti whips and guns, Bob Bramson juggler, Kroplin’s Dyrerevue, Pete, Robin and Antonio clowns, Caroli Troupe equestrian act. Clown illustration, 28p.p.
Benneweis Cirkus by Gningen Programme, 1977
90th year celebrations, Diana Benneweis equestrian act, Hr. Braum Clown, Pompoff Thedy Family comedy act, Lora Eston and her birds, Karl Kossmayer and his mules, Benneweis elephants, Moreno clowns, Les Castors jugglers, Sally Brothers handstand act, Eric and Francine’s Dogs trained dogs, Toly M. juggler, 2 Perris balance act, Michael balancer. Contains photos, 28p.p.
Benneweis Cirkus by Gningen Programme, 1977
90th year celebrations, Nelly Jane and Sonny Benneweis ringmaster, Dirch and Kaas clowns, Lilly Yokoi trick cyclist, Wendy Duer and her birds, Lee Pee Ville magician, Jule and bubi clowns, Family Munoz high-wire, Salvador ball balancing, Matild contortionist, Cata Polen Polish equilibrists, Cata Polen tumblers, Les Chabres dog act. Contains photos, 28p.p.
Benneweis Cirkus by Gningen Programme, 1979
Nelly Jane ringmaster, Sonny Benneweis Equestrian act, Franz Althoff small horses, Flying Oslers Trapeze, Chabre and her poodles, Truppe Koziak balancing act, Camel’s March , Chicky and Co. clowns, Little John balancing act, Truppe Lukas Timblers, Gobo clown. Contains photos.
Benneweis Cirkus by Gningen Programme, 1979
Claus Jespersen ringmaster, Diana Benneweis equestrian act, Kim and Miller Benneweis elephants, Victo Ponce and Silvia jugglers, Di Lello Clown, Clarrisons sea lions, Flying Oscas trapeze, Trio Spyts, Krenzola birds, Trup Salve tumblers. Contains photos, 28p.p.
Christopher Palmer Collection
Circus programmes and VHS tapes from Billy Smart’s Circus and Chipperfields’s Circus collected during the 1970s and early 1980s by the TV producer, Christopher John Palmer. There are also a number of promotional photographs of artistes and other ephemera related to the circus.
Programmes, 1970 - 1981
Programmes for various British and international circuses including Billy Russell's, Blackpool Tower, Fossett's, Chipperfield's and the Toni Boltini's Circus.