Dates

• Existence: 19 May 1912 - 1979

Biography

Harder Jonsson was born in Sweden on 19 May, 1912 and brought up with his sister Inga in Berlin. After the death of his father, a horse trainer, his mother married again and Harder and Inga were educated in ballet, music and the circus arts in the old Busch building in Berlin by their grandmother. According to his former beast man, assistant and long time friend, Hal Fischer, Harder was a versatile man of all trades but circus was his first love. Perhaps his most famous performance was when he trained seven lions in an act for Jeserich Circus in 1949.

Harder left the ring in the 1960s because he wanted to be remembered at the peak of his career, and apart from working weekends at Windsor Safari Park, he never returned to the circus. He died in 1979 aged 67.

Found in 1 Collection or Record: