The history of the MZvD (Magic Circle of Germany)
The years 1912-1932
It was not until the end of the century before last that the entertaining art of magic became more widespread and experienced a remarkable upswing. This boom was also fostered by individual magic traders, who endeavoured to entice their customers to make new purchases. In order to promote interest in the art of magic, some of them published magic magazines, such as Carl Willmann’s Zauberwelt (World of Magic) and Conradi-Horster’s Zauberspiegel (Magic Mirror). These magazines caused many amateur magicians to realise that their interest in the art was shared by others in their area, and led them to reach out. This is how the first magicians’ groups were formed, especially in the big cities.
On 31 March 1912, F. W. Conradi-Horster, probably Germany’s most prolific magician ever, made an appearance in the main hall of the Wulf establishment in
Hamburg-Altona. Naturally, the magicians based in Hamburg and the surrounding area did not miss this opportunity. After the performance, some of them were standing at the buffet, eagerly debating and waiting for the performer, when the Hamburg businessman Karl Schröder brought up the subject of founding a magic association. Of the nine founding members, the then 35-year-old Karl Schröder was elected chairman, the 40-year-old J. C. Schultheiß was elected treasurer, and a third member, Mr. F. von Barm, was elected secretary. Dr. Sinell and J. Bernitt were appointed auditors. All nine members lived in Hamburg and were amateurs, some with a wealth of magical experience. They formed the nucleus of the Magic Circle.
MAGIE — Magazine of the Magic Circle, Hamburg
The 8th year of the Magic Circle’s existence brought encouraging progress. MAGIE (Magic), until then a provisional publication, appeared in print for the first time.
As editor, Karl Schröder introduced a prominent magician every month. He began with Ernst Thorn, the first honorary member of the Magic Circle. After him came, among other magicians, Willi Cellar, Oskar Altani, Alois Kassner, Ching-Li-Fu (Jakob Stein), Talerno and Alfred Uferini, all well-known professionals at the time.
The first meeting of the Berlin branch of the Magic Circle took place on 16 January 1920. The second local circle — if Hamburg is regarded as the first one — was born. Further local branches were founded in Stettin, Danzig and Saarbrücken in 1920. Almost simultaneously, local branches were also founded in Cologne and Frankfurt/Main, followed by Breslau and Munich in 1921 and Leipzig, the 10th local branch of the Magic Circle, in November.
By the end of 1921, the Magic Circle already had 358 members, both amateurs and professional artists.
The 1925 General Meeting in Munich, which was organised by Helmut Schreiber, was also the first such meeting that was announced as a congress in the press. Baptist Huber donated a 104-page commemorative publication.
In 1926, an exhibition of home-made apparatuses was organised for the first time at the 14th General Meeting in Berlin. The success of this idea exceeded all expectations.
In October 1927, Helmut Schreiber took over the editorship of MAGIE, now based in Berlin. The magazine was given a new cover (designed by Tagrey) and the content was embellished with pictures, drawings, sections and a monthly “Magical Dates”. MAGIE became the publication organ of the Association of Hungarian Amateur Magicians Budapest and the Magic Club Prague. Schreiber endeavoured to obtain the translation rights of foreign specialist journals and wanted to lead MAGIE to international significance. At the Extraordinary General Meeting in Leipzig in May 1929, Karl Schröder was confirmed as the first chairman and Ferdinand Uter became honorary chairman. In September, the office was moved back to Hamburg. Dr. Kurt Volkmann was admitted as member no. 807 in June 1928 and Willi Faster as member no. 935 in July 1931. The list of 200… was launched in 1930 to raise funds for the expansion of the magazine. An April Fool’s joke appeared in MAGIE for the first time, entitled “Reductions for Variety show patrons” by Jäger, Mannheim.
Geo Mylius organised a first “International Magic Congress” in 1931, with the participation of M.A.M.E. Budapest, USA, Sweden, the Magic Club Prague, ASAP - France and the Magic Club Vienna. It was also the 19th General Meeting of the Magic Circle.
To mark the 10th anniversary of the Munich local circle, the first special issue for a local circle of MAGIE was published in December.
In February 1932, the 1000th member was admitted and MAGIE published a special issue of the Leipzig local branch.
The years 1933-1945
Our mothers, our fathers, our magicians. The disappearance of the Jewish magicians — stumbling blocks of remembrance.
By Peter Schuster, from “Zeitreisen” (Time travels)
“In the 1930s, members who had been well respected only a short while ago were stricken from the Circle’s membership list. Today we are stunned by these aberrations and seek explanations. How could an entire nation be overwhelmed by these fanatics? After 1945, no one in the Magic Circle spoke or wrote about this chapter of the past. Did those who were involved, either passively or actively, feel shame and remorse? Then again, we younger people didn’t ask either. We, who were 10 or 12 years old at the end of Hitler’s dictatorship, were not aware of what had happened in the name of Germany, and in the name of the Magic Circle.”
During the 2012 meeting of Circle historians, there was an intensive debate about the Circle during the Nazi era and then President Helmut Schreiber. With the support of Circle President Eberhard Riese, a working group was formed under the leadership of Bernhard Schmitz to reappraise the events of that time. This article is intended to commemorate the ostracised and outcast Jewish magicians, raise the question of the responsibility of the Magic Circle and encourage the local circles to concern themselves with their history. In a first list (to be supplemented and corrected), the members expelled in 1936 as well as the Kroner family, who were closely associated with the Circle, and Michel Seldow, an honorary member of the Berlin circle, are remembered.
The years 1946-1951
Shortly after the end of the war, the labour market was in shambles. Many amateurs made use of their hobby as magicians and found good earning opportunities with the Allied forces, soldiers’ clubs, travelling theatres and in the numerous entertainment venues. There had never been so many variety shows and cabarets as in the three years before the currency reform. After the currency reform, this stopped abruptly.
Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the Magic Circle blossomed again in 1946. Once again, it was Karl Schröder who took the initiative. Hamburg was and remains the nucleus of the Magic Circle in Germany. On 26 January 1946, the Magic Circle (as a registered association in the British Zone) resumed its activities and was able to produce copies of the “Monatliche Mitteilungen” (Monthly Notices) to send to the re-registered members.
At the beginning of 1947, the Notices became a small, attractive Magische Post (Magic Post), produced in print, with an overview of what was happening in the world of magic. From 1948, the Magic Post appeared in a larger format and featured pictures of professional magicians on the front pages.
In Munich, an International Congress of the Magic Circle of Germany was organised from 20 to 26 September 1950, which was attended by 274 participants. Ralf Bialla — “King of the Balls” — won first prize and Inge Bialla was awarded the title “Miss MAGIE 1950/1951”.
The Magic Circle of Germany was accepted into the world organisation of magicians Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques in Paris in 1951.
Modern history
100 years of the Magic Circle of Germany
To mark the 100th anniversary of the Circle, the club was presented with a certificate by FISM President Domenico Dante.
Time travels
22 Dec 2013 In December 2013, all members received the Circle’s anniversary publication Zeitreisen 1912-2012. The book is a retrospective on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Circle.
The Magic Circle 1912 to 2012
4 June 2012 The development of the Magic Circle in Germany since 1912 and the history of the Magic Circle in the GDR is examined in the approximately 150 pages of Die Kunst des Verzauberns (The Art of Enchantment). The book was published in 2012 as a commemorative publication of the Hamburg Magic Circle to mark the 100th anniversary of this circle.
