“This is our life, we are so grown up, we know nothing else” – Géraldine knee talks about her passion: the circus. This year he celebrates the anniversary. 100 years ago, since the four brothers, Friedrich, Rudolf, Charles and Eugene bought against the will of their mother, and to Pump a huge tent. In 1919, they celebrated on the Bernese Mat to protect the Premiere as a National Circus Knie .

A two-part docu-Fiction series on SRF has the history of the family on the topic of that occurs now in the eighth Generation, in the Manege, where the TV production made in the run-up for miss tones. (Read here for why.)

Nevertheless, she shows impressively how the circus life changed during the last 100 years. Today, semi-trailer, bring the frameworks and Plan, the living flowing water, under the tent roof and fly a light show drones have the car. Horses used to pull the circus wagons in the next place, the family built the Arena under the open sky and stretched a rope between two houses. Rope artists – the figureheads of the circus balanced on a storage lot. According to the ideas of the young ladies were waiting for the four brothers. So founder Frederick knee met his wife, Margrit Lippuner.

miss Margrit learns Friedrich knees know. At the beginning Mona Petri your role to be credible, the aged Margrit is placed.

you follow the fictional and chronologically told part of the story. In Parallel, the preparations for the current anniversary show looks to run behind the Scenes. In between old black-and-white photographs and witnesses to and from outside the family. Again and again a voice from the Off is heard, a somewhat fairy-tale inspired. However, The installation is succeeded. (Click here to go to our Zoom photo blog about the Premiere of the knee-anniversary show.)

What is confused, however, and change at the same time difficult to the many names and generations:. Fredy a senior and junior, Franco senior and junior, other sons bearing the names of their fathers, and brothers, Cousins, grandchildren, grandparents. At best, it prints out the tree in advance, and thus in front of the docu-Fiction.

the dark times during the Second world war come to the language or the increasingly loud protests of animal rights activists against the animal numbers and the resulting consequences. These include family disputes, the departure of one or the other brother out of the arena, and here too much unsaid remains.

Geraldine knees, in the middle of the family picture, with a Baby on the Arm, is today artistic Director of the circus.

Just to the appearances in the German Reich, but also in other Places, you would have wished for a better assessment of external experts. The historian seemed to be excited and taken in by the circus, as you would have removed your objectivity. The tabloid journalist seemed to be almost randomly showing up, so little and sporadically, he was listening to. Rolf Stey, circus Director, retired, said the majority of admiringly. Other competitive or real critics come to the word.

But, you see, Undeservedly the family enjoys its Status as the Crème de la Crème of the Swiss circus landscape. Fredy Knie junior, gave this weekend, his last performance in the circus ring (you can read more about it here), looks back on a life full of hard work. “If you’re not cramping, you come to nothing”, “first the idea, then everything else is” to him from his father instilled. Crying will only behind the curtain. Nevertheless, the 17-year-old Ivan’s knee is in the foot of his grandfather’s Fredy junior and his mother’s footsteps, entered Géraldine. Also he is strict to himself. After his birthday party, he is the next Morning at 7 am back in the sawdust and trained to be a birthday gift: a horse.

Ivan the knee sees his future in the circus and is willing to continue to work hard for it.

otherwise, the circus is not only the dream world, which he sold in the idea. Since no elephants and predators occur, the family comes up with something New to keep the audience at the bar, the cooperation of employees from 14 Nations must work smoothly, while the idea runs in the tent, others are already busy with the removal of the entourage. Cost Pressure, Time Pressure. And in the midst of all the preparations for the big anniversary show of the shock: Peter Wetzel, Clown Speedy, dies. Family knee and the employees to grieve. At the same time the Show must go on.

At the end of the second part the costumes have become done on time and the audience flows, as already 100 years ago, into the tent for the big Premiere. This time for the big anniversary. The horse numbers from the audience and the spectator in front of the TV screen charmed “aaahs”.

Without the success of the circus family diminish, after the two-parter the impression that you should keep the image that is intended for in front of the curtain remains.

The first part of the “dynasty knee – 100 years of national circus” you can see here.

The second part runs on Monday night on SRF 1, 20.05 PM.

Created: 25.11.2019, 11:28 PM