Er war einer der großen Sprechzauberer Deutschlands, aber keiner der lauten, wenn auch weithin bekannt und durchaus meinungsfreudig: Bruno Hennig alias Joro, der plaudernde Zauberer.
Altmeister Joro 2006 bei einem Zauberkongress
Wahrscheinlich “begegnete” ich ihm zum ersten Mal in Alfred Kellerhofs großem Zauberkatalog unter “Freunde unseres Hauses”. Bald darauf erwarb ich “Joros Kreidekelle” und seine “Punktewanderung”, viel später auch das bizarr-chaotische “Ringdurcheinander” und seine “Grandiose Münzwanderung”, einen der wohl besten auditiven Effekte der Zauberkunst überhaupt (basierend auf einer Idee von Patrick Page). In Kellerhofs Zaubertrichter las ich “Joros hundertprozentige Vorhersage” (ein wirklich einfach-genialer Kartentrick!), später verschlang ich begeistert Das Joro-Buch von Uwe Schenk und Michael Sondermeyer, das der Altmeister mir 2008 dann freundlich signierte.
Ich lernte, dass er internationale Anerkennung für den “Joro Switch” (den Austausch einer gefalteten Spielkarte) und den “Tanzenden Korken” genoss, der durch Fred Kaps weltbekannt gemacht worden war. In Deutschland kam er als erster Zauberer auf die Idee, aus der kleinen Plastik-Fingerguillotine ein bühnentaugliches Modell für den Arm einer Dame aus dem Publikum zu entwickeln. Seine Routine hierzu wurde zu einer der meistkopierten Deutschlands. Und als Humorist und Sprachspieler fiel mir Joro spätestens auf, als ich die Anekdote las, wonach er ebenso erstaunt wie treffend ausrief, als ihm Werry, der notorische Plastik-Trick-Produzent, seine damalige Freundin vorstellte: “Die ist ja gar nicht aus Plastik!”
Eine kleine Sprachspielerei war es dann auch, die mir Jahre später unverhofft Post aus Oldenburg einbrachte: In einer Kongressrezension hatte ich über eine besonders geschmacklose Wettbewerbsdarbietung geschrieben, dass diese bei Joro (in dessen Nähe ich zufällig saß) “topittiefe Zornesfalten” hervorgerufen hatte. Das fand er irgendwie gelungen und gratulierte mir sehr lieb mit dieser selbstgebastelten Urkunde, für die ich mich herzlich bedankte und die ich immer in Ehren halten werde!
Vor ein, zwei Jahren kontaktierte ich Joro dann telefonisch im Rahmen einer Kalanag-Recherche. Da war er schon recht schwerhörig, aber sein Gedächtnis arbeitete auf Hochtouren, als er sehr lebhaft einige Erinnerungen mit mir teilte. Lachend schilderte er etwa, wie Kalanags Stooges einst in Köln im halbleeren Saal ziemlich auffällig umherhuschten, um von verschiedenen Plätzen aus Getränkewünsche für die “Wunder-Bar” in Richtung Bühne zu rufen…
Bis zuletzt hat Joro in der magie regelmäßig Kunststückbeschreibungen veröffentlicht, und sie folgten fast immer demselben Schema: klare, kurze Effekte, sehr knapp beschrieben, mit zumeist einfacher Handhabung bei maximalem Effekt – so knapp, dass man manchmal Gefahr lief, diese Kleinode zu übersehen oder zu überblättern. Ein großer Fehler, denn bei aller Kürze waren beinahe alle mir bekannten Joro-Effekte immer zwei Dinge zugleich: praxisnah und effektvoll, und damit ideal für den durchschnittlichen Zauberadepten.
Am 6. September 2023 hat Joro, Jahrgang 1928, im gesegneten 96. Lebensjahr nun den Zauberstab für immer aus der Hand gelegt, wie wir so schön sagen. Sein Name und seine Routinen werden noch lange an unserem magischen Firmament leuchten, und wie viele andere Zauberfreunde bin auch ich dankbar dafür, wie er mein Zauberleben und unsere schöne Kunst bereichert hat. Ruhe in Frieden, großer Joro, und danke für deine magischen Spielereien!
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Addendum I: Ich habe auch einen kurzen Nachruf im Genii Forum gepostet.
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Addendum II: Wie ich mittlerweile erfahren habe, ist kürzlich leider auch Dieter Daniel – Ravelli verstorben (02.09.1948-03.08.2023). Ich kannte ihn nicht besonders gut, aber wir waren einige Male zu zauberhistorischen Themen im Austausch. Er war stets freundlich und hilfsbereit und von ausgesuchter Höflichkeit – ein Mensch und Zauberer alter Schule im besten Wortsinn, der vor allem die Klassiker schätzte. Immer in guter Erinnerung bleiben wird mir der Marvelli-Abend, den Dieter Daniel 2016 im Ortszirkel Frankfurt gestaltete (siehe unten) und in dem er zahlreiche Routinen von Olof Becher-Marvelli, mit dem er wohl gut befreundet war, souverän und effekvoll vorführte, inklusive der geschliffenen Originaltexte. Möge auch er in Frieden beim Allergrößten Zauberer ruhen!
Following up on our research on Kalanag’s innovative Polaroid trick (see last post below), I thought I’d also join in the ChatGPT hype and jeer and see what this supposedly smart internet vacuum cleaner would claim to “know”…
Question:
What magic trick did Kalanag (Helmut Schreiber, 1903-1963) perform with the Polaroid Land 95 camera after 1948?
ChatGPT answer:
“Kalanag was a renowned German magician and illusionist known for his extravagant stage shows and daring feats. One of his most famous tricks involved the Polaroid Land 95 camera, which he began using after 1948.
The trick involved taking a photograph of a person or object, then immediately producing a fully formed, 3D version of that object on stage. The camera was mounted on a special rig that allowed it to take two photographs simultaneously, one on a normal negative and one on a special film developed by Polaroid.
Kalanag would then pull the developed Polaroid film from the camera and expose it to a special solution, causing the image to develop into a miniature, fully formed replica of the original object. The replica would then be pulled from the solution and presented to the audience.
This trick was a sensation at the time, and Kalanag’s use of the Polaroid Land 95 camera helped to popularize the camera and its innovative instant development technology.”
Uh-huh, yeah, well, umm… no, not at all! But you have to admire the chutzpa and nonchalance with which this tricky tool presents its “knowledge”! And granted, there may actually be a good idea hidden in this historical muddle…
After more than two years of joint research, I am very happy to report that Jonathan Allen‘s and my article has just been published in the ambitious Cabinet magazine!
In it, we trace the story of a rather fascinating yet mostly overlooked magic trick created in 1948 by German magician Helmut Schreiber (1903-1963), known to the world as ‘Kalanag’ in his time. By secretly employing the brandnew Polaroid Land camera, which was still unknown to the public, he added an extra “kicker” to an already astonishing trick, the Broken and Restored Watch, by handing the helping spectator a souvenir photo that had been taken on stage only a moment ago.
Until now, Kalanag’s pioneering role as a creative Polaroid artist seems to have gone unnoticed amongst historians of both photography and magic. This is even more surprising, as some early programs of his magic revue “Simsalabim” indicate that Kalanag already had a Polaroid camera in secret use several months before its official market launch in the U.S.!
Kürzlich ist die im letzten Jahr ausgestrahlte TV-Dokumentation über Kalanag von Oliver Schwehm auf DVD erschienen. Der etwas reißerisch geratene Titel lautet “Kalanag: Der Magier und der Teufel”. In dem nun 72-minütigen Film kommen u.a. die Kalanag-Experten und -Autoren Rolf Aurich und Malte Herwig zu Wort, ebenso Zeitzeugen und Mitarbeiterinnen des Illusionisten.
Erfreulich üppig geraten ist das etwa 90-minütige Bonusmaterial: Hier finden sich Helmut Schreibers Luftschiff-Dokumentation “Nach Südamerika in drei Tagen”, zwei Filme zur Kalanag-Show, eine komplette Folge der kuriosen TV-Reihe “Grenzen des Wissens” des Freien Fernsehens (mit David Berglas) sowie alte Werbespots für Eiskrem mit Gloria de Vos, zumeist aus dem Archiv der Stiftung Zauberkunst stammend. Daneben gibt es ein reich bebildertes 32-seitiges Booklet mit zwei interessanten Kalanag-Artikeln von Rolf Giesen sowie von Rolf König und Michael Sondermeyer und schließlich noch eine Lentikularkarte, die Kalanag bei seiner Routine mit farbigen Billardbällen zeigt.
Erhältlich u.a. beim sic!-Verlag zum Preis von 19,80 EUR.
DVD-Cover
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Historisch interessierte holländische Zauberfreunde können sich freuen: Malte Herwigs große Kalanag-Biografie aus dem letzten Jahr ist nun auch in niederländischer Sprache erschienen. Der vollständige Titel lautet De grote Kalanag: hoe Hitlers goochelaar zijn verleden liet verdwijnen en de wereld veroverde. Erhältlich u.a. bei Amazon.de, aktueller Preis 29,44 EUR für die Taschenbuchausgabe und nur 9,99 EUR für die Kindle-Version.
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Große Fortschritte macht offenbar das neu geplante Kalanag-Museum in Backnang. Wie die “Backnanger Kreiszeitung” kürzlich berichtete, soll noch in diesem Jahr die Eröffnung gefeiert werden. Entsprechende Räume sind bereits gefunden und bezogen, die Ausgestaltung dauert aber noch an. Im Mittelpunkt sollen die letzten Lebensjahre des Illusionisten in Fornsbach stehen. Vorangetrieben wird das Projekt von Donna Holderried, der Witwe des im letzten Jahr überraschend verstorbenen Kalanag-Sammlers und -Experten Michael Holderried.
Now here’s an upcoming event I’m really looking forward to! It will be both an honor and a great pleasure to share the stage with magic artist and fellow researcher Jonathan Allen. Our presentation will shine a light on a creative, yet mostly overlooked kicker ending of a Kalanag routine and share more than a few background information.
Stay tuned for more!
Advert for what will certainly be a great and inspiring day!
Trotz Corona ist am letzten Wochenende in Manresa (Spanien) die FISM European Championship offenbar sicher und erfolgreich zuende gegangen. Den Grand Prix (Bühne) gewann der Belgier Laurent Piron. Ein Grand Prix in Close-Up wurde nicht vergeben. Yann Yuro siegte in der Sparte Mentalmagie, Alfonso Rituerto errang einen 2. Preis in Mikromagie.
Neuer Präsident von FISM Europe als Nachfolger von John Pye, der nicht mehr kandidierte, ist der Italiener Andrea Baioni. Ferner wurde MZvD-Präsident Eberhard Riese einstimmig ins Board gewählt. Der nächste Kongress soll 2024 in St. Petersburg über die Bühne gehen.
Herzlichen Glückwunsch allen Preis-, Titel- und Amtsträgern!
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Die Stiftung Zauberkunst hat ihre Website vollständig überarbeitet. Außerdem präsentiert sie auf ihrem Instagram-Account nun praktisch täglich ein Schätzchen oder Kurioses aus ihrer umfassenden Zaubersammlung. Besuch und Unterstützung ist allen an der Zauberhistorie Interessierten wärmstens empfohlen!
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Zur Kalanag-Biografie von Malte Herwig sind kürzlich weitere Rezensionen in großen Blättern erschienen: in der Süddeutschen Zeitung hier und in der NZZ hier.
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Michael Holderried befindet sich laut eines Presseberichtes derzeit offenbar in Gesprächen über einen neuen Standort seines Kalanag-Museums mit der Stadt Murrhardt, wo der berühmte Nachkriegszauberer im Stadtteil Fornsbach seine letzten Lebensjahre verbrachte. Bis 2013 betrieb Holderried das Museum und sein Traumzeit-Theater in städtischen Räumen in Backnang, musste diese dann aber für andere Kultureinrichtungen räumen.
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In Las Vegas starb diese Woche Pamela “Pam” HayesThompson, Witwe und Bühnenpartnerin des vor rund zwei Jahren verstorbenen Johnny Thompson. Als etwas ordinäre, kaugummikauende und genervte Assistentin an der Seite des pompösen Zaubermeisters schuf sie eine unvergessliche Bühnenfigur.
Ganz unvermittelt begegnet mir eben auf der Startseite von Wikipedia der Name von Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, der heute genau vor 150 Jahren verstarb.
Wikipedia Screenshot
Sein Wikipedia-Eintrag lässt jedoch leider noch einiges zu wünschen übrig. So wird der vermeintlich zauberhaft von Robert-Houdin niedergeschlagene Aufstand in Algerien nicht eingeordnet, außerdem ist als Literatur ausgerechnet nur Harry Houdinis Pamphlet The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin angegeben.
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Basierend auf Malte Herwigs großer Biografie widmet sich aktuell nun auch der “Spiegel” Leben, Karriere und Nazi-Verstrickungen von Helmut Schreiber-Kalanag. Zum Artikel mit vielen Fotos geht es hier.
Ergänzend gibt es im GeniiForumeine intensive Debatte – mit teilweise skurrilen Abschweifungen – um Kalanag und Malte Herwigs Titelgeschichte über ihn in der Juni-Ausgabe des Magazins.
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Kalanag ist übrigens auch der Hauptgrund, warum ich derzeit etwas weniger Posts verfasse. Ich stecke gerade mitten in spannenden Recherchen mit einem Zauberkollegen. (Nein, nein, es geht nicht um das verschwundene Nazi-Gold…)
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Thomas Fraps und Pit Hartling haben gestern erfolgreich die Premiere ihrer Online-Show “Metamagicum” via Zoom gefeiert. Weitere Termine stehen derzeit noch nicht fest, werden aber sicher beizeiten auf Ticketino bekanntgegeben.
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Während der Fröhlich Zauberkongress des MRA in Bad Aussee nun leider doch noch für dieses Jahr abgesagt werden musste und auf September 2022 verschoben ist, hat Wittus Witt in der “mw” gerade eine Neuauflage der Hamburger Zaubernächte angekündigt. Vom 16. bis 18. September spielen bzw. referieren Marcel Kösling, Harry Keaton, Wittus Wittund Michael Scheid im Theater Sprechwerk.
History has her own ways of creating, reshuffling, and reevaluating facts. In January 1964, Helmut Schreiber/Kalanag, who had passed on December 24th, 1963, was mourned, hailed, and fondly remembered on the cover of Genii magazine and within its pages (and rightfully so).
Fast forward 57 years: The latest issue of Genii reprints the same cover photo, but this time Kalanag is stamped with a blood-red Nazi swastika across his face. A 37-page story presents selected chapters and unmasking photographs in Nazi company from Malte Herwig‘s detailed Kalanag biography, which was published in German a few weeks ago.
Genii covers from 1964 and 2021
The cover’s subline, “Hitler’s Magician,” feels somewhat ambiguous to me, though. On the one hand, it clearly describes what Kalanag strived for and how he wanted to be perceived at the time: as the Third Reich’s leading and undisputed magician and magic officer, who was on friendly, powerful terms with the Führer and his henchmen. On the other hand, it falsely suggests permanent, personal ties of Schreiber and Hitler, maybe even the status of a court jester or a gray eminence. Among others, the Führer had his deputy, his spokesperson, and his architect; he certainly never had ‘his” magician.
I feel that neither an “all black” nor an “all white” approach will do justice to the man who was both a great showman and a great egotist and opportunist in times of greatest turmoil. Malte Herwig, an Oxford-trained historian, appropriately avoided this ideological trap in his mostly descriptive, balanced, and heavily footnoted biography. Thus, a red swastika pin on Kalanag’s lapel may have been a better and more subtle cover choice.
You may also want to check out Richard Hatch‘s four-page, in-depth review of Malte’s book in the latest issue of Marco Pusterla‘s fine little history journal, Ye Olde Magic Mag.
Wittus Witt hat soeben den fünften Band seiner wunderschönen Buchreihe vorgelegt. Die aktuelle Ausgabe ist eher dokumentarisch als erforschend-inspirierend ausgefallen und enthält auf 156 Seiten die folgenden Beiträge:
eine Würdigung von Dieter Michel-Argola (1936-2018) mit Beiträgen von Marc Michel, Oguz Engin und Frank Musilinski sowie zahlreichen Memorabilien, u.a. Briefen von Alois Kassner (Diesen Beiträgen hätte allerdings ein Korrekturleser gut getan.)
eine Fortsetzung der akribischen bibliografischen Erfassung alter Zauberkataloge durch Dr. Steffen Taut, diesmal mit den Horster-Katalogen von 1920 bis 1959
die Buchstaben D bis F aus dem Künstlerarchiv von Jochen Zmeck.
Ergänzt wird der Band wieder durch eine Reihe schöner Dreingaben, darunter eine nachgedruckte Autogrammkarte von Argola sowie eine Horster-Preisliste von 1925 als Faksimile.
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Zeitgleich kündigt Wittus Witt sein neuestes Werk an, eine umfassende und reich bebilderte Chronik der Zauberstadt Hamburg. Beigelegt sind eine DVD mit Mitschnitten Hamburger Zauberer, ein Kalanag-Programmheft im Faksimile sowie ein Nachdruck der ersten Zauberzeitschrift von 1897. Das Buch erscheint im Juni 2021 zum Preis von 47,50 Euro.
After seven years in the making, today is the official launch date of Malte Herwig’s comprehensive biography in German, Der grosse Kalanag [The Great Kalanag], published by Penguin Random House in Munich with a first run of 10,000 copies. Malte is an academic with a doctorate in literary studies, a historian, an author of several acclaimed books, and a journalist. On a whopping 480 pages he narrates and analyzes the wily and agile life of Helmut Schreiber (1903-1963), an always-on-the-go amateur magician who became an eminent official both in film and magic during the Third Reich, seeking the bubble reputation and rubbing shoulders with the Nazi top brass including Adolf Hitler himself more than once. After the Second World War, with both a questionable denazification document and an occupational ban for the film industry in his hands, Schreiber reinvented himself quickly and mysteriously as “Kalanag,” the illusionist. Henceforth, he successfully toured the world with his magical musical revue of stunning size while at the same time making his shady past disappear in the wartime ruins.
Malte dug deep into archives and sources, as not only the 50 pages of footnotes in his book attest to. He also managed to track down a number of contemporary witnesses of Schreiber’s doings. In this interview Malte speaks of his personal approach to Kalanag, the great support he has received from the magic community, and his biggest discoveries on his quest. An English version of his book may appear in the future, as the worldwide rights are currently put on sale.
Photo: (c) Christina Körte
Malte, when and where was your first encounter with Helmut Schreiber-Kalanag?
Ten years ago, I came across the Hamburg Magic Circle on the internet. „Magic Circle“ – I thought that sounded secretive and mysterious. So I got in touch with Thomas Gundlach, its chairman, and asked him whether I could stop by one day. He immediately replied and invited me to the next public performance in their own Magiculum theater. In the bar I noticed a photograph on the wall of a man who looked a bit like Heinz Erhardt [a portly, famous German post-war comedian], and I was immediately informed that this was the famous Kalanag! I had never heard the name before and started my research about him that same night. The rest is history.
What was it about Schreiber that fascinated you most and finally led you to write his biography?
I’m a historian, and I have dealt with German history in the 20th century time and again because its aftermath is still perceptible today. But my background is in the arts, in literature, and the feuilleton. I’m fascinated by Kalanag not only because he was an interesting artist, but also because of his incredibly tantalizing political biography. During the First World War, he performed magic as a 13-year-old in military hospitals. He has lived through the Roaring Twenties in Berlin. He has built his career in the Third Reich, and he became globally famous after the Second World War as the illusionist from „Wirtschaftswunder [lit. economic miracle] Germany.“ Kalanag’s life is a parable about German history in the 20th century. He is the magician of „the Zero Hour“ after Germany’s collapse, which in itself is probably the greatest illusion of all.
Budding magician Helmut Schreiber (Photo: Archiv Stiftung Zauberkunst)
How important was it for you that Kalanag was a magician and a magic official? Or would you also have dealt with him, with a similar vita, if he had been, say, an entrepreneur, a conductor, or a civil servant?
I have to admit that I would never have had the necessary patience to write a 500 page biography of a department head. I have spent seven years working on this book. Having said that, you do not only want to entertain your audience, but yourself as well. Besides, I believe that the enthusiasm you feel during your work will transfer itself onto others. You cannot create this artifically or by simply claiming it. It needs to be authentic. For me, it has been an adventurous ride, and that‘s what I want it to be for my readers, too.
What were your first steps into researching Schreiber’s life?
My first visit was with Michael Holderried, who unlocked his barn for me where all the wonderful original Kalanag illusions are stored. This warmed my reporter’s heart. I love this kind of research that leads into barns and attics, and Michael was a wonderful first guide into the Kalanag kingdom. Then came Uwe Schenk and Michael Sondermeyer with the Kalanag estate kept in their Stiftung Zauberkunst [German Magic Arts Foundation], then Wittus Witt with his extensive magical knowledge. I was also in close contact with Richard Hatch and Bernd Heller, whose early research on Kalanag had lead the way. Further precious support on Kalanag’s doings in Austria and Switzerland came from Magic Christian in Vienna and Rico Leitner in Zurich. As an outsider, I have received a level of help and generosity from the magic community that is truly without match.
You have started early to track down contemporary witnesses of Kalanag, like dancers from his Revue. Were you successful?
That was actually the toughest part of my research. But as a veteran reporter, I have some practice in tracking down people, and again I had a lot of support from magic circles to get in touch with them. My talks with former employees and with other witnesses like David Berglas, Paul Potassy and Siegfried are among my most precious experiences during this project. Of special importance were my encounters with Kalanag’s two daughters, half-sisters both named Brigitte [!]. That’s why I never let up. I would literally walk to the end of the world in order to speak to interesting people!
Please tell me more about those daughters with the same first name!
I‘m likely the only person who has met both of them. These encounters are among the most touching experiences I have had during my entire research. The older Brigitte was already in her nineties when I met her, but what a lively and special woman! I tracked down the younger Brigitte shortly before the end, even though I had been told time and again that she had passed long ago. Which goes to show that you should never give up! I’m narrating both meetings extensively in the book.
Kalanags wife and show partner Gloria de Vos with their daughter, Brigitte (Photo: Archiv Stiftung Zauberkunst)
Amazing… Do you also happen to have any news on the missing Nazi Gold and the role Schreiber played in it?
Had I found the Nazi Gold, I would be speaking to you from my estate on the Seychelles or at least from the Philippines, like good old Paul Potassy, who produced some gold coins from his mouth during our Skype talks. But in fact, after years of research, I have discovered detailled information about Kalanag’s accounts and even about the mysterious keys Gloria had found after his death, which I had initially considered mere concoction by Punx. I lay open all these information in the book. Treasure hunters to-be may use them as a map and take it from there.
Is there a guiding theme in your biography, maybe a sentence that best describes, in your opinion, Helmut Schreiber’s many deceptions as a man and a magician?
„Simsalabim – Here I am again!“ That’s the magic formula by which Kalanag had reinvented himself and his life. The „Simsalabim,“ which he took from Dante, is a part of it as well as the „Here I am again!“ He was a tumbler, a comeback kid, and a careerist. From the very beginning I was intrigued by the question how Helmut Schreiber-Kalanag had used his talent as a magician in his real life. I find the German term „Täuschungskünstler“ [lit. deception artist] very fitting. The magician Kalanag has deceived his audience on stage–in civil life, Helmut Schreiber the man has deceived the Allies, the Nazis and those closest to him, his friends and family. And he did it so cleverly that most of them, but not all, were willingly and happily deceived. Now that is the true art of magic!
Helmut Schreiber and his wife paying a visit to Adolf Hitler in his mountain retreat, the Obersalzberg (Photo: National Archives at College Park, Maryland / photo by Heinrich Hoffmann)
Your book is published by Penguin Random House and targeted to a broad audience. Which appetizers do you have in store for the magic community?
There are insights into his magic notebooks (also within the photo section), backstage views and a lot more. I was able to virtually draw everything out of his estate. I also show how this boy from Swabia has managed to build such an impressive global career. There’s a lot you can learn from that, even today, good or bad. Another thrilling story is the magicians‘ duel. For the first time I narrate in detail the acrimonious feud between Kalanag and Marvelli, which was carried out in the Third Reich and afterwards with all means you could imagine.
Another dark chapter…So what’s your biggest discovery in the life of Kalanag?
His personality. Helmut Schreiber the man had completely vanished behind Kalanag the magician, with all his brisk patter and his breath-taking speed magic. I am convinced that he wanted it that way. He himself, his character and his most inner self were meant to remain secret. And yet I have gotten very close to him, mainly through the conversations with his two daughters.
This book isn’t a novel, but a true story. For a novel, Kalanag’s life would have been too elusive to be believed. (M.H., page 420)
So according to your research, how much truth or illusion is included in Schreiber’s own autobiographical writings?
Kalanag has taken a handful of truths and a big can of fiction and has mixed them well. At first, I didn’t believe any of his writings, then I started digging for proof and checking his stories for plausibility. I’m showing in the book how he purposefully stylized himself, following the literary tradition of Robert-Houdin and other famous predecessors. As is the custom for any decent magician, Kalanag’s memoirs are part of a grand illusion.
Always on center stage: Kalanag with his Mystery Girls (Photo: Archiv Stiftung Zauberkunst)
Have you had any touchpoints with magic before your project? If so, has your view on magic changed through your book?
As a teenager I had read a few magic books and had owned a magic kit. I’m reasonably proud that I managed to teach myself the front and back palm back then. But for me, those were only tricks. I did not have a feeling for the art. Today, I’m lacking the manipulative skills, but after seven years with Kalanag and many interesting encounters with magicians, I have gained enormous respect and appreciation for the art of magic, her traditions and values. I think this is shining through in my book, which is not only telling about the „Great Kalanag“, but also about the fascination of the magical arts.
Final question: Is an English edition of your book already in the making or an option?
Currently, my publisher Penguin Random House is offering the global rights for the book. I feel that the thrilling story of Kalanag the magician and his times is not only of interest for a German audience. Kalanag has worked his magic before Hitler, and then he has literally conquered the world. It‘s a story full of achievements and setbacks, a story about truth, lies and treason and about the fact that all of us are sometimes willing to be deceived. Kalanag is the stuff Hollywood is made of.
Thank you very much for this talk, Malte, and best of luck with your book!
(German interview and translation into English: Jan Isenbart)
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No, Helmut Schreiber did not lie. He was much too clever to do so. He pretended, deluded, suggested, chatted away, manipulated, and twisted the facts until you came to a different conclusion on your very own. (…) For Helmut Schreiber the magician, the world was anything that it could be. Truth had many facets; after all, everything was just a matter of perspective, wasn’t it? Only those tell lies who commit themselves to something. (M.H., page 44)
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Here’s a link to Malte Herwigs Website (in English and German). To find him on Twitter und Instagram (in German), look for @malteherwig.
ZZZAUBER 