Carl Hagenbecks Tierpark (Stellingen) in Germany

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Carl Hagenbecks Tierpark (Stellingen)



Typezoo
Founded1902
First elephant arrived1902
Opened for public1907
Address Stellingen
Zip-code D-22509
Place Hamburg
Country Germany
Website Website
Related persons
Owner 1907-1912: Carl Hagenbeck Jr.
1913-: Amanda Wegner


Directors 2020-2024: Dirk Albrecht
2012-2018: Joachim Weinlig-Hagenbeck
1945-1956: Carl-Heinrich Hagenbeck
1913-1945: Heinrich Hagenbeck


Assistant Directors 1988-2020: Bettina Hagenbeck
2015-2020: Friederike Hagenbeck
1988-2015: Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck
1989-2012: Joachim Weinlig-Hagenbeck
1982-1989: Caroline Hagenbeck
1956-1982: Dietrich Hagenbeck
1956-1982: Erich Hagenbeck
1956-1977: Carl-Heinrich Hagenbeck
1977: Carl Claus Hagenbeck


Key People 1896-1907: Urs Eggenschwyler (zoo designer)
Zoological department

Directors-1910: Theodor Knottnerus-Meyer
(zoologist)

Animal trainers



Zookeeper 1911-: Emil Köhrmann
-1955: Claus Kröplin
: Hugo Schmitt
: Herman Boger


Apprentice keeper 1985-1985: Dan Koehl

Elephant department
Elephant managementFree Contact, since


Elephant Trainer: Walter Kaden

Head keepers
of elephants


Elephant keepers


Record history
History of updates2024-12-12: updated director 2025-03-17: FC

Latest document update2025-03-17 13:30:20
Google map
Description

Carl Hagenbecks Tierpark (Stellingen), located at Stellingen, in Hamburg, Germany , was founded in 1902, opened for public in 1907 and the first elephant arrived in 1902

Carl Hagenbecks Tierpark (Stellingen) elephants are managed in Free Contact .

Living elephants

At the Carl Hagenbecks Tierpark (Stellingen) lives 6 elephants with records in this database: (detail list)
  1. Kandy born 2003-05-14
  2. Lai Sinh born 1990-00-00
  3. Maurice born 2001-06-16
  4. Mogli born 1967-00-00
  5. Shila born 2007-04-11
  6. Yashoda born 1979-00-00

Casualties

1 casualties
  1. 1995: elephant keeper Karl Kock accident by Mala. fighting with Mogly Karl Kock Survived. injuries when falling off from elephant, during the fight. Claimed to be rescued by bull Hussein, when he was lying between the fighting elephants

Comments / pictures1902: Carl Hagenbeck Jr. bought new land in Stellingen, where he started to develop his new Zoo. Most animals were moved here from his old zoo Carl Hagenbecks Tierpark (Neupferdemarkt). The same year his son Lorenz Hagenbeck was sent to Ceylon and India to buy elephants at the Sonepur cattle fair, where over 800 elephants were sold that year. [1]

1904: 43 elephants in Stellingen.

Carl Hagenbecks Tierpark (Stellingen) in Germany Germany
The Nordland-Panorma, constructed by Urs Eggenschwyler.

Carl Hagenbecks Tierpark (Stellingen) in Germany Germany

1907-05-07: The new Zoo was opened for visitors, with a new ambition to show the animals in surroundings that looked like the their natural environment. Registered 7th of February 1896 as Imperial Patent No 91,492.[1]

Carl Hagenbecks Tierpark (Stellingen) in Germany Germany
For some time, two sections of the zoo was united with a bridge over the road.

Carl Hagenbecks Tierpark (Stellingen) in Germany Germany

1908: 13 elephants. (page 251, Beasts and Men)

1911: elephant keeper Matthias Walter mentioned, he later (1915?) brought elephant Jenny to war service.

1913-04-13: Carl Hagenbeck Jr. dies.

1913: Carl Hagenbecks son Heinrich Hagenbeck took over the Hagenbecks Tierpark in Hamburg, and developed Rome Zoo and Paris Zoo further, with his brother Lorenz Hagenbeck.

1914: Matthias was in the Red Sea on his way home on the s.s. Axenfals when the radio picked up the news of the outbreak of war and this was broadcast from the bridge. Matthias had eleven elephants with him on board. The captain steamed as fast as he could to the as it then was Italian colonial Port of Massawa. From there the elephants were taken to Brindisi on an Italian tramper and thence went to Stellingen by rail.

1916: Lorenz Hagenbeck started Carl Hagenbecks Circus in 1916.
During the first world war quite a number of animals survived, among them 4 elephants which were still living in 1916, but after the war the zoo was closed during four years (1920-1924), with almost no animals to show.

1920-10-03: The zoo Carl Hagenbecks Tierpark closed, due to the financial situation. Most of surviving animals had been sold, and some were transferred to the Carl Hagenbecks Circus.

1921: Four elephants arrived from Ringling Brothers Barnum and Baileys circus in USA: Jess, Barnum Queen, Veneda, and Mary.

1922: Jörgen Johannsen, brought the first large contingent of animals in the postwar period of trade from India into the port of Hamburg. Heinrich Hagenbeck was in North America when the Herd of ten young elephants arrived. (Animals Are My Life, by Lorenz Hagenbeck) Other sources state 13 elephants arrived from India, but the zoo only opened two days, then the animals were shipped to harbour and exported to U.S.A.

1924-05-24: Hagenbecks Tierpark opened again. (Animals Are My Life, by Lorenz Hagenbeck)

Elephants in Hagenbeck, 1930; Eleven baby elephants have arrived at the Hamburg Zoo; zoo keepers enjoy making them play; the elephants shake their trunks; they go off in single file, attaching their small Trunk to each other\'s tail.

1932 Hagenbeck; two elephants making acrobatic tricks.

An early film with Hugo Schmitt during wintertime 1934 in Hagenbecks Tierpark in Hamburg where you can hear him speak. I believe the two elephants are Minyak, born 1932-01-29 at Circus Carl Hagenbeck-Stellingen, and her mother Roma II.

Carl Hagenbecks Tierpark (Stellingen) in Germany Germany1937

15 December 1937; acrobatic rehearsals and exhilarating displays of elephants in Hamburg\'s well-known entertainment district called St. Paul; people watch with amusement the spectacle offered by these phenomenal elephants; other moments of the show;

1939; elephants from the Hagenbeck zoo pull the plows led by the peasants and men of the zoo; a camel driven by a farmer pulls an agricultural tool; Hugo Schmitt can be seen in front of a smaller and an Adult elephant, Minyak and her mother Roma II.

1943: The second world war almost destroyed the Zoo. In 24 July, during ally air raids, 3/4 of the Zoo was destroyed in 90 minutes, and 9 men were killed, as well as 450 animals. The worst part of it, however, was the fire, which was now quite beyond control. When the first incendiaries came down on the roof of the elephant house and this burst into flames, our resourceful chief keeper, Fritz Theisinger, quickly loosed his fourteen elephants, which he had kept tethered by only one hind leg, and led them outside. There they could try to avoid the incendiaries which were falling everywhere, and they took refuge in the large pool. Next, aided by the Czech P.O.W.s, he made an attempt to save the house, but at this point the P.O.W.s lost their nerve and ran away.
Animals Are My Life, by Lorenz Hagenbeck

Carl Hagenbecks Tierpark (Stellingen) in Germany Germany

Elephants turning over a wrecked car after bombings, Hamburg, 1945.

Carl Hagenbecks Tierpark (Stellingen) in Germany Germany

1945: Shortly after the war, Heinrich Hagenbeck died in Cancer, and his son, Carl-Heinrich Hagenbeck took over as director.

Carl Hagenbecks Tierpark (Stellingen) in Germany Germany1980s: from left; Jens Rüchel riding Mala, Thomas Moderegger, Carsten Kock riding Hussein, head keeper Karl Kock, senior keeper Peter Hüss.

2005: Elephant riding for children stopped.

2006: The new elephant house was opened.

2023-08-28: Hagenbecks staff went on strike.

Directors:
1907-1913: Carl Hagenbeck Jr (1884-1913).
1913-1945: Heinrich Hagenbeck (-1945)
1945-1956: Carl-Heinrich Hagenbeck.

Codirectors:
1956-1977: Carl-Heinrich Hagenbeck.
1956-1982: Dietrich Hagenbeck
1977- : Carl Claus Hagenbeck
1982-1988: Caroline Hagenbeck
1988-: Joachim Weinlig-Hagenbeck

Elephant keepers and trainers:
?-1921: Wilhelm Philadelphia, mentioned 1907 with Topsy, Killed 1921: Rosa, the cow elephant, crushed the trainer Wilhelm Philadelphia to death on the wall of her box at the Sarrasani Circus in 1921
Mentioned 1911-1918, Matthias Walter. in 1918, Walter was badly wounded during WWII.

References for records about Carl Hagenbecks Tierpark (Stellingen)

Recommended Citation

Koehl, Dan (2025). Carl Hagenbecks Tierpark (Stellingen), Elephant Encyclopedia. Available online at https://www.elephant.se/location2.php?location_id=26. (archived at the Wayback machine)

Sources used for this article is among others:



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