Circus Kludsky in Czech Republic

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Circus Kludsky

Local name	Cirkusu Kludských
Type	circus
Founded	1902
First elephant arrived	1902
Last elephant left	1934
Closed down	1934
Address	Villa Kludsky
Place	Jirkov
Country	Czech Republic
Website	Website
Related persons
Owner	: Antonin Kludsky Sr. -: Theresia Kneisel -: Maria Kludsky 1891-1927: Karel Kludsky Sr 1927-1934: Rudolph Kludsky 1927-1934: Karl Kludsky Jr.

Performers & Artists
-: Ricardo Canestrelli -: Teresa Fumagalli 1931-1932: Genoeffa Lentini Canestrelli 1931-1932: Gino Canestrelli 1931-1932: Ricardo Canestrelli 1931-1932: Ottavio Canestrelli 1931-1932: Federico Canestrelli 1931-1932: Ernesta Canestrelli 1931-1932: Olga Canestrelli 1931-1932: Giuseppe Canestrelli 1931-1932: Gilda Canestrelli 1931-1932: Ugo Canestrelli 1931-1932: Pietro Canestrelli 1931-1932: Oreste Canestrelli


Key People
Zoological department
Animal trainers
-1936: Bohumil Kludsky

Elephant department
Head keepers of elephants
-1934: Erwin Bauer (elephant trainer) -1934: Jose Smaha (elephant trainer)

Elephant keepers
-: Johann

Record history
History of updates	2025-03-06

Latest document update	2025-03-06 07:50:30

Description

Circus Kludsky, located at Villa Kludsky, in Jirkov, Czech Republic , was founded in 1902 and the first elephant arrived in 1902. The last elephant left in 1934. Circus Kludsky closed down in 1934.

Casualties

1 casualties

1929: elephant keeper Johann fatal attack by Buby (Bubi). Johann was drunk and made a bet that he would bring Bubi to the pub. He was found dead in the morning in the straw in Bubi's stable, and Bubi had blood on his Tusks. † Johann Died 1929

Comments / picturesAt most Circus Kludsky had 25 elephants and over 700 animals and is said to have displayed the largest number of animals in the world in any circus, before the first world war.

The founder was Antonín Kludský (1826-1895) who also started the zoo at Brno, CZ, as a winter quarters for circus animals. Antonín Kludský had 21 sons! The oldest son Anton was killed by a lion, and so the second son Karel Kludsky senior (1864-1927) took over the circus. He was married to Theresia Kneisel (1869-1930). Karel Kludsky Sr. had three sons, Karel Kludsky Jr. (Charles Kludsky, born 1891 in Timisoara (Temesvar) in Romania, dead 1967), Henry Kludsky, and Rudolf Kludsky (born 1893 in Judenburg, dead 1960).

Circus Kludsky in Czech Republic Czech+Republic

Circus Kludsky in Czech Republic Czech+Republic

In 1874, Gottlieb Kreutzberg was killed by his tigers, and the famous Kreutsberg Menagerie of Leipzig was sold to Antonin Kludsky. The so-formed Kludský menagerie became the Czech Kingdom’s largest (as reflected by contemporary posters).

Circus Kludsky in Czech Republic Czech+Republic

Circus Kludsky at Jesuitenwiese, Prater, Vienna, in 1900. Photo: R. Bartsch.

1902: Circus Kludsky in Czech Republic Czech+Republic

In 1902, Karel Kludsky senior acquired the cavalry of the Wulff Circus and created a large hippodrome to which it annexed his menagerie. He also purchased the German Circus Enders’s equipment and turned the Kludsky enterprise into a circus.

Enders Circus was for sale in Timisoara, Romania. Famous for the high Spanish school and even more famous for the director\'s daughters, who complimented the horse dressage as acrobats. But the girls got old, and cheated on each other, the horses themselves stopped being interesting and the circus came to the fore. Karel Kludský recognized the chance of a lifetime. He drove to Timisoara and bought the whole circus. Tent, wagons, horses with everything, for half its price.

https://www.zelenavystava.cz/nabidka-prumysl-1-0/karel-kludsky-kral-drezury

EM cow Nelly was the first elephant by Circus Kludsky. Nelly was with the circus at least since 1902. She died in 1905 when somebody poisoned her with arsenic.

1905: EM cow Mutti was bought from Hagenbeck/Hamburg in 1905. She died ca 1915-1916 of hunger. She is mentioned as an old docile cow.

1906: Asian male elephant Baby was bought from Dutch Circus Carré in 1906. He was around 20 years old and before he came to Europe, he lived in American circuses. He died in 1932 due to illness.

Circus Kludsky in Czech Republic Czech+Republic

Charles Kludsky with an Asian elephant bull.

1907: Kludsky bought additional 3 elephants. No names or sex, but most probably EM cows.
1914: Altogether 7 elephants lived by Kludsky. The Kludsky Circus traveled in particular to Austria-Hungary and Italy in 1914.
1915-1916: All elephants but Baby died 1915-1916 due to a shortage of food during WW1. Of 400 animals in the circus, only 17 survived.
1920: After the First World War, the Kludsky Circus installed its winter quarters in Obere Zeche, Görkau (present Jirov) in 1920.
Circus Kludsky in Czech Republic Czech+Republic

Villa Kludsky in Görkau (present Jirov).
1923: 8 Asian elephants were bought from the British animal dealer Chapman. One male fell off the train and died on the way from the trader. 8 Indian mahouts came with the elephants and stayed with the circus.
1924: A poster stated that Kludsky had 19 Asian elephants, and the only existing African elephant in Europe. The circus had 86 wagons, three rings, 125 horses, and 10 000 seats.

Circus Kludsky in Czech Republic Czech+Republic

The elephant with large ears and a tusk is an african elephant.

Circus Kludsky in Czech Republic Czech+Republic

The elephants coming out from stables at the winter quarters.

1925: Kludsky presented to Vienna, under a capital of 10.000 places, a total of 42 numbers of circus on 3 tracks and 2 scenes.
1926: in Turin during a spring carnival, 10 elephants (Baby/bull, Sumatra/cow, Jumbo/bull, Butan/bull, Bombaj, Kalkuta + 4) were scared by petards and ran through the streets of Turin. At least 100 people had broken legs/arms.
1927: Karel senior died in his home in Görkau (present Jirkov)
1928: the circus had 20 elephants.
1929: 24 elephants were trained to make a pyramid. The biggest at that time was Baby, the smallest Vejvrtka (male?) with 70cm.

Circus Kludsky in Czech Republic Czech+Republic

Probably the Asian elephant Baby.

1929: Bubi killed Johann, an elephant guard. Johann was drunk and made a bet that he would bring Bubi to the pub. He was found dead in the morning in the straw in Bubi\'s stable, and Bubi had blood on his Tusks.
1930s: In the early thirties, the circus had 24 elephants, six bulls, and 18 cows.

Circus Kludsky in Czech Republic Czech+Republic

But the circus became heavily taxed, and the costs of keeping such a large show and so many animals, created economic problems, in communist Bohemia.

1930: Jumbo, an Asian bull was poisoned, and Buby (Bubi) died in illness. (=22 elephants?)
1932: Baby, an Asian bull died of disease. (=21 elephants?)

1934: Circus Kludsky declared bankrupt, and all animals were sold to Firma Ruhe in Alfeld. The Wall Street Crash of 1929, the Great Depression, and the Austrian Civil War together made the financial situation for the circus impossible, and Karel and his brother Rudolf declared bankruptcy on February 22, 1934.

The four French brothers Amar bought 16 of the (24?) elephants to Circus Amar from Firma Ruhe, four bulls (Piccolo, Borneo, Charly, +1) and 12 cows. The bulls Alfeld, Bhutan, and Bosco were bought by Circus Barlay. Elephant keeper for many years was Jose Smaha, who went to Firma Ruhe, and Erwin Bauer who went to Circus Barlay.

Photo:

The Circus Amar elephants with Josef Hack. At least two bulls with Tusks can be seen in the middle.

Thanks to Mr Adrian who gave me information from Gustave Soury who always took notes of the animals in the circus and zoo he attended, I have got the complete list of the Herd bought by Amar. The bulls were: Charley, Piccolo, Bosco and Borneo. The cows: Sumatra, Baby, Poutchy, Burma I et II , Ceylon, Java, Venus, Diana, Bombay, Mouly and Mary
Christian Hamel, France, 2010

After WWII Karel Kludsky tried to reestablish his Circus. When asking for support in Prague (who taxed him heavily earlier) he was offered to work in Prague Zoo. He refused and went back to his home in Jirow, but his house was confiscated and served as barracks for the army. Kludsky and his wife moved to a house in the village Vinařice, but he preferred to live in the caravan in the garden, and dream of his memories, from one of the largest circuses ever. Kludsky has mentioned that he trained 45 elephants during his life. Circus Kludsky in Czech Republic Czech+Republic

Karel Kludsky Jr. died 29th of November 1967, and his wife seven years later.

George Kludsky, son to Bohemil Kludsky (born in 1944) from the later generations, married Yvonne Kruse, daughter of the Swedish elephant trainer Gösta Kruse and Joan Fowles who presented "Joans Teddy Bears" on Bertram Mills Circus at much the same time as Gosta showed the elephants. George and Yvonne Kludsky and their son Martyn Kludsky were working the elephant Dumba in Europe, among other places at Cirque Stéphane Zavatta in France. She was later relocated for retirement to Elefantenhof Platschow.

Another relative in Prague, Bohumil Kludský is registered owner of the Circus Kludsky trademark.

References for records about Circus Kludsky

Recommended Citation

Koehl, Dan (2025). Circus Kludsky, Elephant Encyclopedia. Available online at https://www.elephant.se/location2.php?location_id=311. (archived at the Wayback machine)

Sources used for this article is among others:

Christian Hamel, France
Page 205, 206 Wilde Tiere frei Haus by Hermann Ruhe (in german)
"Život v manéži" by Karel Kludský, Václav Cibula, (through Jana Havlová)
Elephants and Egotists by Patricia Sumerling
Page 90,
Jumbo auf dem Drahtseil - Elefanten dressuren von gestern und heute by Gerhard Zapf
Buckles Woodcocks weblog
http://www.komotau.de/kludsky.htm
http://www.circopedia.org/Carl_Kludsky by Pavel Vaculik

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Circus Kludsky in Czech Republic

Casualties

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