Sarrasani Circus inspires Dresden again: A feast for the senses!

Sarrasani Circus inspires Dresden again: A feast for the senses!

The Sarrasani circus has opened its doors again in Dresden and has taken the hearts of the city's residents by storm. After his return to Straßburger Platz, the people of Dresden are delighted with the extraordinary spectacle that has been taking over the stages since June 1, 1990. In this first season after the end of the war, people flocked to enjoy the colorful diversity of the show “Sarrasani's World of Wonders,” which features 82 artists and 38 technicians. The animal world shouldn't be missed either: a total of 116 animals, including a fascinating trained black vulture, impress the spectators.

The circus material was impressively transported by train from Kiel to Dresden, while performers and animals reached the new round tent by road. However, there was an unpleasant incident during construction - a fire caused by two children caused damage of around 10,000 marks. Despite these challenges, the audience was enthusiastic at the opening of the show “Noah's Ark - Arche Nova”. Principal Fritz Mey-Sarrasani was visibly emotionally touched by the Cirque's return.

A long story with many setbacks

The history of the Sarrasani Circus goes back to 1902, when Giovanni Sarrasani founded the company in Meißen. With his modern circus building, which opened on Carolaplatz in 1912, he set standards and created a place that offered an impressive backdrop with 3,860 seats. But as is often the case in life, there were setbacks: air raids destroyed the Sarrasani Theater in 1945 and led to a dramatic end to the legendary era.

Trude Stosch-Sarrasani, the director at the time, fled to Argentina with some of the circus staff. Nevertheless, in the following decades there were repeated efforts to revive the circus. The re-foundation in 1956 by Fritz Mey marked a new beginning, and from the 1980s onwards his daughter Ingrid was also active in management. With André Sarrasani, who took over the reins in 2000, the circus was transformed into a modern entertainment company.

A look into the future

In recent years, the circus has picked up speed again, welcoming 16,500 enthusiastic visitors to 47 performances in the Trocadero tent in Dresden in 2024. Despite economic challenges, such as the bankruptcy of 2016, Sarrasani remains an integral part of Dresden's cultural scene. The Sarrasani family is not only rooted in the city, but also closely linked to its history, recorded in the collection and preservation of documents relating to the history of circus arts.

The Circus archive, which has been collecting documents and materials on the circus tradition for over 60 years, is an important partner in its efforts to preserve the fascination of circus art. The story of Sarrasani, which is now considered the first permanent circus building in Europe, lives on not only in the memories of Dresden residents, but also through the diverse programs and events that keep the tradition of circus art alive.