Jean-Albert Hoppe lived a life full of adventures and risk taking, full of clowning around and full of animals.
Born in the circus he persuaded a noble townswoman to become his wife and partner in the ring. It may sound strange that a brown bear played a role in getting this date or that the well situated costume designer gave up her bourgois life to work in the circus ring with chimpanzees, dogs and pigs. But the circus is full of such strange events. What would the circus be without its animals? And what without wholehearted circus folks like Jean-Albert Hoppe? He looked at the heart of his animals. Animal lover and journalist Harald Polenz has written down the story of this artist who was called Schweine-Hoppe (pigs' Hoppe) by everyone who knew him, based on tape recordings and notes by Hoppe himself as well as many long meetings with his widow Ille Hoppe.
More than 100 photos illustrate the exceptional story of this man's life, whose heart belonged to the animals. Whether elephants or lions, chimpanzees or pigs, he loved them all. Jean-Albert Hoppe and his animals are not to be forgotten, they are a shining piece of German circus history.
TEXT IN GERMAN ONLY!
Format: 22x15cm, ca. 160 Seiten, Softcover.