The Schueberfouer is the annual Luxembourg city fair held every year on the Glacis car park in Limpertsberg. It is the biggest fair in the country. The 2010 is the 670th edition.
The Schueberfouer starts on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday before Saint Bartholomew's day (24 August) and closes on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday before 12 September in order to last 20 days every year. In 2010, the fair comprised 184 attractions including 27 major rides, 13 children's rides and 54 restaurants and snacks bars.[1] In 2007 the fair attracted over 2 million visitors.
Links:
The Shobermesse also in America
Chicago Schueberfouer
Attractions (klick on it)
and
History
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| in 19. centurie |
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| today |
Circusses and Sideshows on the Schueberfouer
From the 18th century on, concerts occurred at the
Schueberfouer. At the beginning of the 19th century, ceramics from
Echternach, Nospelt and Septfontaines made the happiness of the
visitors, in 1821 it was the “Ménagerie Simon” that brought lions,
Orang-Outan monkeys, vultures, eagles and parrots to be presented to a
public which did not know these exotic animals since the zoos did not
exist yet and that the fair was the only means of seeing these animals
by near.
In the years 1840 occurred the true change.
The products of use took the above and a real amusement”industry”
appeared. In 1844 the first Variétés were present at the Schueberfouer.
Thus there was to admire as human attractions this year a native of
Australia and a South American from Antigua, but in truth these came
from the not so far away city of Trier. The "Showtime" made its entry
and exoticism, magic and mysticism appeared on the fairground. But
presentations of atypical humans had already taken place quite before.
So in 1633 there has been the hairy man, and in 1683 the giant Johann
Sander were introduced to an amazed public.
At the 19th century the glasses presented by
"the optician Strauss of the court of Cologne" made a misfortune and
binoculars, microscopes, thermometers and barometers were presented at
an interested public.
In 1849 there was for the first time a
"Panorama" at the Schueberfouer. The panorama was a kind of review where
the public sat down in a circle around a formed partition of a fabric.
At the interior of this fabric illuminated images were made to turn. At
this manner the public was informed, in images, of the last events of
the last year. The panorama held until the arrival of the cinematographs
which replaced it progressively.
Theatre appeared at the Schueberfouer in 1850,
"world’s strongest man" presented himself, more and more animalist
numbers and other artistic shows were presented. The ninepins formed
also integral part of the Schueberfouer at the 19th century. At some
time there were 8 tracks of skittles on the fair. In the dancings which
also apperead by that time, young couples drew from the "Planéiten"
(these were rolled pieces of paper on which one saw oneself predicted
its destiny), and stands of confectioneries and sugar refineries entered
on the fairground. It is besides at that time that lays the origin of
the confectionery Coné still known today for its Schappnougat. The
creation of the Amberg establishment goes up to 1862. This Luxembourg
variété already occupied in 1893 not less than 600 square meters and
disputed with the three other "cafés-charmants" Letté, Gerlach and
Renquin, the favours of the public.
In 1851 it is made mention for the first time
of the presence of a circus at the Schueberfouer. It is however not
clear if it is really the first time that there was a circus at the
Schueberfouer, in any case, that is the first mention of it. With the
passing of years the circuses formed integral part of the Schueberfouer.
In 1864 there was for example the "National Circus" with more than 30
horses, in 1894 the "Plège Circus" and in 1896 the "Schuman Circus".
In 1893, the Schueberfouer definitively moves
to the Glacis, its current site in the south of the Scheffer alley in
the part reserved originally for the animal market. The Scheffer alley
was built under the initiative of mayor Scheffer at the beginning of the
19th century. Originally it had three rows of trees and it marked the
limit between the military zone of the Glacis and the free district of
Limpertsberg. It still corresponds today to the administrative limit
between the districts of city-centre and Limpertsberg. The Glacis was at
this time fields which were only asphalted in 1975. Thus during long
years it was neither very pleasant in rainy weather (puddle pools of
water and mud), nor in too dry weather (dust).
The major attraction in 1897 was John Grün,
the world’s strongest man who gave representations at the "Grand Théâtre
Fernando". Here people could also assist with each spectacle at a
decapitation In. 1898 John Grün presented a number where he balanced a
carrousel with 11 people on it during several minutes.
But let’s get back to the circuses. They did
not all assemble their tents at the Glacis. Many representations were
also held in the fixed building out of stone which was the circus
"Renquin" which existed until 1904 at the corner Avenue Pasteur / Rue
Alfred de Musset. This round construction offered place to 2000 people
and was built in 1886.
In 1899 the "Circus of the Netherlands" with
place for 2600 people was in Luxembourg, in 1906 there were two small
circuses at the Glacis and, because lack of place, the circus "Buffalo
Bill" had to install its tents (with covered places for 3500 people) in
the fields in Merl. One presented (that at two meetings throughout all
Schueberfouer) a wild west show.(the famous Buffalo Bill Wild West Show from the U.S)
In 1900 attractions were a "house of
laughter", the "theatre of the alive images" (the precursor of the
cinema), "the woman without head" (in truth, inevitably without
faking...). Besides tigers and snakes were presented at an admiring
public and a (small) big-wheel was also present.
A puppet theatre was at the Schueberfouer in
1905 and the "anatomical museum" of Mrs Spitzner from Paris shocked the
visitors of at least 20 years of age with various anatomical models.
The "anatomical museaum" of Madame Spitzner in 1905
Other circuses that visited the Schueberfouer
were the "Circus de Jonghe" from Brussels which came regularly to
Luxembourg and which took up a little later the idea of the wild west
shows, that were quite popular at that time. In 1910 the "Circus Busch"
announced the French Alfons troop and their "race of dead" on a bicycle
above a cage of lions like the show that has to be seen absolutely. In
1912 the major attraction was the "Circus P. Wilke" from Scandinavia and
in 1913 the "Circus Carré" went to the Glacis, as the oldest circus at
the world.
A figure related to the circuses of the
Schueberfouer is Jean Clement (1893-1937), originating in a showman and yenish traveller
family of Pfaffenthal. As an acrobat and clown he made speak about him
with its number of "Captain Jean Clement" as an equilibrist on a high
mast of 12 meters.
By the time, the circuses however lost their
attraction, on the one hand because other distractions awaited the
visitors, on the other hand also since the great advertisements and
promises were not held any more.
With the turning of the century, one sold
porcelain and kitchen utensils in the alley Scheffer, the merchants of
textiles and jewels settled to the park side. Between the two there were
the dancing halls, the carrousels and the variétés like "Mellinis
Theater", the "Grand Théâtre des Variétés " or the "Simon Theatre". Thus
Schueberfouer was interesting for everyone. The farmers found their
happiness at the cattle market and the fashionable townsmen could get
dressed according to last tendencies.. .
