the Strongest Man of the World in Ancient Times - A Luxembourgish Sideshow Performer

John Grün, alos known as John "Hercule" Grün, was born on 27. August in Bad Mondorf, Luxembourg. He was the son of Johann Grün and Anna Schneider an came from an old worker family with Travelling roots, such as travelling Tinsmiths e.t.c.
In the Year 1889 when he was 21, he moved from Luxembourg to Amerika and became an Athletic and Partner of a "Strong Man" Performer called Alexander Marx. They run a Show called "The two Mark's" an they toured across the country in several Circus Sideshows and Vaudeville Theatres. In 1892 John Grün was called by the Papers "The strongest Man of the World".

It was that Year when John returned to his Motherland Luxembourg where he wanted to run his own Show.
At the beginning he had a Powershow together with a belgian Athletic Woman called "Miss Fanny", but soon he was on his own. John took the Nickname "Hercule" wich was dedicated to the Greek Hero Hercules and he began to perform in circusses, music halls an different variety theatres all over Europe and of course on the "Schueberfouer" Funfair in Luxembourg, wich is a traditional Carnival since 1340. His acts included tearing apart decks of cards and horse shoes, breaking a block of stone on his chest with a hammer or halting a driving car. He could hold a platform bearing two horses and their riders above his head. While such performances could not be officially measured, Grün never found a better match during his career. To his dying day, no one was able to lift blocks of iron as easily as Grün. The magician Harry Houdini who frequently performed with Grün tells of how "he juggled hundreds, and toyed with thousands, of pounds as a child plays with a rattle". In the coming years he toured all over Europe, Britain, Canada and America.

John Grün at the age of 21

In 1909, after a serious injury, he gave up his professional career and left America for London where he became the landlord of a public house. Struck by a mortal disease, he returned to Luxembourg in 1912 and died in Ettelbrück on 3 November 1912. He was the first of many Luxembourg sportsmen to demonstrate his abilities abroad. In recognition of his feats, his fellow artists erected a monument to his memory in his native Mondorf-les-Bains.

Monument in Bad Mondorf