History

This is a short overview of Friedrich Wilhelm Conrad Horster’s life:

  • 1870 Born in “Crossen an der Oder” as son of a prussian family
  • 1880 First contact with magic in former “Tetschen-Bodenbach” at a performance of Amanda Oeser-Ganser, the later “Armida”
  • 1885 First authoring of magic related texts as a student of the “Dresdner Kreuzschule” (picture)
  • 1888 First public evening show in “Neumünster/Holstein”
  • 1890 First trading activities of magic items in the “Hamburger Handelshaus Borwig”
  • 1893 Move of the company head quarter “Borwig & Horster” to Dresden because of the cholera epidemic
  • 1896 Opening of the “first magic apparatus factory on the continent” (“Horster und Kluge”) – 15.11.1896
  • 1899 The company “Horster und Kluge” is closed after a business crisis. The publishing company is separated and called “Horsterscher Verlag”
  • 1900 Managing director of the company “Erste Nürnberger Holz-Spielwaren-Fabrik” owned by Carl Baudenbacher
  • 1903 Move to Berlin, Coubierestr. 16, “Akademie für magische Kunst” and “Horster’scher Verlag”
  • 1904 Move of the company head quarter to Friedrichstrasse 202, Berlin, “Horster’scher Verlag” and “Akademie für magische Kunst”
  • 1907 1. June, Move of the company head quarter to Friedrichstrasse 61, Berlin (image)
  • 1909 Move of the company head quarter to a bigger location in Friedrichstrasse 61 (picture), Berlin (google earth link)
  • 1919 Last public magic show after over 6000 shows
  • 1919 Start of production of magic itmens and opening of a shop at Friedrichstrasse 17, Berlin (private picture 1920)
  • 1924 24. Mai, Foundation of the: “Maja”-organisation
  • 1929 Stop of production after commerical crisis (great depression). After bankruptcy change of the company name into “Zauber-Zentrale” (director: Conrad Horster, owner: his wife Gertrud Horster)
  • 1944 Deceased in his secondary residence in Strausberg outside of Berlin

Sources: Berliner Adressbücher 1904-1944, “Zauberkunst” 4/1983 and 3/1988, Dr. Waldemar Horster

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