Siegfried Fischbacher grew up in the outskirts of Rosenheim in the Bavarian Alps. As a boy he spotted a magic book in a bookstore window. He couldn't afford the book, even at five Marks. The fates must have known of his desire to own the book because he happened to find the five Marks on the sidewalk across from the store. The five Marks did not remain in his possession very long, though the book did. He memorized and mastered every trick in the book. Once he performed a trick for his father and this seemed to be the first time that his father had ever noticed him.
Across the country, near Bremerhaven, another boy found solace in the company of his half-dog half-wolf Hexe. On a walk with Hexe, Roy Horn found himself in danger of sinking in quicksand. Hexe, sensing the danger, went to find the help that saved Roy's life. Roy's bond with animals only grew stronger as a result.
Roy put it, "Siegfried and I are alike. In magic he found a way to escape the unhappy atmosphere of his home life and receive the attention from other people he never got from his parents. For me, the escape route from a childhood seen through silent tears to solace and peace was through animals."
Roy found comfort at the Bremen Zoo where he religiously visited a cheetah named Chico. He gained the trust of Chico enough so that the keepers allowed him to help care for Chico by feeding him and taking him on walks. "Chico and Hexes were my family, my closest confidants."
On a German cruise ship the "Bremen", Siegfried was a steward and Roy was a waiter. Eventually, Siegfried began to perform on the liner as a magician. At this time, the two men had never met. Once, Siegfried asked Roy to assist him in his show. After the show, Roy asked if Siegfried could make a cheetah disappear like the doves and the rabbit in the act. "In magic, anything is possible," was the reply.
On the next trip, Siegfried smuggled Chico aboard the ship. Soon Chico became a part of Siegfried's performance. Also, Roy became a part of the show and this was the beginning of Siegfried and Roy. They work mostly in the United States now, especially in Las Vegas.
The combination of Siegfried's magic and Roy's bonds with animals led to the creation of the world-famous duo that has performed live more than 20,000 times. Besides their passion for performing before audiences, the pair have become leaders in the conservation efforts of the Royal White Tigers and Magical White Lions. Raising the animals from birth, the pair use many of the animals in their shows.
(24 Oct 03)
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.