Wallenda, Karl

born 1905, Magdeburg, Ger.

died March 22, 1978, San Juan, P.R.

German-born U.S. circus acrobat.

He founded the Great Wallendas acrobatic troupe, which achieved fame in Europe for its four-man pyramid and cycling on the high wire without a safety net. His wife, Helen Kreis (1910–96), joined the troupe in 1926 and later was balanced at the peak of the seven-person pyramid, the most famous of the Wallendas' acts. The troupe traveled with the U.S. Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus (1928–46), then performed as freelancers. Karl's nephew Gunther (1927–96) trained on the wire from age five; when a pyramid collapsed in 1962, Gunther was the only member left standing and rescued three who were clinging to the wire; two others were killed and one was paralyzed. Two troupe members died in accidents in 1963 and 1972. Karl died in a fall from a wind-whipped wire 123 ft (37 m) above a street in San Juan.

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▪ American acrobat

born 1905, Magdeburg, Ger.

died March 22, 1978, San Juan, Puerto Rico

      founder of The Great Wallendas, a circus acrobatic troupe famed for their three-man-high pyramid on the high wire.

      The troupe first achieved fame in Europe for doing a four-man pyramid and cycling on the high wire. They joined the U.S. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Combined Circus in 1928, where they developed a seven-man pyramid (1947). The Wallendas later performed as free-lancers. When the pyramid collapsed during a 1962 performance, two members of the troupe were killed and a third was paralyzed. Another was killed in a 1963 accident and still another in 1972. Karl died in a fall from a wind-whipped wire stretched 123 feet above the pavement, between two hotels in San Juan.

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