Ernst Jacob Renz

Ernst Renz (May 18, 1815 – April 3, 1892) was a German showman and circus proprietor who was the founder of the Circus Renz.

Early life Ernst Jakob Renz was born on May 18, 1815, in Böckingen, Kingdom of Württemberg (now part of Heilbronn, Baden-Württemberg, Germany).

As a five-year-old, he became passionate about gymnastics, particularly after seeing the Marwald Equestrian and Tightrope Walking Society perform in his hometown. The director recognized his abilities and recruited him as a junior performer after consulting with his father.

Career Renz began performing at age six under director Marwald, traveling through France, Germany, and Holland. Marwald's wife, a tightrope walker, became his surrogate mother, and he was regarded as the director's son. Ernst took on business duties, including securing police permits. After her death when he was 13, the company declined rapidly, shrinking to four members before selling its assets.

The company dissolved, prompting Renz to join the Stoch Society, where he refined his core skills. Stoch later transferred him to circus director Brilloff for a small sum. At 15, Renz secretly experimented with horse training, keeping his efforts hidden from Brilloff. When the director caught him practicing, he immediately recognized the youth's natural gifts and granted permission to continue formally.

When Renz was 22, he wed the sister of well-known circus director Wilheim Carré.

His company became known as Circus Renz. He introduced pantomimes and féeries to his circus programs. He employed a permanent ballet corps for these productions. Additionally, Renz developed programs for training various exotic animals, including deer, llamas, camels, lions, and elephants. At its height, his stables contained at least 150 horses.

In the mid-1880s, he leased the Circus Building, Copenhagen for three years until 1888.

Personal life Ernst Renz's children included three sons, Franz, Adolph, and Ernst, as well as two daughters, Amanda and Antonie.

Death Ernst Jakob Renz died on April 3, 1892, in Berlin, Germany, at 76 years old. He fell ill with a cold while traveling in an open carriage approximately three weeks before his death.

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