FW Conradi-Horster - The Magician and His Grandson

Waldemar Hans Horster

FW Conradi-Horster - The Magician and His Grandson - From the Magician's Life Story

A new book about Conradi-Horster, written by his grandson Waldemar and published by Volker Huber, has been published:

Experiences, traditions, research and memorable

Hardcover in the format 29.7 x 210 cm, 192 pages with numerous illustrations.

Friedrich Wilhelm Conrad Horster (1870-1944) was a universal figure in the art of magic, embodying both a magician of stature and the creator of numerous tricks and magical devices. He was also one of the most creative authors of specialized books, an organizer of magic enthusiasts, and, above all, a friend and advisor to almost all internationally renowned magicians of his time.

Excerpt from the table of contents: • Of Prussian ancestors and subjects • Kreuzschüler and sorcerer's apprentice • The path to the magic device factory in Dresden • New business ideas - The Academy for Magical Art • Power struggles • A criminal farce • Decline - The chaotic end • Post-war period - A difficult beginning • Of legacies and heirs.

What else can you expect from this book written by Conradi's grandson Dr. Waldemar Horster ?

You will read about the travel adventures that a 14-year-old student from Dresden Kreuzschule describes in competition with his friend Karl May and how his friendship with May became his downfall.

You will learn the historical truth about Conradi's family, His Majesty's First Quartermaster and later Chief Forester of Papenbruch, and his sister Wilhelmine, known from literature, the lover of the Prussian King Frederick William II.

You will gain insight into parts of Berlin's history in five different eras from the end of the 18th century to the present day.

You will get to know the “Mecca of Magic” in the listed Gutschowhaus at Friedrichstraße 17.

You can follow the author, now 88 years old and a contemporary witness of German history, and go with him on a search for clues in Germany's biggest criminal case of the 20th century - the arson of the Reichstag in 1933.

Magical World“ – Trade Journal for Magic - Issue No. 6 /2012 - Author of the article: Wittus Witt

It's finally here: the biography of Friedrich Wilhelm Conrad Horster – Conradi Horster for short. And who could have accomplished it more extensively and meticulously than someone who was particularly close to Conradi Horster? Waldemar Hans Horster is the grandson and grew up with his grandfather, as his parents tragically died in a mysterious plane crash just one year after his birth. Thus, young Waldemar got to know his grandfather particularly well and observed the deeds and achievements of an extraordinary man. The grandson doesn't primarily describe Conradi Horster's magical life and work, but rather illuminates – and this makes the book particularly worth reading – the social environment from which Conradi Horster emerged and in which he worked. His beginnings at school, his acquaintance with Karl May and his first attempts to establish a company, with all the difficulties of the time, his collaboration with the prominent magic set manufacturer Baudenbacher, and finally the heyday of the Horster company are chronicled by the author in a fascinating writing style. Added to this are countless illustrations, many of which have never been published before, which complete the picture of a brilliant magician. Not only the businessman Conradi Horster is portrayed in detail, but also the artist Horster, who was previously not so well known, but also a busy magician with his own shows, who was very popular with audiences. Waldemar Hans Horster also corrects other facts. He proves that Conradi Horster, who frequently spoke of "patented tricks" in his advertising, had not actually registered a single patent. Conclusion: a must-buy and read.
W. Witt