Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Carl Hagenbeck

Role / Field:

Pioneering German animal merchant who revolutionized zoo design and entertainment.

Born:

1844-06-10

Died:

1913-04-14

Century / Era:

1844s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Carl Hagenbeck (10 June 1844 – 14 April 1913) was a German merchant of wild animals who supplied many European zoos, as well as P. T. Barnum. He created the modern zoo with animal enclosures without bars, making them appear more like their natural habitat.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He was also an ethnography showman and a pioneer in the display of members of "savage tribes" in Völkerschauen, known nowadays in English as "ethnic shows" or "human zoos". These racist displays were controversial at the time and are now widely considered unethical. The transformation of the zoo architecture initiated by him is known as the Hagenbeck revolution. Hagenbeck founded Germany's most successful privately owned zoo, the Tierpark Hagenbeck, which moved to its present location in Hamburg's Stellingen district in 1907. Hagenbeck was born on 10 June 1844, to Claus Gottfried Carl Hagenbeck (1810–1887), a fishmonger who ran a side business buying, showing, and selling exotic animals.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

When Hagenbeck was 14, his father gave him some seals and a polar bear. He took a more proactive role in the animal trade and his collection of animals grew until he needed large buildings to keep them. Hagenbeck left his home in...

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Frequently Asked Questions about Carl Hagenbeck