Hanno Coldam (real name Heinz Matloch: 25 October 1932 – 13 April 1992) was a circus
animal trainer
Animal training is the act of teaching animals specific responses to specific conditions or stimuli. Training may be for purposes such as companionship, detection, protection, and entertainment. The type of training an animal receives will vary ...
from
East Germany
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
.
With his wife and daughter, he specialised in
lions
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphic; adult ...
,
tigers
The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on un ...
and
black panther
A black panther is the melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical rosettes are also present. They have been d ...
s.
Born in Berlin just three months before the dramatic
regime change
Regime change is the partly forcible or coercive replacement of one government regime with another. Regime change may replace all or part of the state's most critical leadership system, administrative apparatus, or bureaucracy. Regime change may ...
of 1933, after leaving school Heinz Matloch trained for work as a blacksmith, his father's trade. Instead of that, however, he went on to take a job in the props department at the Barlay Circus. Here, between 1950 and 1954, he worked taking care of animals with Gilbert Houcke. In 1954 he was appointed an animal trainer with the Aero Circus, which in 1960 merged with the Barlay Circus to form the
State Circus of East Germany. Between 1960 and 1990 he was the chief animal trainer with the State Circus. His comedy act "Rasierlöwen" (''"Lions shaving"'') became particularly well known, and was featured in 1966 by
DEFA
DEFA (''Deutsche Film-Aktiengesellschaft'') was the state-owned film studio of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) throughout the country's existence.
Since 2019, DEFA's film heritage has been made accessible and licensable on the PRO ...
, the state-owned film company, in a film entitled ''Black Panthers''.
German reunification
German reunification (german: link=no, Deutsche Wiedervereinigung) was the process of re-establishing Germany as a united and fully sovereign state, which took place between 2 May 1989 and 15 March 1991. The day of 3 October 1990 when the Ge ...
in 1990, the State Circus was dissolved. Hanno Coldam died in 1992.[
]
Awards and honours
* National Prize of East Germany
The National Prize of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) (german: Nationalpreis der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik) was an award of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) given out in three different classes for scientific, artistic, ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coldam, Hanno
German circus performers
Recipients of the National Prize of East Germany
1932 births
1992 deaths
Lion tamers