Competitions, Records, Sensations
15 Photographs from the Berlin of the Golden Twenties and their Stories
Record smoker in Berlin's Lunapark. (1929) by Willy RömerBildarchiv der bpk-Bildagentur
Marathon smoking in the Luna Park
On June 22, 1929, the German Smokers' Association organizes a summer festival in Luna Park with a humorous competition: the aim is to smoke a cigar for as long as possible after lighting it once. The winner wins 1000 cigars, the only female participant takes 3rd place.
Award-winning boar at the 3rd animal fair in Berlin-Friedrichsfelde (1928) by Willy RömerBildarchiv der bpk-Bildagentur
Record-breaking boar inspires Berlin
The pigs at the 3rd Animal Fair 1928 in Friedrichsfelde include some internationally renowned stars, but one prize-winning boar steals the show. At an impressive 972 pounds and a height of 1.05 meters, he is the heaviest pig Berlin has ever seen.
The Opel rocket car (1928) by Photographer unknownBildarchiv der bpk-Bildagentur
In a rush of speed
On May 23, 1928, Fritz von Opel accelerates his Opel RAK2 to the new world speed record of 238 km/h on the AVUS. 3000 invited guests and media representatives follow the record-breaking run of the “rocket car” powered by 24 solid-fuel rockets along the track.
Enrico Rastelli, king of jugglers, (1930) by Herbert HoffmannBildarchiv der bpk-Bildagentur
Enrico Rastelli - Favorite of the gods
Perhaps the greatest juggler of all time, Rastelli's soccer acts, which he even had patented, drew rapturous applause from the audience. In November 1930, Rastelli can be seen twice a day for several weeks at the Scala variety theater in Berlin.
Culinary art exhibition in Berlin - artists' cooking competition (1931) by Willy RömerBildarchiv der bpk-Bildagentur
Celebrities compete in cooking
Fun and excitement are guaranteed at the cooking competition at the 1931 Berlin Culinary Arts Exhibition on Kaiserdamm: Comedian Wilhelm Bendow has prepared an egg and actor Hans Junkermann has to judge whether it is soft or hard-boiled. This is where humor meets culinary art!
Thea Alba, the one and only, could write with ten fingers, her feet and her mouth at the same time (1931) by Willy RömerBildarchiv der bpk-Bildagentur
The woman with ten brains
Writing and memory acrobat Thea Alba has been impressing audiences at the Wintergarten variety theater with her extraordinary multitasking skills since 1922. She is able to write several words simultaneously with her hands and feet - in six different languages.
Crier competition at the racecourse in Berlin. (1927) by Willy RömerBildarchiv der bpk-Bildagentur
Crier contest in the Rütt Arena
In 1927, ex-racing cyclist Walter Rütt organizes a barking contest at his racecourse in Neukölln. Newsagents, fruit and flower sellers, rag merchants and peddlers compete against each other to impress with their loudest and most creative cries.
Permanent speaker Parlatus (1928) by Willy RömerBildarchiv der bpk-Bildagentur
Tongue acrobat "Parlatus"
Austrian “Parlatus” pulverizes the 48-hour world record for continuous speech in 1928. He talks like a waterfall about knee-length skirts, zeppelin rides, vegetarianism and more. On the verge of exhaustion, he is regularly refreshed with cologne so that he can continue speaking.
World record in continuous dancing. Continuous dancer Alfredo Fernando (1929) by Willy RömerBildarchiv der bpk-Bildagentur
Dance till you drop
Alfredo Fernando, the king of continuous dancers, sets a new record at Lunapark in 1929: for six days and six nights he whirls tirelessly across the dance floor and dances for 150 hours to music from the gramophone as well as live music from the Florida Dancing Band.
Road race of the newspaper drivers (1920) by Willy RömerBildarchiv der bpk-Bildagentur
First newspaper drivers' championship
In 1920, cycling journalist Fredy Budzinski launched the legendary newspaper riders' championship - a folk festival-like event that was celebrated in Berlin until the 1950s. The riders carry a rucksack full of old newspapers on their backs.
Starvation record - hunger artist "Jolly" achieved the new hunger record with 44 days (1926) by Willy RömerBildarchiv der bpk-Bildagentur
Starvation as spectacle
In spring 1926, 25-year-old Siegfried Herz from Krefeld starved as “Jolly” for 44 days in a glass house in the “Krokodil” restaurant. His so-called “Hunger Art” attracts 350,000 spectators and “Jolly” allegedly collects almost 130,000 Reichsmark for his new world record.
Women's and men's race on the treadmill in a Berlin café (1924) by Willy RömerBildarchiv der bpk-Bildagentur
Battle of the sexes
The man versus woman duel is held on the treadmill in 1924. With a bobbed head and a determined expression, the female runner battles against her rival while the spectators watch the odometer hands spellbound. Who will win the head-to-head race?
Bock beer festival in the "Neue Welt", Hasenheide (1926) by Willy RömerBildarchiv der bpk-Bildagentur
Award-winning beauties in the “Neue Welt”
To ensure the best mood at the Bock beer festival in the “Neue Welt” on Hasenheide, the landlord chooses the most original guests. Prizes are awarded for everything from the biggest bald head and the longest hair to the tallest, lightest lady and the smallest, heaviest gentleman.
Swimming competition "Across Berlin" (192) by Willy RömerBildarchiv der bpk-Bildagentur
Right across Berlin
In 1920, thousands of Berliners give the participants in the annual swimming competition in the Spree an enthusiastic welcome at the finish line. Winner Georg Kunisch from Breslau takes 59:18 minutes to cover the 4000-metre distance from the Monbijou Bridge to the Hansa Bridge.
German artist in the muzzle of the cannon powered by compressed air (1930) by Photographer unknownBildarchiv der bpk-Bildagentur
The human cannonball
Before his stunt - marketed as the “biggest world attraction of the 20th century” - “Cannon King” Paul Leinert waves to the crowd in front of Circus Busch. He is about to be shot 30 meters through the air into a stretched net by his ten-metre-long giant cannon.
Idea, concept, image selection and texts: Sylvia Hoffmann
Technical support: Stefan Geiser
