Alexander Herrmann

Alexander Herrmann
Herrmann the Great
Born	(1844-02-10)February 10, 1844 Paris, France
Died	December 17, 1896(1896-12-17) (aged 52) Ellicottville, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Magician, illusionist, card scaler

Alexander Herrmann (February 10, 1844 – December 17, 1896) was a French magician, better known as Herrmann the Great.

Alexander Herrmann was born in Paris, France, the youngest of sixteen children to Samuel Herrmann, a German Jew, and Anna Sarah (Meyer) Herrmann, of Breton descent (although she may in fact have been born in Hamburg, Germany). It was said that Samuel Herrmann was a physician who occasionally performed throughout Europe as a conjurer.

According to the Herrmann family lore, Samuel Herrmann was a part-time magician and full-time physician. Samuel Herrmann was a favorite of the Sultan of Turkey, who sent for the magician often. The Sultan paid a princely sum for the entertainment. It has been said that he was receiving so much attention from the elite of Paris with his magic shows, that word spread to Napoleon himself, who wanted Samuel to perform for him. Napoleon reportedly gave Samuel a gold watch for his performance. Alexander Herrmann was carrying the gold watch on the day of his death. It was passed on to his widow. Eventually Samuel's practice as a physician demanded more of his time so he quit magic entirely.

With the birth of his eldest son, Compars, in 1816 in Hanover, Germany, he decided to settle down to continue his practice. Samuel Herrmann played small towns around from 1817 in Germany and moved his family to France. He played the institutes and lyceums of Paris and gave performances until 1855. He taught his skills to his oldest son Compars, also known as Carl. He played in colleges in Paris and Versailles. Samuel entertained the pupils of the grandes écoles near Versailles. With this performance, his son Carl was admitted to the school tuition-free. Samuel Herrmann continued even after his son Carl succeeded him as a magician. Samuel retired about 1860.

Alexander's brother Compars Herrmann (January 23, 1816 - June 8, 1887) left medical school at an early age to pursue a career as a magician and served as a role model and inspiration for Alexander. When Compars (also known as Carl) returned to his parents' home in Paris in 1853, he was thrilled to find out that his eight-year-old brother Alexander was already showing an interest in magic. Without his family's consent, Carl 'kidnapped' his younger brother and took him to Saint Petersburg, Russia to teach him the art of magic. While there, he took his younger brother with him on a tour that started in Russia.