Circus Royal director Oliver Skreinig is badly hit. It remains to be seen whether he will be able to premiere on March 6.
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Manuel Geisser
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2.10
Skreinig has been with the Circus Royal for 23 years. “He is my life, my family,” he says.
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3.10
Watussi cattle of the Circus Royal graze in a meadow in Affoltern a. Albis ZH. The circus performed there in summer 2018.
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Konrad Staehelin
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9.10
However, he does not get rid of them so easily: “Selling camels is very difficult at the moment because the market is flooded with them,” Skreinig told BLICK.
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zvg
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10/10
Oliver Skreinig with a camel number in 2012.
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The headlines around Circus Royal director Oliver Skreinig (40) never stop. His three Watussi cattle, two horses and a pony are for sale, the seven camels were picked up yesterday by the Veterinary Office in Roggwil BE. The public prosecutor’s office in Thurgau has filed charges against him for violations of the law on foreign nationals as well as debt enforcement and bankruptcy offenses, as reported by BLICK.
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And yet, the premiere date of March 6 is in Weinfelden TG, the place is reserved. «The circus is my life. I do not give up. But on my own I can no longer continue it, “says Kreinig, adding:” I am a very sensitive person who does no harm to anyone, has never knocked anyone out. “He wants to clear up allegations and rumors. VIEW he looks behind his facade. It looks dark, but also hopeful.
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The most disastrous season of the past 23 years
Oliver Skreinig was in Munich yesterday. There he met with potential financiers and prospective buyers, as he says. “I am in good spirits. One should not forget that after the National Circus Knie the Royal was long number two. He still has a good international reputation. »
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Let us look back at the past royal season, which ended in mid-November 2019 in Dornbirn, Vorarlberg and was “the most disastrous season of the past 23 years in which I have been there”.
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In Austria he had been waiting for a tent from Germany that could not be dismantled because it was blocked by an aerial bomb found. Once again the grandstand was rotten, the audience failed to appear. Employees had to wait for their wages for months. «In the meantime, everyone has received their wages or a promissory note. I am working hard to ensure that these can be redeemed soon, »says Skreinig, who suddenly disappeared with his accountant at the end of November.
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The despair was great
He now tells of the drama behind his “escape”: “With sleeping pills I tried to put an end to my life. I didn’t want to wake up anymore. But I was found and survived, »he says in a halting voice. Then he tells of the tough circus world. «Whether you have a severe concussion or a 40 degree fever, you have to appear. Nobody else is interested in anything else, »says Skreinig. «If you only see its purpose in entertaining others, you can fall by the wayside. Peter stayed, I almost too. »Peter Gasser († 61) was his life partner and former Circus Royal director. He committed suicide in the summer of 2018.
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Skreinig suffered a nervous breakdown towards the end of 2019 and has been in psychological care ever since. «The disintegration of this wonderful circus and the procedures are too close to me. The Royal is my life, my family. »What mistakes did he make? «I should have stopped operating long ago. I trusted the wrong people for too long, intrigues too little, »he says and adds:« This in combination with difficult circumstances – such as a small audience and Peter’s difficult legacy with coping with bankruptcy – has pulled the ground from under my feet. »
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Skreinig can no longer handle the circus alone
But he sees light at the end of the tunnel. Some of his employees would continue to work for him voluntarily. «I need help to get back on my feet. And I know that I can no longer manage the circus on my own. »It should be clear in three weeks at the latest whether the Circus Royal will be sold or whether Skreinig will develop a rejuvenated concept with new partners. He hopes that on March 6th it will say again: “Come in!” Whether with him or without him.