I found that the big cat house was the worst place. There was a wonderful outside enclosure for lions, built by Grzimek in the ’50s and I retained it like it was. Because for me, first of all, I haven’t had the money to re-do everything and it was good. Read More
We moved out until the new house will be created. And one of the heads of the city department responsible for finances came to visit me and said, you are threatening us with this sending out of the big cats. And I told him, oh, no, I’m not threatening. I… Read More
To lead a good zoo with a good team for as many visitors as possible. And of course, with no new exhibits for 16 years, my main focal point was to create new exhibits. And in my time I could start only five years after starting because my first superior… Read More
So how did you, what was the first thing you wanted to do?… Read More
What’s the first exhibit you wanted to build, when you found you could receive the money?… Read More
You come in as director and what are your top items?… Read More
What did you want to address or enhance or make better right away?… Read More
What was on your mind?… Read More
Well, of course, we have to differentiate again from country to country. Switzerland was neutral and there was only one bomb falling into the border region of Switzerland. Whereas, a lot of German zoos were almost totally destroyed. And as I said, Frankfurt or Berlin Zoo were almost totally destroyed. Read More
But Grzimek was an excellent marketing man and he wanted to have more visitor coming into the zoo and paying and so he created a lot of additional attractions. He started a theater in the zoo and they had to pay for the zoo entrance and then they could go… Read More
What was going on?… Read More
There were probably, as you mentioned, bombings and animals had been, and food was scarce but some of these animals were still there. Read More
How did the zoos manage?… Read More
He wanted to retain the birds of prey aviary and they were lowest on the priority list, I was sure that I wouldn’t change them, oh yes, sir, birds of prey aviary are wonderful. I want to conserve them as well. And then he wanted to have a special view… Read More
And they are viewed from the old cages. So, he did wonderful work retaining the historical building and creating a modern zoo. Read More
Can you give me maybe a capsule version of how did zoos in Europe survive after the war?… Read More
Did you have that problem?… Read More
Before accepting my position as Director of Frankfurt Zoo, I of course, asked how many listed buildings are there. And Frankfurt has a huge so-called (speaking in foreign language). That’s a huge building, just behind the entrance, where 100 years ago, the society met in a large hole and the… Read More
In these three houses we needed, I don’t know exactly anymore, but it was about 20 persons. And the largest part of your budget in a zoo are the salaries and the wages. And therefore, it was an expensive zoo and not very popular with small mammals and kiwis that… Read More
When you were looking at the master plan for the Frankfurt Zoo, did any of the buildings have to be saved because they had survived the war and were historical?… Read More