Emil Naucke

Emil Naucke (1855 to 1900) was a German professional wrestler and artist, born in Poel, who became a popular strongman performer and variety theatre owner in Hamburg. He joined a troupe of artists at fourteen and travelled through Europe and the United States, and at eighteen he went to Hamburg, appearing in St. Pauli. As his body weight rose, reaching 235 kilograms at a height of only 1.70 metres, he gave up wrestling for strength acrobatics, parodies and comic roles, the best known being "Pauline from the ballet". In 1896 he opened Emil Naucke's Varieté at Spielbudenplatz in Hamburg. He died of a heart attack on 25 January 1900 after a charity performance, and thousands lined the route of his funeral to Ohlsdorf Cemetery.