John Grün

John (Johann) Grün, also known as Herkul Grün and the Luxembourg Hercules, was a Luxembourg strongman who lived from 1868 to 1912 and was believed to be the strongest man in the world at the turn of the twentieth century. Born in Mondorf-les-Bains into a family of craftsmen and Yenish travellers, he emigrated to the United States in 1889, where a St. Louis brewery job led to a strongman partnership called The Marx Brothers or The Two Marks. He later toured the circuses, music halls and variety theatres of America and Europe, tearing apart decks of cards and horseshoes and breaking stone on his chest. Houdini performed with him and praised his feats. After a serious injury he retired in 1909, ran a London public house, and died in Ettelbruck in 1912. A monument stands in Mondorf-les-Bains.