Karl Wallenda

Karl Wallenda was born in 1905 in Magdeburg, Germany, to a circus family. He began performing with his family at age six, and soon developed a passion for high wire acts. He formed The Flying Wallendas with his brother Herman, his girlfriend Helen Kreis (who later became his wife), and his friend Joseph Geiger in 1922. They toured Europe for several years, performing tightrope walking and high-wire bicycling, and perfecting a four-man pyramid act. They were noticed by John Ringling, who hired them to perform at the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus in the United States in 1928. They debuted at Madison Square Garden in New York City to a standing ovation. The Flying Wallendas soon gained international fame for their impressive acts, almost entirely developed by Karl Wallenda. One of the most death-defying stunts he came up with was the three-tier, seven-person chair pyramid, in which the group walked the tightrope with the top member balancing high in the air on a chair. Over the years, Karl had several children, all of whom joined the family business, along with their respective spouses and their own children. The Flying Wallendas faced many tragedies in their career, as several members of the troupe were killed or injured in accidents during their performances. In 1962, their signature seven-person pyramid collapsed during a performance in Detroit, killing Karl's son-in-law, tightrope partner, and nephew. Another nephew was killed in a fall in 1963, and Karl's adopted son was electrocuted in 1972. Despite these losses, Karl continued with his stunts, often performing without a safety net. He performed a high-wire walk across the Tallulah Gorge in Georgia in 1970, and broke a world skywalk distance record of 1,800 feet at Kings Island in 1974. In 1978, at age 73, Karl attempted a walk between the two towers of the Condado Plaza Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on a wire stretched 121 feet above the pavement. As a result of high winds and an improperly secured wire, he lost his balance and fell during the attempt. He was pronounced dead after his body arrived at the hospital. His death was captured on film by a local television station. Karl Wallenda was buried in Palmetto, Florida, where he had lived for many years. He was survived by his wife Helen, who died in 1996, and his children and grandchildren, many of whom continue the family tradition of performing stunts on high wire without a safety net. Karl Wallenda is remembered as one of the greatest circus performers of all time, and as a pioneer of high wire artistry. He inspired generations of acrobats and daredevils with his courage and skill. His motto was "Life is on the wire; everything else is just waiting."