Ludwig Durlacher

Ludwig Durlacher, also known as Louis Attila, (July 2, 1844 – March 15, 1924) was a German-born American strongman, gym owner and personal trainer. He trained members of European royal families and American high society as well as athletes like Eugen Sandow and James J. Corbett. He was "one of the first 'personal trainers' for the rich and famous".[1]

Ludwig Durlacher
Born(1844-07-02)2 July 1844
Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden
Died15 March 1925(1925-03-15) (aged 80)
OccupationStrongman, gym owner, personal trainer
Spouse(s)Roseanna Attila
Children1 daughter
RelativesSiegmund Klein (son-in-law)

Early life

Durlacher was born on July 2, 1844 in Karlsruhe, Germany.[1][2][3] He was trained by Italian strongman Felice Napoli from a young age, and he later joined the Baden Sharpshooters, a sports club.[1][3]

Career

Durlacher began his career as a strongman in 1863, under the stage name of Attila.[2] He toured all over Europe, including at the Folies Bergère in Paris and the Alhambra Theatre in London.[1][3] He performed at the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887.[3]

Durlacher became "one of the first 'personal trainers' for the rich and famous".[1] His clients included many members of high society like Cornelius Vanderbilt and members of royal families of Denmark, Norway, Britain, Greece and Russia.[1][3] After opening his own gym in Brussels in 1886,[2] he began training Eugen Sandow, an early bodybuilder.[1][4][5] He opened another gym in Bloomsbury, London in 1889, and he continued to train Sandow.[1]

Durlacher emigrated to the United States in 1893. He opened a gym in New York City known as Attila's Athletic Studio and School of Physical Culture. From 1898 to 1924, it was located at 1383 Broadway in Midtown Manhattan. Members included John Philip Sousa, Alfred Vanderbilt, and J. P. Morgan Jr., and visitors included Louis Cyr and Warren Lincoln Travis. Durlacher also trained boxing champion James J. Corbett.[1] He was also one of the first trainers to encourage women to lift weights and box.[5]

Personal life and death

Durlacher had a daughter, Grace, who married Siegmund Klein, a bodybuilder.[1][2]

Durlacher died on March 15, 1924.[1][2] His widow, Roseanna Attila, died in 1961.[6]

References
  1. Beckwith, Kim; Todd, Jan (July 2002). "Requiem for a Strongman: Reassessing the Career of Reassessing the Career of Professor Louis Attila" (PDF). Iron Game History. 7 (2–3): 42–55. Retrieved January 12, 2019 – via H.J. Lutcher Stark Center for Physical Culture and Sports.
  2. "Professor Attila's Scrapbook". H.J. Lutcher Stark Center for Physical Culture and Sports. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  3. Apeland, John H. (March 30, 1924). "Age, Eighty--Profession, Strong Man! Louis Attila, Sandow's Instructor, Who for Sixty Years Has Been an "Atlas", Tells How He Has Taught Royalty and Society Folk the Principles of Keeping Physically Fit". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. p. 12. Retrieved January 12, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. Maher, Louise (April 29, 2015). "The Mighty Sandow: How the world's strongest man wowed Australian audiences in 1902". ABC. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  5. St. Sukie de la Croix (2012). Chicago Whispers: A History of LGBT Chicago before Stonewall. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. p. 182. ISBN 9780299286941. OCLC 756913037.
  6. "Mrs. Roseanna Attila". The Daily News. May 12, 1961. p. 89. Retrieved January 12, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
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