HISTORY OF BREMER CAROUSEL

The Bremer carousel was built in 1896 by a Bremer carousel builder. In 1916 another showman family bought the carousel and it was completely disassembled and discovered in very poor condition in a barn. In painstaking detail, the carousel was rebuilt and restored. It then provided its services to countless fairs in northern Germany.
In 1928 Janina’s great grandfather bought the carousel and ran it as a family ride until 1935. He then sold it, but it continued in operation up until the war began in 1939. From 1947 – 1994 the malnourished carousel belonged to the family of Otto Walter. In 1994 Janina’s grandfather bought the carousel back. In 1996 Janina’s grandfather died and he left the carousel to his son, the current owner, Janina’s father.

As a 12-year-old boy in 1972, while the carousel was still in the possession of Otto Walter, Janina’s father met Otto Walter and his carousel at a fair, and he rode some laps on the horses. While descending, he held on to the wooden ear of one of the horses and broke off the tip of the ear. The infuriated Otto Walter gave him a good thrashing. This broken ear was never repaired and is visible even today. Not only because of the broken ear but also because the ride already belonged to his father and grandfather, Janina’s father today has a very special relationship with this carousel. Of these rides, which have survived more than a century, there are only very few. Most are in museums or are in storage and are no longer roadworthy.