Georg-Spillner-Weg in Eichenau: In honor of a famous clown

Created: 01/12/2022, 11:16 AM

Trademark wide coat and many musical instruments: Georg Spillner alias "Nuk".

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Many street names are taken for granted.

But if you take a closer look and inquire about the background, in some cases you will learn a lot about the history of the place.

In the case of Georg-Spillner-Weg in Eichenau, it's a particularly funny one.

Eichenau

- Anyone who rushes through Bahnhofstrasse in a hurry, perhaps to catch the S-Bahn on time, strikes a few paths that are named after artists and writers: Oskar-Maria Graf, Peter Rosegger, Gustl Bayrhammer - and Georg Spillner, a German music clown of international standing, known by the artist name "Nuk", died on May 1st, 1998 in Eichenau.

Austria's all-rounder André Heller once ennobled him in a letter before the turn of the millennium: “He was the greatest clown that Germany has produced in this century.

The Germans should actually worship him on their knees, just as Karl Valentin is worshiped. "

The only homage in all of Germany: Only in Eichenau is there a street for music clown Spillner.

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Spillner's artistic path was not necessarily mapped out. He was born on July 14, 1908 as the son of a small textile merchant in Jena, Thuringia. After studying medicine, he took over a dental practice in Kahla, a small town in the Saale valley. What Spillner later commented humorously: "I am the best clown in the world among dentists - and the best dentist among the clowns in the world." In addition, he was also good at sports, and was once a Thuringian hammer throwing champion.

Spillner's artistic career began in an orchestral association in his Thuringian homeland, where he played the oboe.

As a 29-year-old he was able to celebrate his first successes at the Deutsches Theater in Munich - and then over time he established one of his trademarks: a large, checked coat that hid all kinds of musical instruments and a huge suitcase.

When it comes to instruments, Spillner was multicultural, so to speak.

He played the violin, clarinet, piano, flute, harmonica, concertina, mandolin and saxophone.

In doing so, he also emulated the great Swiss clown "Grock", whom he never met.

In reviews it was often said that Spillner had a natural comedy and did not appear tense.

On the way to the Eichenau S-Bahn station, you pass Georg-Spillner-Weg.

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This not only earned him appearances at the Hamburg Hansa Theater, the Olympia in Paris or the Friedrichstadtpalast in Berlin.

Georg Spillner alias “Nuk” was also seen on the big screen once: in the 1950 film “Taxi-Kitty”, in which, among others, film greats like Hannelore Schroth, Carl Raddatz, Karl Schönböck and Inge Meysel took part.

Spillner portrayed a clown. It was, however, his only foray into this department of show business.

In Eichenau, the famous clown was not discovered until the age of almost 80 as a result of the establishment of the “FreiRaum” cultural association in 1989. Spillner had agreed to one of the first events of the association, in a kind of “nuksical show” together with young people Eichenau musicians to perform - in a fully occupied Frisian hall.

In 1991 Georg Spillner received the Federal Cross of Merit for his charitable work.

His attitude towards his profession was also rather modest: “You don't learn to be a clown, you are one and - if you work on it and do well - you become better and better," he said.

Incidentally, the artist's entire estate can be seen in the Clown Museum in Leipzig.

In addition, the little Georg-Spillner-Weg in Eichenau is the only way to honor the artist. In no other municipality in Germany is a path named after him.

The series

“Street names and what's behind them” illuminates the history and people behind the sign.

Another path near the railway underpass pays tribute to the namesake Eichenau.

You can read more news from Eichenau with us.