The world’s oldest carousel turns once again

Hanau / DPA

The world’s oldest carousel, a plaything for a prince, has been restored to working order after many years of painstaking work to fix its wooden horses.
Prince Wilhelm IX of Hessen-Kassel wanted a merry-go-round like those seen at fun-fairs and it was completed for him in 1780 in Wilhelmsbad Park in Hanau, now a town on the eastern outskirts of greater Frankfurt in Germany.
It was rebuilt in 1882, but fell into disrepair over the years and was also damaged by a stray bomb during World War II, when Hanau’s industries were pounded from the air.
“The horses were treated as carefully as if they had been Gothic sculptures,” explained restorer Hans-Michel Hangleiter. “That’s how precious and valuable they are.” The horses and chariots were covered with numerous layers of paint over the centuries in an effort to maintain the carousel, but this only made the restoration work more difficult.
Hangleiter had to painstakingly remove the unwanted paint layer by layer in order to restore the carousel to its original condition. The woodwork also needed careful attention with some adornments needing to be replaced while the horses also received new glass eyes and iron stirrups.
In order to protect the structure, visitors will not be allowed to mount the horses, but instead will have to take their place in the two-seat coaches, for a maximum of eight persons per ride.
“This is a compromise,” explained site manager Christiane Colhoun. Otherwise, handles would have had to be fitted to the horses for health and safety reasons.
Nowhere in the world does an older carousel, fixed or mobile, survive, according to the US National Carousel Association. The prince had his private carousel erected in a Greek temple-like building on top of a small hill in his park so that only close friends could use it.
A grand re-opening is scheduled during a three-day festival July 22-24. “This is a great day,” said Stefan Bahn, head of the carousel restoration committee, during the delivery of the restored wooden coaches and horses. “They have spent several years at the fitness centre and are now ready to face the next 100 years,” he joked.
Restoration work on the national monument began in 2010 with a budget of 4.1 million euros. Sponsors were sought to help cover the costs of the restoration of the horses and 11 individuals and firms each donated 15,000 euros to the project, according to Bahn.
The newly restored carousel with the horses and chariots back in place must undergo test runs before the public climbs aboard. Each of the four coaches weighs 470 kilograms, while each horse weighs around 75kg. Three electric motors now drive a mechanism that is similar to a mill, with large mill spokes radiating outward to turn the horses and chariots.
The original carousels at 18th-century funfairs were turned by animals and other mechanisms. “The three motors have to move around 14 tons,” explained architect Colhoun, who has led the project for the past 25 years. “I’ve been involved in this in some capacity ever since I was student,” she added.
The carousel certainly appears to be an affair of the heart for many of the people involved in its restoration. “This is a carousel with history,” said pensioner Thomas Ludwig, who also worked on the project. “I’m so happy that soon it will turn again.” The carousel will only be operational on chosen days in order that visitors appreciate what a special experience it is.