Ottokar Fischer

Ottokar Fischer (November 10, 1873 - December 1, 1940) was born in Leschan, a small village in Austria.

In 1883 his parents moved to Vienna, where he saw Charles Obra, Mellini, Ben Ali Bey, and other noted performers. He gave his own first public performance at age 18. He billed himself as "O.F. Marteua".

In 1896 Fischer met George Heubeck, who was the successor of J. N. Hofzinser, who taught him all of Hofzinser's effects. Fischer also previously had studied with A. Fredmar the only pupil of Compars Herrmann.

Starting in 1898 he managed and appeared regularly at the Kratky Baschik theatre in Vienna, a magic theatre with nearly 1000 seats. For 12 years he performed daily with a two and a half-hour show of magic. Several times Fischer performed before the Imperial Court of Austria and before other crowned heads.

After the First World War he no longer performed publicly and dedicated his life to the history of magic, in particular to the life of Austrian and European magicians.

Fischer was the founder of the "Wiener Magischer Klub" and its president for many years.

April 1936, was on cover of Linking Ring.

In 1939 the Society of American Magicians made Fischer an honorary member.

Books

• J. N. Hofzinser's Card Conjuring - Kartenkünste (1910)
• The Miracle Book of Magic (Das Wunderbuch der Zauberkunst) (1929)
• Illustrated Magic - Zauberkünste (1942)