Lögberg-Heimskringla - 26.11.1999, Síða 3

Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 26. nóvember 1999 • 3
Jóhann Pétursson Svarfdælingur
in Hamburg 1938
The following is a loosely translated news item from a German
newspaper, with the headline: “A man measuring 2.4 m visits
Hamburg.”
“In the last few days the Icelander Pétursson has been in Hamburg.
As he is 2.4 m high he draws deserved attention wherever he goes.
Finding hotel accommodation for this giant visitor has not been easy, as
a large enough bed could not be found. It was not until the Circus
Performers’ Association came to his assistance that the problem was
solved. The president of the Circus Performers’ Association, an associate
of Theo Tilmar, was at his office when a phone call from the main train
station in Hamburg interrupted his work. “We have a circus performer
who cannot be accommodated anywhere.” “How can that be?” “Well he
is quite tall.” “Send him over here.” The staff at the Circus Performers’
Association office was a bit startled when the tall man appeared, after all,
seeing a man like that was not an every day happening. Fortunately an
interpreter was at the office. The Icelander (Björn) Kristjánsson, a busi-
ness man in Hamburg, was at the office and he knew the giant. This made
it easier for him to be understood.
“Pétursson has arrived form Paris where he appeared at the World
Show. He is on his way to Denmark, but is interested in appearing in
Hamburg, if possible. However first the problem of finding him a hotel
room has to be solved, as giants get tired like other people. While phone
calls were made to many hotels, the giant talked about his life. He meas-
ures 2.4 m in height, weighing 140 kg, and always has a problem travel-
ling by public transportation and cars. All are too small for him. An old
three-mark coin passes easily through the ring he wears on his ring-finger.
The man is comfortable in his manners and not thin like many of his col-
leagues, but husky and well proportioned. However finding a hotel room
proved difficult. Finally Theo Tilmar had an excellent idea, Scheppers
von Scheppers and V.D. Bille, also a giant, always slept in a huge house
trailer. They cálled him, but the house’ trailer was not vacant. However
they were informed that men of gigantic size were always accepted at
Hotel Stein. They made a call there “Do you have a vacant room?” “Yes.”
“A very lárge room?” “Yes, one with three and another with four beds.”
“All right, we will take the last mentioned.” “When can we expect the
gentlemen?” Immediately,” The hotel staff was wide-eyed, when the man
appeared to claim the room. He lay down across several beds and stayed
for the night.
“The association also obtained a job for the giant in the circus, Flora,
which was re-opened at this time, offering among other things circus per-
formances. These entertainment items were ideal for the giant. Of course
Pétursson drew as much attention there as he did when he appeared else-
where. Live skyscrapers are not seen every day in Hamburg.”
After the shows ended in Hamburg, Jóhann Pétursson went to
Bremen where he appeared along with “Tom Thumb,” who was 58 cm
tall. In that city Jóhann wanted to buy a new suit, but as you can see in
the accompanying photo, the tailor had to use unconventional methods to
measure Jóhann. The story reported that nine metres of fabric were
required for the suit.
Jóhann Pétursson was bom in Akureyri on February 9, 1913. The
same year he moved with his parents to Dalvík and later to Brekkukot in
Svarfaðardalur. From age 13 he worked various common jobs, among
them fishing on boats from Dalvík for a number of years. Jóhann is the
tallest Icelander on record and was considered to be the world’s tallest
man for some time. He measured 234 cm rather than 240 as the German
paper reported. Jóhann had difficulty finding suitable work in Iceland, and
as a result he tried to find jobs abroad. He went to Denmark in 1935, at
age twenty-two, and worked in circuses in the Scandinavian countries,
France, and Germany.
Jóhann did various jobs in Denmark during the war years, but
returned home on Ms. Esja in July, 1945 and stayed in Iceland for the next
three years, where he showed movies and talked about his stay abroad. In
1948 he moved to the U.S.A. and appeared in shows in North and South
America. He returned in 1982 and stayed in Dalbær, a senior citizens’
home in Dalvík. Jóhann died in Akureyri on November 27, 1984.
Translated from Morgunblaðið
Above: the story in the German newspaper was accompanied by this picture of Jóhann
Giant being measured at the tailor’s. Nine metres offabric were requiredfor the suit.
Below: a clipping ofthe article in German. Photös courtesy of Morgunblaöid
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